Happy Anniversary The Rising Muse

On December 4, 2014 By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings2 Comments

The reality is that I’ve been so busy and this date snuck up on me. I can’t believe that I started this journey 5 years ago. I have been writing since I was 14 years old, but on a day like this day I decided that it was time to share what God had given me.

Today is not a day to congratulate me, as all I did was share. Today is a day of gratitude for all of you who have come to shared with me your own experiences, my good and growth opportunity moment. I’m grateful for all of you who have supported this dream and have allowed me to meet so many wonderful people.

Today I celebrate YOU!

anniversary

As a token of my appreciation to all my readers, my latest book “A Brother’s Vow” will be #99cents from today until through Sunday. It’s yours to enjoy!

Thank you

Tsunami

On October 22, 2014October 21, 2014 By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings4 Comments

By Holly Michael

Landing in South India, ten days after the 2004 tsunami, my husband said to our contact there, “Send us to the worst affected area, where no agency or person has yet provided help.”

Already weary from nearly thirty hours of travel, I mentally geared up for mission work. My husband, a pastor and native of Tamil Nadu, South India had tsunami lived and worked in the affected region for more than twenty years and was aware of the living conditions of the fisher folks in the remote seaside villages. He was certain we’d find decimation and desperation.

Back home in Arkansas, we had raised a large sum of money during a week-long, major fund-raising event. As a freelancer for a Guideposts magazine, I planned to cover the story of a teenage survivor. My husband’s predictions rang true and I had no idea how difficult, yet fulfilling, this experience would be.

Ten years later, we are now preparing to head to South India for a follow-up visit. I plan to write a “then and now” book and release it on the anniversary of the tsunami: December 26^th, 2014.

Ten years ago, we provided immediate assistance for the villages and people also helped many tsunami orphans. We arranged for the village headman to bring the children to the local bank where we identified them and put funds in CD’s to be collected ten years later (2014). This would give them money to begin their lives as adults. We also provided help to other small villages by purchasing boats for them.

I’m excited to return and see how the children—now adults—are doing and discover their future plans. I’m also curious to see how the once decimated villages have recovered.

On the ten-year anniversary, December 26th, 2014, I’ll publish, “Tsunami 2004: Then and Now. Devastation from the Sea. Help from Beyond. (Working Title).

It’s said that you should write what you know. This is true. Traveling to India several times since 2004, I have enjoyed and absorbed the cultural experiences and have since used them in my writing.

This past July, I released Crooked Lines, my debut novel, inspired by stories told by my husband and his friends who left their villages in India as teenagers to join a religious order. Crooked Lines threads the lives of two determined souls from different continents and cultures. They struggle with spirituality through despair and deceptions in search of truth. I’m so pleased that Crooked Lines had reached #1 in Inspirational Fiction Category on Amazon.com.

Here’s my back cover blurb: On the shores of Lake Michigan, Rebecca Meyer seeks escape. Guilt-ridden over her little sister’s death, she sets her heart on India, a symbol of peace. Across the ocean in South India, Sagai Raj leaves his tranquil hill station home and impoverished family to answer a higher calling. Pushing through diverse cultural and religious milieus, he labors toward his goals, while wrong turns and bad choices block Rebecca from hers. Traveling similar paths and bridged across oceans through a priest, the two desire peace and their divine destiny. But vows and blind obedience at all costs must be weighed…and buried memories, unearthed.

Without giving a spoiler, some scenes from the novel were taken from my own experiences in South India after the tsunami. I’m also working on my sequel to Crooked Lines that I hope to release in February.

Maybe your travels won’t take you to far-away places, but we all travel along many emotional pathways and carry unique experiences in our hearts. As writers we should go back to the places of decimation, see how far we’ve come, and use this in our writing to help others. No matter what our background or culture—like in Crooked Lines—we all share similar emotional experiences. Matters of the heart are universal and worth writing about.

book

TWO CONTINENTS. TWO CULTURES. TWO SOULS
…SEEK HOPE & A FUTURE

On the shores of Lake Michigan, Rebecca Meyer seeks escape. Guilt-ridden over
her little sister’s death, she sets her heart on India, a symbol of peace. Across the ocean in South India, Sagai Raj leaves his tranquil hill station home and impoverished family to answer a higher calling. Pushing through diverse cultural and religious milieus, he labors toward his goals, while wrong turns and bad choices block Rebecca from hers.
Traveling similar paths and bridged across oceans through a priest, the two desire peace and their divine destiny. But vows and blind obedience at all costs must be weighed…and buried memories, unearthed. Crooked Lines, a beautifully crafted debut novel, threads the lives of two determined souls from different continents and cultures. Compelling characters struggle with spirituality through despair and
deceptions in search of truth.

holly Holly Michael
Website: http://www.hollymichael.com/
Blog: www.writingstraight.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHollyMichael
Twitter:@hollymichael

link: https://twitter.com/HollyMichael
www.HollyMichael.com
Debut Novel, Crooked Lines, now released! http://amzn.to/1jZsrLH.

