FICTION FRIDAY

JOHN 3:16 ADULT FICTION TOUR

PRESENTS

TRACY KRAUSS

I hope that everyone is having a great week. No matter what you faced yesterday God has given you another day and for that reason you should rejoice in the wonderful gift called Life in the span of time called today.

Today I am featuring author Tracy Krauss another wonderful writer from the John 3:16 Marketing Network. One of the best moves that I made late last year was joining this group of dedicated talented writers who strive intentionally to glorify Jesus Christ in their writing.

Lorilyn Roberts, the founder and moderator of this group is a true visionary in the Body of Christ that God has raised up for this time to bring together writers from across the world. And God has used her to do just that.

For all of you authors who are looking for a manual to instruct you in how to launch a Best Seller please visit Lorilyn Roberts at Smashword and get a copy of HOW TO LAUNCH A CHRISTIAN BESTSELLER, THE JOHN 3:16 MARKETING NETWORK for $1.99.  

Okay today's interview.

Tracy is an author, artist, playwright, director, worship leader, and teacher. She received her Bachelor's Degree at the University of Saskatchewan. She and her husband, a pastor and their children currently live in Tumbler Ridge, BC.

1. When did you first know that you would be an author? I started writing seriously about 25 years ago after my first child was born, I'd put her down for a nap in the afternoon and then bang away on my old typewriter. I looked forward to that time of day.

2. Who are your favorite authors? My favorite authors are Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker. I like spec and sci-fi fiction and both of these guys deliver, but from a Christian perspective. I also enjoy some classics like George Orwell, and Jane Austen. When I was a kid, Edgar Rice Burrows was my fave. I guess my taste are a bit 'out there'.

3. Share with us your journey to publication? After many years of writing, I finally took a plunge about 6 years ago and started submitting. Many heart wrenching rejections later (all totally legitimate-I learned a TON through it all) I contracted my first book AND THE BEAT GOES ON in 2009. MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER came out in 2010, and I have another book in the publication process called PLAY IT AGAIN. It is the prequel to my first book.

     

4. What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Keep honing your craft. It's a process and is not for the weak hearted. Keep submitting, listening to criticism and advice, and then go back and make it better. One mistake people make is thinking that their work is above reproach. Everyone can get better, so don't do yourself the disservice of ignoring negative criticism, Use it to your advantage and turn it into a positive.

5. Have you ever explored interracial themes in your writing? I am currently working on a novel with a Cree protag. He is a born again Christian, but he is also from a long line of medicine men. He ends up dealing with a lot of racial bigotry from all sides, while at the same time struggling with dark spiritual forces from the past, It's called Wind Over Marshdale and I'm kind of excited about it. I hope to start pitching it this summer.

Short Synopsis-MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER

A forty something 'cougar's' search for fulfillment keeps getting foiled when her prospects fall for one of her daughters instead. Her ex-husband is out of prison and looking for revenge. He'll stop at nothing-even-to ruin Joleen's reputation as well as her relationship with their daughters.

You can contact Tracy at:

http://www.tracykrauss.com

http://www/tracykraussexpressionpress.com

http://tinyurl.com/Tracy-Krauss-Author-Fanpage

www.twitter.com/TracyKrausswrtr

www.kraussamazon.com  

  

WEDNESDAY WORD

ST MATT 11;12 "TAKE IT BY FORCE"

The kingdom of God suffers violence and the violence take it by force. For many years I avoided this verse because I didn't understand what Jesus was saying. My understanding of the kingdom of God couldn't associate this kingdom of love, peace, and goodwill with violence. Violence is negative and everything about the kingdom of God is positive.

Violence creates death and the kingdom creates life. I couldn't understand the correlation of violence and God's domain because I'd seen the effects of violence growing up in Cleveland, in the Hough community. And so I struggled with this concept. I struggled to comprehend these words, "The violent take it by force."

But one day illumination shined in my misunderstanding as I was reading a teaching article written by Pastor Jack Hayford. Pastor Hayford helped me to understand that the violence that Jesus was talking about was spiritual violence which is totally different from natural violence. Spiritual violence refers to energetically pursuing what God says is yours.

Spiritual violence is pressing through difficulties to gain what belongs to you. It is rising above obstacles to conquer what is trying to conquer you. It is overcoming pressures to declare victory.

Those who want to possess the kingdom of God, which is the benefits and possessions that God says is yours, have to violently pursue it because they are forces trying to keep you from possessing what is yours. The violence that you must engage in is not against the kingdom but it is against those spiritual forces who are trying to keep you out of the kingdom. 

