ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

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

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

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

ABOUT THE BOOK:

“They aren’t hiding just one something, but a bunch of somethings…”Small town southern lawyer, Elijah Faulkner is a dying breed…an attorney that actually takes pleasure in fighting injustice by working hard for the little guy. But when he takes on a case to defend a philandering doctor with a pregnant wife in a seemingly open-and-shut murder trial, Eli is not so sure he is on the ‘right’ side.

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

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

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

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Rachel is the author of many books. Her current release, Diva NashVegas is the second in a series which began with Lost in NashVegas. She is also a Blogger and a CFBA member! She lives in Florida with her husband. Visit her great profile and learn more.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Even if you are not a lover of country music, you can enjoy this fun look at the Nashville entertainment industry.What do you do when the past you’ve been skirting shows up at your door with cameras rolling?

Aubrey James ruled the charts as the queen of country for over a decade. She’d rocketed to fame in the shadow of her parents’ death-both of them pioneers in Gospel music. But while her public life, high profile romances, and fights with Music Row execs made for juicy tabloid headlines, the real and private Aubrey has remained a media mystery.

When a former band member betrays Aubrey’s trust and sells an “exclusive” to a tabloid, the star knows she must go public with her story. But Aubrey’s private world is rocked when the Inside NashVegas interviewer is someone from her past-someone she’d hoped to forget.

All the moxie in the world won’t let this Diva run any longer.

“Hauck once again takes us into the country music world, this time through the experiences of mega-star Aubrey James. Aubrey’s life journey is filled with flaws, as well as a great deal of joy, and real life locales makes this highly original story authentic. The extra tidbits – from Aubrey’s liner notes to quotes from the “media” at the beginning of the chapters – add extra sparkle to the plot.”

- 4 Stars, Melissa Parcel, Romantic Times Book Club

Vicki’s Note:  Here’s another great book.  Yes, in the midst of all the craziness at my house, I snuck in time to read this novel.  I loved being transported into a world that I know very little about, except what I read on the tabloid covers at Walmart.  (Come on, you read them too.) I have an extra copy or two of this awesome summer read.  Tell me what you’ve enjoyed reading lately and I’ll send you this book!  Ah, only to the first two commenters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melody Carlson has published over 100 books for adults, children, and teens, including On This Day, Finding Alice, the Notes from a Spinning Planet series, and Homeward, which won the Rita Award from Romance Writers of America. She and her husband, the parents of two grown sons, make their home near the Cascade Mountains in Central Oregon. Melody is a full-time writer as well as an avid gardener, biker, skier, and hiker.

 ABOUT THE BOOK:

 
Willing to make the necessary sacrifices–even skipping the occasional latte–to ensure career success, 31-year-old Cassidy Cantrell “invests” in a chic pair of boots, certain they’ll make a spectacular impression and help seal the deal on a long-anticipated promotion from her Seattle employer.

But reality tromps all over her expectations. Cassie’s job is abruptly eliminated–and her love life obliterated, when her longtime boyfriend dumps her for a “friend.” Her self-esteem in tatters, Cassie limps home to the resort town she once so eagerly fled–only to find her recently divorced mother transformed into a gorgeous fifty-something babe with a thriving social life. Cassie wrestles with envy and apathy as she considers the dismal shape of her own physique and romantic prospects. What will it take for her to jump back into life and regain her stride?

This sassy and hilarious novel leads readers on a romp through the wilds of relationships, romance, career, and spirituality, revealing that, while God’s plans may look drastically different than our own, it’ll always be a perfect fit.

Vicki’s Note: I really enjoyed this novel.  What I especially like is that the main character is an imperfect size 14 when the story begins.  I know that sounds shallow, but how many books have you read where the heroine is super-sized?  Enough said.  This is a character most of us can relate to.  She struggles with her own imperfection, flips between resenting and loving her beautiful mother, and views life from the wrong side of a Hershey bar most of the time.  I strongly encourage you to read this book!

 

Well, I certainly have a lot of catching up to do.  I haven’t blogged in weeks. However, as always, I have some very good excuses.  Here’s the digest version:

1. I hosted a gigantic garage sale at my house the first weekend in June.  I’m talking gi-normous!  Do you know how much work that is?  I am crediting the crowds and subsequent sales on the fact that my crazy friend’s husband made  “unique” signs that he posted around our neighborhood.  That boasted MY face!  Oh, my.

2. The following Monday we began VBS.  Kadi and I taught the Prairie Dog games to 90 preschoolers for five days.  Then we flew to swimming lessons and play practice in the afternoons.

3. The day after VBS our family participated in Rochester’s Carefest. Mike, Kadi and I painted classrooms at John Adams Middle School and Longfellow Elementary School.  It was a dirty, exhausting, hot, exhilerating, amazing, God-honoring day!  We were blessed to serve and be a part of it.

4. Father’s day my mom came and we began a painting frenzy.  We tackled painting our kitchen, main floor hallway, foyer, upstairs hallway, and the boy’s bedroom.  We managed to complete our project in 3 1/2 days.  The house looks beautiful.