A Biblical Definition of Wisdom

On October 6, 2014September 28, 2014 By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

How do you define wisdom? For some it’s measured by a person’s level of knowledge and learning or by one’s level of education. Dictionaries define wisdom as philosophic and scientific learning. Other definitions of wisdom include sound judgment, good insight, or common sense. Native Americans believe wisdom is earned only after living a long life that brings learning and experience.

These definitions have merit, but they fall short of a biblical definition of wisdom. Biblical wisdom can be defined as the ability to see things from God’s point of view. As Christians, our wisdom grows when we understand and accept God’s point of view. The same is true of nations; they show wisdom when they align their policies with God’s view.

Without wisdom people can find themselves in trouble and countries risk disaster. The further a nation strays from God’s point of view, the closer it comes to being a nation under judgment.

We live in a nation that prides itself on being “one nation under God.” We ask for God’s blessing in songs like “God Bless America” by Irving Berlin. Our Supreme Court opens every session with “God save the United States and this Honorable Court.” The president and other politicians pandering for our votes give speeches that end with “God bless America.”

But what does it mean to be “one nation under God?” Have the words become merely a patriotic slogan? Do they have value only in times of national crises, when we feel threatened? Are we a nation asking for God’s protection and blessings while turning away from His point of view?

As a nation “under God” do we see things from God’s point of view when shaping national policies? Or have we lost our wisdom as a nation? When we create polices on hunger, homelessness, poverty, protecting the environment and marriage, are we following God’s point of view – or a political agenda? What does it say about our values when one of every fifty children lacks sufficient food, in a nation that wastes 40 percent of its food? These are important questions that must be asked if we value being a nation “under God” because the answers may point to a nation moving away from God’s point of view and losing its wisdom.

Christians cannot escape our responsibility to hold those we elect to public office accountable for crafting polices that reflect God’s point of view. If our nation is losing its wisdom – its ability to see things from God’s point of view – we have a responsibility to advocate for change and to elect leaders who believe that “one nation under God” is not merely a political slogan but a call to action that will bring our policies into line with God’s point of view.

Our Founding Fathers knew that we could not indefinitely exist apart from God’s point of view. George Mason warned that providence would punish national sins with national calamities. Thomas Jefferson said “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just and that his justice cannot sleep forever.” These great men understood that our nation’s future rests on its commitment to live by the words “one nation under God” and that we must create national polices that reflect His point of view rather than policies that conform to a political agenda.

Have we lost our wisdom as a nation – our ability to see things from God’s point of view? Ultimately the answer to that question will determine if we are headed toward being a nation under judgment. Read more about a biblical definition of wisdom in A Nation Under Judgment. The book is available on Amazon and at http://www.anationunderjudgment.com

“ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM WHO BELIEVES”

On September 29, 2014September 28, 2014 By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

John 2:1-11 is the narrative recounting the first recorded miracle of Jesus at the wedding in Galilee.

“Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.”

John 2:7 (NIV)

Everyone has a designated time and place when they are to connect with their God-given purpose and the plan God has for them. There are times when we try to advance too soon and other times, we sit back waiting and possibly missing the proper time. Based upon the scripture, someone miscalculated and the wine supply ran short, to which, Mary, the mother of Jesus looked to her son for a solution. He replied to her, “My time has not yet come.”

Mary, didn’t let that stop her, she issued a directive to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” What was he to do, his mother had now placed him on front street, guess what, whether he wanted to believe it or not, it was show time, his time had arrived.

During these days, weddings were carried out over a week-long period and conducted as festivals with everyone around being invited. So, running out of anything during these times of elaborate celebrations would be considered, highly embarrassing and violated the laws of hospitality.

Mary saw a potential heartfelt problem for the hosts and looked to her heart, her son, who she knew was more than a mere human man to find a resolve. Jesus’ mission is/was to save mankind by entering into a personal relationship, so by stepping up outside of his perceived time indicated how he would go about in his assignment – helping others, speaking with true authority, and being relational with those around him.

As servants of Christ, we should follow the command given in John 2:7, to fill the jars with water and fill them to the brim. It should be our goal to be obedient to Christ as we do our part to the best of our abilities, while trusting and believing in Him, to reveal His glory through our obedience.