Ephesians 6: 12 says, "FOR WE DO NOT WRESTLE AGAINST FLESH AND BLOOD BUT

 AGAINST PRINCIPALITIES, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST POWERS, AGAINST THE RULERS OF THE DARKNESS OF THIS AGE, AGAINST SPIRITUAL HOSTS OF WICKEDNESS IN THE HEAVENLY PLACES." Natural violence is against people, spiritual violence is spiritual beings who desire to keep us from experiencing the kingdom of God and the abundant life that Jesus has promised us.          

Spiritual violence is an attitude that says no matter what I will never give up until I possess what belongs to me. 

This type of violence is expressed in prayer.

It is expressed in using the spiritual resources at our disposals; truth, righteousness, peace, faith, the Word of God to establish ourselves.

It is knowing how to bind what is holding you back and how to loose opportunities that will bless you.

It is knowing how to decree what God says will be established in your life.

It is recognizing the boundaries that God has set in your life and operating in those boundaries.

Fight the devil, the flesh and the world and take what God says is yours!

TAKE IT BY FORCE!     

MEN MONDAY

"I'M A GOOD MAN": THE ANTWONE FISHER STORY

I was watching one of my favorite all time movies last week, The Antwone Fisher Story. I love this movie for several reasons. First because it is based on the real life of Antwone Fisher, a fellow Clevelander, second because it portrays the pain of a man who was emotionally handicapped as a child but rose beyond his history to produce for himself a great future. And third because Denzel Washington had a starring role and this movie was his directorial debut.

However its not  just the movie's plot that captured my attention but the sheer magnitude of Antwone Fisher's life and the horrors that he was exposed to as a young child. It wasn't what Antwone went through that impacts me but how he came out of it. Many men have gone through horrifying events in their past and remain trapped in the prisons of their yesterdays. Antwone Fisher is not one of those men.   

In the movie we see Antwone's past eclipsing his present and almost ruining his career in the United States Navy. Before he was unceremoniously discharged from the Navy for his violent tendencies and uncontrolled anger Antwone is sent to Doctor Jerome Davenport, Played by Denzel, a Navy phychiatrist. With Dr. Davenport counseling him Antwone faces the roots of his anger and discovers the cause of his inadequacies. Antwone confronts his past and realizes what he must do to secure a new future with a new behavior system in place . With his girlfriend Cheryl Antwone returns to Cleveland to find his family. He locates his aunt which leads him to meeting his mother for the first time.   

The two scenes that always moves me are at the end of the movie. In one scene Antwone is sitting on a couch with his mother pouring his heart to her when he says, "I am a good man." Whenever I hear Derek Luke, who played Antwone, say that it moves me. Here is a man who was forsaken by his mother. Was left to be raised by people who scarred him emotionally, sexually, and physically. Here is a man who reaches within himself and declares that in spite of everything that he went through he knows this about himself, he is a good man. He is valuable man, He is man that is useful to society. He is the best that he can be. And even though no one ever affirmed he affirmed himself. "I am a good man." That's an affirmation that every man needs to make about himself. No matter what has happened in your life you are a good man because God created you in his image and when God looked at you He saw that you were good. See yourself as God sees you.     

The second scene that moves me is the final scene where Antwone thanks Dr. Davenport for helping him by motivating him to find his family. And Dr. Davenport looks at Antwone and says, "You are the champ, you have beaten everyone who has beaten you." The Antwone Fisher story is a story about a man who should have been defeated and diminished by everything that he went through but instead he is a champion. He is a winner. He fought the hard fight of looking back at his yesterday, discovering what was pulling him down and then moving on to discover the missing link to his past. Having done that he could march with confidence into his future. What makes a man a champ is not getting in the fight. It's not being beaten in the fight but it's fighting until you have beaten everyone and everything that has beaten you. Paul told Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. I challenge you to do the same thing. Fight whatever beat you down and caused you to give up hope. Fight your past. Fight rejection and depression. Fight loss and pain. Fight!

Thank you Antwone for sharing your life with us. You are a champion and you inspire all of us to beat everyone and everything that has beaten us.    

   

FICTION FRIDAY

JOHN 3:16 ADULT FICTION BLOG TOUR

FEATURING EDDIE SNIPES

Today we are introducing Eddie Snipes one of the authors on this Blog Tour. Eddie is the author of the novel titled I Called Him Dancer. I hope that this interview will inspire you and uplift you today.

1. Who are your favorite authors? Ted Dekker, Stieg Larsson, James Scott Bell, and me.

2. What are your favorite books? My all time favorite book is the Phantom of the Opera. It was one of those books I hated to see the end. There aren't many of those around.