5. Finally, last week was production week for Kadi’s play.  She performed in “Unsinkable: The Story of Molly Brown.”  It was delightful!  Kadi played Roberts, a “butler-ette.”  She did an exceptional job.  As if we didn’t know we had a drama queen on our hands when she was just a toddler!  Theater is definitely her thing.

6. Yesterday we attended church, celebrated the end of the play at a cast party, and took Kadi to Camp Victory for the week. 

7. Today I’m playing “Catch Up!”  I spent the majority of the day reading manuscripts of friends, for whom I owed critiques.  Ta-da!  I’m done.  Now I’m going to catch up on my blogs and tomorrow I get to work on my own writing.

 Ah, summer.  Time to recline in the adirondak chairs, sip a little peach tea, and watch the kids splash in the pool….   Oh, wait.  Maybe writing can wait one more day.

Do you remember that old 80′s song, “Celebrate!”  I used to do aerobics to it.  Well, the tune it bouncing around in my head right now. While I can’t remember any of the words except “Celebrate”, the melody is clicking right along.  That’s because tonight there is reason to celebrate and to give glory to God for what He is doing.  

Many of you were introduced to Charity George via my blog and have been following her progress.  Today was a banner day.  Instead of trying to reiterate what happened, I’ll just let you read what Jeremy George wrote. 

June 5, 2007, 10:01 pm

Charity MOVED A LOT today.

Here is what she did today.

1. She held both arms up by her own strength. Left arm was weaker and would lower slowly BUT UNDER CONTROL.

2. She lifted her right wrist and lowered it on command.

3. She pushed up with her right shoulder and could relax and work on command. This means she is regaining crucial control over some of her muscles.

4. She pushed with both legs really strong with her right and stronger with her left.

5. She pushed the nurse call button on her own this morning…Yeah funny story. the doctor came in to talk to Charity and her mom. All of a sudden the nurses came in and the doctors and Sylvia were like, “Can I help you?” They said that someone had hit the call button… Yup it was Charity.

6. She said HI with no sound. Everything worked exactly correct except she doesn’t have the strength yet in her vocal folds to make and control the sound. HUGE.

7. She says through a series of questions that she tries to sit up all the time. She is seriously trying to sit up. That is awesome.

8. she can now move 4 out of 5 fingers on her right hand.

9. she has her voice back. she can now make sound on command (ah sounds)

10. she intentionally put her arm around Sofia and kissed them with her lips.

11. She held a ball with her right hand.

Yeah. Good day.

Love you all.
Jeremy

Keep praying.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
NICOLE SEITZ is a South Carolina Lowcountry native and freelance writer/illustrator published in South Carolina Magazine, Charleston Magazine, House Calls, The Island Packet and The Bluffton Packet.

A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism, she also has a bachelor’s degree in illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Nicole is an exhibiting artist in the Charleston, South Carolina area where she owns a web design firm and lives with her husband and two small children.

 ABOUT THE BOOK:

Essie Mae Laveau Jenkins is a 78-year-old sweetgrass basket weaver who sits on the side of Hwy. 17 in the company of her dead husband, Daddy Jim.

Inspired by her Auntie Leona, Essie Mae finally discovers her calling in life and weaves powerful “love baskets,” praying fervently over them to affect the lives of those who visit her roadside stand.

Relations are strained with her daughter Henrietta, who thinks Essie belongs in a retirement center. If Essie can’t pay $10,000 in back taxes to save her home, she may have no choice. More tensions: her grandson EJ wants to marry a white girl, Essie discovers that a handsome man she’s trying to find a girl for is gay, and her daughter carries a hidden secret.

When she’s faced with losing her home and her stand and being put in a nursing home, Daddy Jim talks her into coming on up to Heaven to meet sweet Jesus-something she’s always wanted to do.

The SPIRIT OF SWEETGRASS shifts less successfully to the afterlife, where her Gullah-Creole ancestors surround her; but soon, her heavenly peace is disrupted, for she still has work to do. Now Essie Mae, who once felt powerless and invisible, must find the strength within her to keep her South Carolina family from falling apart. Together, with Daddy Jim, they team up to return to Earth and battle two spirits conjured up by Henrietta’s voodoo that threatens to ruin an attempt to save the sweetgrass basket weaving culture.

Last week I posted about Snitch by Rene Gutteridge.  It was due last week and I was following the rules, but I just finished reading the book two days ago.  Can I say….excellent!?!  I’m all about evangelism and the premise of this series, called Occuptational Hazards, is that taking your faith to work with you can be hazardous.

 Rarely do I laugh out loud while I’m reading, but that happened more than once during Snitch.  Rene is an extremely gifted writer and as a writer myself, I found myself marking passages that I had to reread just because they were so outstanding.

 I highly recommend reading Snitch by Rene Gutteridge.  In fact, if you comment here I’ll enter you in a drawing to win my copy.  Hurry!  Don’t wait.