We should believe He can do more with what we offer to Him than what we ourselves can. When He does it, He produces the best, choice miracles that defy the odds. What He produced was fresh and new, it had never been done before. It was impressive and abundant for all to enjoy.

At that wedding, He launched His miraculous ministry his time of preparation time was over.

What He did that day confirmed the belief in the hearts of His disciples and it should confirm in yours. I want to encourage you today to fill your pots and fill them to the brim and then take an evaluation of those things God has placed within your heart and pray about the timing of His plan for your life.

I admonish you to align yourselves with Him and follow His commands and don’t wait until you’re close to running out or being on empty or even saving the best for last. Do what He says now, trust and believe Him, and watch what will happen next…it will be nothing short of a miracle!

“ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE TO HIM WHO BELIEVES”

Shakira R. Thompson, a natural born storyteller has submitted to her God-given talents and have allowed them to transform her into an author, publisher, and entrepreneur.

She is the founder of Believer’s Choice Media, an inspirational content company dedicated to encouraging believers to live the life they were created to live on earth and beyond.

She has recently launched her debut novel, “High Noon Justice,” a series based upon Psalms 37 to a loving and accepting audience. These days, Shakira now believes she is living her life according to Ephesians 2:10:

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” (KJV)

With a renewed sense of purpose, Shakira is ready and prepared to not only find the plan of God for her life but also fulfill it. Shakira is a proud Alumni of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, Florida where she holds a B.S in Business Administration as well as an M.B.A. with a concentration in Supply Chain Management.

Born and raised in Fernandina Beach, Florida, she now resides in Orlando, Florida with her family. www.shakirathompson.com and believerschoicemedia.com

Book Release: Farming, Friends & Fried Bologna Sandwiches

On September 5, 2014September 15, 2014 By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

Join me celebrate with my author friend Renea Winchester in her launch of her new book Farming, Friends & Fried B farm ologna Sandwiches by Mercer University Press.

If you are in the Atlanta area on September 6th, please come to the book launch (See attached invitation). Bring the family, bring your friends. If you are out of town on that date, the City of Roswell is hosting an event September 13th from 1-3 pm.

Farming, Friends, and Fried Bologna Sandwiches is filled with stories about neighbors, friends, and visitors from as far away as Puerto Rico, Farming captures the small-town community feel that was once prevalent and is rapidly vanishing. Farming, Friends, and Fried Bologna Sandwiches is chocked full of easy-to-follow recipes and tips that will benefit both the inexperienced and veteran gardener. In short, it is a love letter, a Southern-Style “Thank You” to the people who make the South one of the best places in the world to call home.

About the Author Renea Winchester is the daughter of Appalachia who is passionate about literacy and growing heritage flowers and vegetables. She rescues flowers from development and distributes them throughout the community. She grows her great-grandfather’s heritage corn and personally grinds it into cornmeal. Recently she raised money to help preserve the historic Monteith Farmhouse in Dillsboro NC. Her writing has won many awards including the Wilma Dykeman Appalachian Heritage, and the Denny Plattner award. Her first book, In the Garden with Billy: Lessons About Life, Love & Tomatoes earned a nomination for the prestigious Southern Independent Bookseller Alliance Award. Contact her for an interview at renea.winchester@yahoo.com Where to Buy?: Purchase Copies at Amazon, B&N, or have your local Independent Bookseller reserve a copy for you. All Bookstores can order copies for you. Mercer University Press offers a 20% Discount and FREE shipping when you ask for the Facebook discount. Their number is 866-895-1742. E-copies will release late fall. If you haven’t read my first book about Billy, download it here

http://www.reneawinchester.com

Book Review: Promises of the Heart

On February 14, 2014February 13, 2014 By Naty MatosIn Book Review1 Comment

“Promises of the heart” is the first book of author’s Scarlett Rains Sister’s of the Heart Series. The book setting is in London England and it’s a historical fiction. I’m not a fan of historical fiction, but this book was able to capture my attention. To me it was ironic to have the main character to be a sweet precocious child, when in my own books I chose that name for an adult serial killer. So the first thing was that I was interested in seeing how this Amelia would react to her surroundings.

Amelia’s behaviors are way advanced for her age and the time in which she was living, which got her in trouble with the adults in charge of her. The loss of her parents creates a grand distress in her life as she now is not sure of who would take care of her. She ends up being assigned Rachel as a governess. As she grows she starts receiving unwanted attention from the opposite sex, which confuses her. She wonders about the real intentions of her cousins and her own feelings for them.

I don’t want to reveal more, but the end leaves you looking for the second book immediately. It’s a nice read cuddled up in the sofa in front of the fireplace.

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Sister’s of the Heart

On February 10, 2014February 10, 2014 By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings1 Comment

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Interview with Award Winning Author Kimberley Payne

On February 7, 2014February 7, 2014 By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings1 Comment

Kimberley, welcome to The Rising Muse. Tell us about yourself

I am an award-winning author and a member of The Word Guild, Inscribe Christian Writer’s Fellowship, and John 3:16 Marketing Network.I combine my teaching experience and love of writing to create educational materials for mothers and children about family, fitness, science and faith.

And I know you just published a new book. What can you tell us about the book?

My latest project is “Adam’s Animals”, a children’s activity book that features over 40 animals mentioned in the Bible and little-known facts about each. It is the second book in the Science and Faith Matters series. The first book, “Trees of the Book – Learning from God’s Creation”, is a colourful introduction to trees, leaves and their corresponding Bible stories.

So tell me what audience did you had in mind when you wrote this book?

“Adam’s Animals” is ideal for 6 to 9 year olds, for home or school use and classroom sharing in grades 1-3 to supplement the Life Sciences Curriculum on Animal Life.

What was your inspiration for this book?

Years ago, my daughter wrote a little book called, “Did you know…fascinating and fun facts about animals around the world” as a fundraiser to go to camp. I helped her with it and loved discovering new things about God’s creation.

Do you have a favorite animal and why that one?

I loved learning about the leopard. This big cat can climb trees, run fast, and swim. He’s powerful and smart. My kind of creature!

Did you find anything particularly difficult in writing this book?

There was a ton of research. Not only did I have to dig through the Bible to discover the animals mentioned, but then I had to research each individually to uncover five unusual facts.

What do you hope this book accomplishes?

I hope that “Adam’s Animals” will fuel the desire for children to read the Bible and to also learn more about the animals that God created.

Where can we find you?

Website: http://www.kimberleypayne.com

Blog: http://www.scienceandfaithmatters.wordpress.com

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/KimberleyPayne.Author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FitForFaith

Most important, where can we find the book?

This is the exciting part! The book is still in manuscript form. I am hoping to bring the project to life with the direct support of friends, colleagues and family.

As the book creator, I have set a funding goal of $3500, with a deadline of February 28th, 2014. If you like my book idea, you can pledge any amount of money to make it happen.

As the book backer, you choose from a number of rewards based on the amount of financial support you pledge. For example, backers who pledge a minimum of $5, will receive a choice of one of two of my e-books: 1) Fit for Faith – 7 weeks to improved spiritual and physical health, OR 2) Women of Strength – a devotional to improve spiritual and physical health. Backers who pledge a minium of $15 will receive an autographed copy of “Adam’s Animals”. Backers who pledge a minimum of $175 will be listed on the “Dedication” page at the back of the book PLUS will receive an autographed copy of “Adam’s Animals”.

Backing “Adam’s Animals” is more than just giving money. Writers need encouragement and you would be supporting my dream of creating a valuable resource for children and parents.

To support the creation of “Adam’s Animals” please visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/adamsanimals/adams-animals-a-childrens-activity-book

Short url for easy sharing: http://kck.st/19NBYR6

Thank you Kimberley for your visit and much success with Adam’s Animals

Until next time, be blessed.

Book Review: Shadow Stalker

On January 8, 2014January 1, 2014 By Naty MatosIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Do you guys remember the movie Jerry McGuire, when Jerry declares his love for his wife and she tells him “you had me at hello” That’s the best way to describe this book. As a crime mysteries lover, this book just sucked me in. I dare you to read the prologue and not read the rest of the book. A little spoiler if you allow me. In that prologue there’s a scene and the author says something like…and she saw her mother’s head explode in front of her eyes. I was sold. I know, it sounds morbid, but it is that good.

I sat patiently for hours at a doctor’s appointment without complaining because I was so into the book that I was in no rush to be called in. I think has been a long time since I have been upset that a book ended, but the good news is that it’s a series so I’m definitely going for book 2, because I need to know what happens. So I take this opportunity to tell the author to hurry up and write it…LOL!

In a nutshell, this is the story of a woman who watches her parent’s being killed as a child. She’s protected by family members who adopt her for a while. She grows to become a private investigator, which sometimes gets her in trouble. The people who killed her parents are after her and now she needs to use her skills to protect herself, but also to protect her current investigation and the investigation of her new partner.

I give this one five stars with no hesitation. I’ll keep you posted when I read the next one.

CrossReads Merry Christmas Sale & Gift Card Giveaway!

On December 28, 2013December 24, 2013 By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings1 Comment

Welcome To Our Christian Christmas Book Sale!

Where we invite you to pick up good books for less this Christmas!

Christian Christmas Book Sale

Merry Christmas! We hope you’re having a wonderful Christmas season. We know that this is the time of year when many readers are given eReaders and gift cards and we wanted a way to help you make the most of your gifts. So from now through Saturday (December 25-28th) we’re offering over 20 books for only 99 cents each.

AND we have one more gift for you! You can enter to win a $25 Amazon gift card by sharing this book sale with your friends and connecting with some of our authors across the web.

So load up on books this season with the Christian Christmas Book Sale – and be sure to tell your friends!

The books from our book sale are listed below – Fiction first, followed by Non-Fiction, and then the giveaway – enjoy!

Fiction:

To Protect & Serve by Staci Stallings

Houston firefighter, Jeff Taylor is a fireman’s fireman. He’s not afraid of anything, and no situation is too dangerous to keep him on the sideline if lives are at stake.

Lisa Matheson runs a semi-successful ad agency that’s on the brink of falling apart. Her employees are incompetent and her schedule has become exhausting. When she takes on a client with a brilliant idea for a big conference, she thinks that maybe, finally this is her lucky break. However, the fire station wasn’t what she had in mind for finding conference speakers. When she falls for a handsome but shy firefighter, it’s possible that life might just be going her way for a change. The only problem is she can’t control Jeff and the death wish he seems to have…

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Eternity by Staci Stallings

Aaron Foster thought he had the perfect life until his fiancee walked out of their apartment and then back in again with his new roommate. In desperation Aaron and his best friend, Harmony Jordan, devise The Plan to save Drew’s heart from getting shattered, but when The Plan succeeds beyond their wildest expectation, it could spell heartache for them all.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Reunited at Christmas by Debra Ullrick

Contemporary Christian Romance

Search and rescue dog handler Shelby Davis is living the dream. Not only does she train search and rescue dogs, but she’s a bestselling suspense author who has waterfront property in the beautiful mountain town of Grand Lake, Colorado. All is well until she receives a call to bring her dog Max and her snowmobile to help rescue a man who is lost in a blizzard up on Gravel Mountain. That man is the one person she never wants to see again—Ryker Anderson—the man who broke her heart the day he called three months before their wedding to say goodbye with no explanation as to why.
After being gone for eighteen months, Ryker Anderson is back in Grand Lake where he hopes to win back the woman he loves. He only hopes Shelby understands why he left. Will he be able to convince Shelby that she can trust him with her heart again even though he broke it before?

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Déjà Vu Bride by Debra Ullrick

Contemporary Christian Romance

Furious with God, Olivia Roseman vows to never trust Him again. Why should she? Once again her prayers have gone unanswered, and once again another loved one has been ripped from her. With no job and only a few dollars, Olivia makes a choice to start over again. Without God and without love. However, her handsome new boss isn’t going to make forgetting God or keeping her vow to never love again very easy. Erik Cole questions the sanity of his moving from Swamper City, Alabama to Charity, West Virginia. That is, until he hires airbrush designer Olivia Roseman to paint his monster truck. When he senses that she’s a gal who is down on her luck, he vows to do whatever he can to help her. Only problem is, the little beauty creates more challenges than one. As his feelings toward her deepen, all Erik can do is hope and pray that one day Olivia will open up her heart to Christ—and to him.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Prince of Alasia by Annie Douglass Lima

Adventure/Fantasy

Twelve-year-old Prince Jaymin, heir to the throne of Alasia, barely escapes with his life when invaders from neighboring Malorn attack. Accompanied by Erik, his young bodyguard and friend, Jaymin flees to a nearby town to live in hiding. There, coming face to face with the hardships suffered by the poor, he determines to improve his people’s lives someday when he takes the throne, assuming he can reclaim his kingdom.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

In the Enemy’s Service by Annie Douglass Lima

Adventure/Fantasy

When the Malornian army invaded Alasia and Prince Jaymin was forced to flee for his life, what happened to those left behind? In the Enemy’s Service tells the story of ten-year-old Anya, imprisoned among other survivors and forced to work for the occupying troops. While pretending to follow orders and serve diligently in the palace, Anya discovers ingenious ways to spy on enemy officers and slip valuable information to the Alasian resistance.

But as she helps to craft plans that may eventually free Alasia, Anya accidentally uncovers a disturbing reference to her own family. Her fears are strengthened when she is confronted by a mysterious Malornian who seems somehow to know the truth behind the role she has been playing. Holding her life in his hands with that knowledge, he claims to bear information implicating her father in the betrayal that led to the Invasion itself.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

The Fall by Chana Keefer

Speculative Fiction

Rapha, once Lucifer’s best friend, had a front-row seat for every crucial moment that shaped the world we live in today. This faithful angel wants to tell you his story. But beware, this is not a journey for the faint-of-heart. Ahead there be giants–plus demons, centaurs, mermaids, demi-gods and war that extends from the beginning of time. In the tradition of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Frank Peretti, THE FALL (The Rapha Chronicles, Book 1) melds science fiction, fantasy, epic adventure and mythology.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Why We Give Gifts At Christmas by Corine Hyman

Children’s Picture Book

Christmas gifts … a Christmas tradition as old as Christmas. However why do we give gifts to each other at Christmas time if it is Jesus’ birthday? This is a question that everyone has wondered at least once in their life. However, few have been able to come up with an answer. Join Evelyn and her friends as they discover the reason why we give gifts to each other at Christmas time if it is Jesus’ birthday.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Pibbin the Small by Gloria Repp

Children’s Book

His friend is hurt and the doctor lives far away.

He might run into snakes. Or that giant bullfrog. Or Black Snapping Crabs!

Is Pibbin too small to be brave?

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

The Captives by Precarious Yates

YA Fantasy

“When the caveat whale is gone, the time of the end has come, but the rise of Shunda will stem the tide.” Three lives weave together inextricably. They fight against the MerKing to rescue the captives. Can they trust themselves in their fight against this mutual enemy? Can they trust one another?

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Times of Turmoil by Cliff Ball

Thriller

In this prequel to Times of Trouble and Times of Trial, we follow how the Evans family gained their riches and eventually their power to influence events in the United States. We see important events that the Evans family gets themselves involved in: such as the return of the Israelites to Israel, the assassination of President Kennedy, the terrorism of 9/11, and eventually events that lead to government tyranny in the United States with the sole purpose of destroying Christianity and its influence in the United States.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Times of Trouble by Cliff Ball

Thriller

FBI Agent Brian Atwood is used to danger, and when he hunts down leads to a terrorist plot and saves a U.S. Airbase, he’s eventually offered a position to be the personal bodyguard of the President of the United States. The job not only tests his skills as an agent, but also his faith as a Christian when he discovers that the President has the morals of an alley cat. As Brian tries to come to terms with doing his job and having to look the other way, his world begins to crumble. His wife is dying of cancer and his son was taken away by the government because he has Down Syndrome. What else can go wrong? As the U.S. disintegrates, Brian must try to keep his family safe before the end times.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Times of Trial by Cliff Ball

Thriller

This is the story about three Christian families who experience the persecution of Christians first hand when the U.S. becomes a Police State. Two of the families get rounded up by government forces as the President declares a dictatorship, initiates Michael Evans’ Order 21, and lays the U.S. on a course that will mean its ultimate destruction. The third family make their way from Arizona to Wyoming, where they hope a town built by Doomsday Preppers twenty years earlier will keep them safe. Micheal Evans also tries to manipulate events in the Middle East to try to to bring war between Israel and Iran shortly before the end times.

Get Your Copy Now For Only $0.99:

Amish Knitting Circle Christmas by Karen Anna Vogel

Amish Fiction

Granny Weaver started a knitting circle believing women are stronger spun together, just like her wool. But she was young once with her own struggles. In 1963 Deborah Byler is twenty-one and has turned down seven marriage proposals from hopeful suitors in Millersburg, Ohio. At her parent’s request, she goes to live with relatives in the new Amish settlement in Smicksburg, Pennsylvania, praying she’ll find a match. Jeb Weaver lives in a strict Swartzentruber Amish settlement, and he can no longer abide under the rules of the Ordnung. His older brother left the family farm and settled in Smicksburg, and convinces Jeb to do the same. When Jeb meets Deborah, he finds her too liberal and outspoken. Deborah thinks Jeb’s judgmental and a complete stick in the mud. Their constant clashing makes sparks fly. Will an African American man, who hitchhikes around the country to attend Martin Luther King Jr. marches, help Jeb and Deborah see their own prejudices?

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Winter’s Past by Mary E Hanks

Contemporary Christian Romance

When Winter is scheduled to speak in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, a city she’s avoided for ten years, she must face two things. Her past. And the fact she hasn’t forgiven Ty Williams, her ex-husband.

But when Ty shows up at the meetings, Winter is shocked by the change in him. Radically different from the self-absorbed guy she remembers, he stands before her crying—crying!—and humbly asks her forgiveness. This man who broke her heart, betrayed her, is now gut-wrenchingly sincere in his apology, prays for her like a long-lost friend, and he has a request. One unbelievable request that could change everything.

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A Quest For Skye by J.L.Rothdiener

Christian Fiction

Doctors Morgan and Tammy Hamilton take a vacation from their pediatric clinic in Saint Paul, Minnesota to board a cruise ship for the Mediterranean. Devastated by Tammy’s third miscarriage and the news that she will never be able to bear children, the couple hopes to use the fourteen day cruise to regain their emotional footing. But life has other plans for them. Among the passengers is Skye, a nine-year old girl with an irrepressible spirit, and a passion for living that touches everyone around her. Infused with hope, and a belief in a loving God, Skye becomes the daughter that the Hamiltons could never have.

But despite her open and honest nature, Skye is surrounded by ominous questions. Was the accident that killed her parents truly an accident? Or was it sabotage? Why are news reporters hounding this innocent child? What secrets are concealed in the laboratory on the island of Kardia? The truth – if they ever find it – can bring a government to its knees, and thrust national power into the hands of men who will mot hesitate to shed the blood of innocents..

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The Quest For Forgiveness by J.L.Rothdiener

Christian Fiction

Singer-songwriter Briana Bays rose from obscurity to the center spotlight. She had everything… fame, talent, beauty, and one of the most successful music careers in history. The world was her stage, but the screaming adulation of her fans could not fill the hole in her heart. Her past was shrouded in shadows, some of her own making, and some of which she was trying desperately to pierce.

No amount of success could bring her the one thing she needed most… forgiveness…

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The Twelfth Juror by Alexandra Swann and Joyce Swann

Christian Fiction

Young, beautiful, ambitious Megan Cleary seems to have the perfect life: a dream job in a prestigious law firm in New York City, an upscale boyfriend, and a fabulous apartment. But her perfect world is shattered when one night, while she is working late, she is brutally beaten and raped by a stranger. Afraid and ashamed, she refuses to admit what has happened to her, but she cannot forget her terrifying ordeal, and shortly afterward she illegally buys a handgun to protect herself. A few months later Megan is attacked again, but this time she is armed and ready. She shoots her assailant and flees the scene before the police arrive and discover the body. She never tells anyone that she owns a gun, or that she has killed a man, but her professional and private life begins to unravel as she struggles to gain control of the fear and guilt from which she cannot free herself. When events beyond her control leave her financially destitute and emotionally drained, she returns to parents’ home in Buffalo to start over. This page turning story of loss and redemption will leave the reader guessing to the very end.

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A Thing Devoted by Lotis Key

Family

A Thing Devoted chronicles two years in the life of a Christian family devastated by adultery and divorce.

Three, adopted, multi-racial children, struggle with the question of God’s seeming indifference to their pain. Ten year old Abster, a tiny spy in the house of loss and confusion, keeps a daily record of her observations. This intimate story of one family’s journey through fire, considers the purpose of suffering, its defining nature, and ultimately its life giving power.

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Before The Beginning by Tina Webb

Fantasy

In eternity, the eons are endless and creativity continuous. The species of Homo sapiens created in Eden was unique….but not totally original. Heavenly beings resembling modern man had been created long before Adam, and some of them once lived on Earth.

Existence on earth is utopia until Helel Ben Shachar, beautiful and loved, becomes a rebel and a liability to Earth’s mission. A contagion strikes those who agree to worship Helel. Fear and violence destroy angelic beings who had only ever known peace and love. Helel names High Governess Atara the Queen of Heaven. Abba, the Creator, grieves. His eternal heart aches, then becomes angry. Anything that opposes His essence is named His enemy. Justice is created and a Holy censuring begins. High Governors Michael and Adi grieve the demise of their banished friends and their cherished Earth.

Can the sadness of rejected affection ever leave the memory of the One rejected? Abba is Love. Abba, the Creator, means ‘father’ in the ancient Chaldean language. It is the name Jesus used when crying out on the Cross. Abba created all things. All things were good. But once Abba saw something He did not create and lamented.

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The Song Of The Tree by Lotis Key

Women’s Fiction

Despite promises of eternal joy given by the Tree of Life, a privileged young woman loses everything in a brutal war. Her husband disappears; her family is murdered; her home is burned to the ground.

Desperate, starving, and burdened with an unwanted child, she now despises and rejects the Tree she once worshiped. Ripped from her land and people, forced into survival immigration, she becomes a lowly refugee, a servant in the homes of the rich. Her unusually gifted child thrives, but is an ever present reminder of ultimate loss and betrayal.

Two women: one broken, the other rooted in bitterness, continue to be drawn towards the song of a Tree that will not let them go. Along roads of degrading poverty and equally destructive wealth, each much wrestle with the siren call of perfect love, and its altar sacrifice of perfect trust.

The Song of the Tree is an intense, contemporary allegory that moves the God-seeker from fist shaking stance, down to knees before the throne.

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Zinvoy’s Journey by Ginny Jaques

Adult Speculative

Zinovy Efimovich KoZlov is a self-made man who’s spent the last twenty-three years climbing the ladder of Russian military success, one rung at a time. An FSB veteran, Air Force fighter pilot, member of the elite Special Security Service, and now a cosmonaut on the global regime’s new International Space Station, he should be at the peak of his career. But Zinovy has enemies whose political power extends into space, and those enemies are determined to kill him.

Then the earth is destroyed in a nuclear holocaust and everything changes.

When the world ends, Zinovy’s Journey begins.

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The Vineyard Fray by Ben Kniskern

Action and Adventure Allegory

During ancient times, in a middle eastern land known as the Vineyard, life seems to go on unaffected by the people’s rebellion against the One who made them. That is, until the Owner of the Vineyard decides He’s had enough. In the midst of chaos and war, several individuals who are loyal to the Owner must band together to save their kingdom. Follow this unlikely group of heroes as they encounter mysterious messengers, battle against ruthless enemies and endeavor to turn the hearts of the people back to the One who created them.

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Shoot the Wounded by Lynn Dove

Young Adult

SHOOT THE WOUNDED is a contemporary Christian novel that deals with relevant social issues such as teen pregnancy and family violence. Set in the small fictional town of Maplewood, in southern Alberta, best friends Leigh and Ronnie find their friendship and faith challenged when Jake, a good looking Christian boy, moves into their neighborhood. Leigh is especially delighted that Jake is paying more attention to her than any other girl at school or church, but what she does not know is that despite his bold declaration of being a follower of Christ, he’s carrying a dark secret from his past that has the potential to destroy his integrity and have his friends question the legitimacy of his faith.

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One Night with a Rock Star by Chana Keefer

Inspirational Romance

When Esther was a young teen with frizzy hair and too-skinny legs, Sky’s music soothed her through awkwardness and pain. During the Glam-Rock 80s, Esther is a college journalism student and fledgling print model. One chance meeting with her superstar crush rocks both their worlds.

Will Esther’s deep roots in family and faith keep her feet on the ground when a tornado named Sky blows her world apart?

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Non-Fiction:

21 Teen Devotionals… for Guys! by Paul Hart and CJ Hitz

Teen Devotional

Designed to be read, pondered on it and applied to daily life, these 21 devotions are written for teen guys who want to find their true strength in Christ. We want you to know that the Bible isn’t just a book that’s over 2000 years old. It’s completely applicable to our lives today – even as teenagers. We know that girls and guys don’t face the same issues in high school – not even close. So these devotions were written with today’s teen guys in mind.

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21 Teen Devotionals… for Girls! by Shelley Hitz and Heather Hart

Teen Devotional

It’s said that it takes 21 days to form a new habit or break an old one, so why not spend the next 21 days forming a habit of spending time with God? If you’ve got 21 days, we’ve got 21 devotions specifically written for today’s teen girls.

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Purposeful Planning by Phyllis Sather

Family

Do you need a plan to keep your family moving in the direction the Lord is leading you? Perhaps you don’t know where the Lord is leading you. Phyllis takes you step-by-step through the process of planning a time together for your family to help determine the path the Lord is choosing for each area of your life. Her family has followed this format for over 12 years and has found that it provides the compass they’ve needed to plan and stay on course.

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Where Family Meets Faith by Kimberley Payne

Devotional

Written and compiled especially for families, Where Family Meets Faith is a collection of devotionals that show the similarities between the challenges of raising a family and building a relationship with God.

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Selah by Tina Webb

Daily Quotes for Daily Meditation

The word “selah” means: to pause and think about. Many quotes are short enough to share in social media. Longer passages facilitate times of prayer and personal reflection.

This is a refreshing read for the person who likes to contemplate life through the lens of the Bible. It is a great topic starter for personal or group bible study.

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10 Keys to Happy & Loving Relationships by Krystal Kuehn

Relationships

The 10 Keys to Happy and Loving Relationships provides essential relationship building tools to help you develop healthy relationships. You will discover relationship building tools to help make all your relationships more fulfilling, harmonious and successful. Whether it is a spouse, friend, co-worker, son/daughter, girlfriend/boyfriend, or casual acquaintance, you will discover that you can have happy, loving, healthy relationships.

Healthy relationships bring joy and peace to our lives. Healthy relationships help us to love and be loved. In 10 Keys to Happy and Loving Relationships, you will be taken on a personal journey to discover how you can better communicate the 10 key attributes of love as you relate to others. You will be empowered with relationship building tools that will help you replace unhealthy patterns with new, healthy and effective ways to communicate, connect with and love others. And you will discover how to communicate and experience genuine love and true happiness in ways that will change you, your relationships and your life forever!

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