3. What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Writing maybe a solo activity, but publishing is a social journey. Get connected. Join writer's groups, critique groups, and find fellowship with like minded writers. We need each other during every step of the journey. Critiquing allows other's to point out what we cannot see. Believe it or not there is much that you can't see. The mind fills in the missing information, so what's clear to the writer may not be clear to the reader. Then we need others help in the publishing process. Finally we need others to help market the book. A great book sits on the bottom of the sea of literature unless others are helping to keep it afloat.

4. Have you ever explored interracial themes in your writing?

Probably not in the sense that you are speaking of, but I did put several characters in my book to show the diversity in Manhattan (where my story takes place). The character most readers have commented about is a man from Nigeria named Kenyon. He's unpretentious, struggles with God, but has a genuine faith that impacts the lives of those around him. He wrestles with God when he knows a sacrifice is necessary, but he obeys. Most people can see their own struggles in Kenyon's life so they identify with him. Plus they are encouraged when he perseveres.

5. What are the keys to success for a writer? Perseverance. Everyone aspires, but as the saying goes, the race is not to the swift, but to those who endure. It's a long race and filled with challenges. Most good books will never be published because someone gave up and stuck it in a drawer.

Keep writing, Have a thick skin, Seek out people who will challenge you to reach higher and not just those who will pat you on the back. Let kudos come from those who read the finished product.   

6. Tell us about your future projects? I'm just finishing a manuscript called Simple Faith. It's designed to teach the basics of walking in faith and it written for both the new believer, and for those who want to know how to experience God more fully. It will be available on mot retailers shortly. I also provide free peeks into all my books with the Amazon look inside feature. My current book, I called Him Dancer, is for sale for .99 cents.

You can contact Eddie at http://www.eddiesnipes.com

  Twitter @eddiesnipes.

Facebook: eddiesnipes

Linkedin: eddiesnipes.

          

FICTION FRIDAY

JOHN 3:16 ADULT FICTION BLOG TOUR

FEATURING LISA LICKEL

I hope that everyone has had a great week. This is the second week of the Blog Tour that I am a participant of. In this group is an awesome gathering  of writers from all over the United Sates and Canada. Although we all have different stories and write in different genres the one thing that we share is a love for Jesus Christ and a burning desire to represent Him in our writing.

Today I introduce to you Lisa Lickel. After you have read about Lisa please leave a comment and visit Lisa's website, http://www.lisalickel.com  and purchase one of her books. I appreciate your support and thank you for stopping by.

1. What are your favorite books? I confess that I'm a fiction junkie, and extremely eclectic. I love fantasy and sci fi, I think Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine is the best novel of the twentieth century, I enjoy thrillers and mysteries from all eras and cultures.

2. Share with us your journey to publication? I am a local historian and I worked to put together a book of our township history a few years ago. I went on to write some articles for the newspaper, press releases and the like. I then went on to take the Christian Writer's Guild apprentice course and began selling my work before I graduated. A few years later I simultaneously signed with an agent and sold my first story, the cozy mystery, to Barbour Publishing. That book released in 2009, along with another, Healing Grace, a few months later. Meander Scar released in Feb 2010 and won a Grace Award this May for excellence in faith-based fiction. I continue to learn about marketing and enjoy helping other writers.

3. What advice do you have for aspiring authors? Learn all you can from people who have some professional credibility, take some reputable courses, find a mentor, keep trying, develop a thick skin and don't take things personally. Remember, publishing is a business, and the person who is considering buying your manuscript needs to make money too.

4. Have you ever explored interracial themes in your writing? Yes, in the Map Quilt, a former free black woman and her son are on the run from bounty hunters in the prologue. In Wisconsin a fairly large-sized, in fact, two, communities of free black farmers had settlements from early settlement period. I was fascinated with their story when we bought a farm in the same county as one settlement, and their story inspired me. In the contemporary story, the families play a key role.

5. What are the keys to success for a writer? Patience, Persistence, and a continued striving for excellence.

6. Tell us about your future projects? I have recently contracted two more books, and am writing a proposal for another novella collection with a couple of writing friends. My next novel is scheduled for release in October, and is a collection of stories about a family facing the loss of their farm. One unforgettable summer, a brother and sister and their two children come home to find their past, reveal long-held secrets, rediscover faith and find love. The book is not yet titled. The other book is scheduled for release in April and is the sequel to my cozy mystery. It's called the Map Quilt, and is about the mystery of a skeleton in the yard, a woman's claim to the property, murder and lost gold. The hopeful proposal I'm working on is another novella collection that lets me do some research into nineteenth century Louisiana and the Cajuns.

Thank you Lisa for shairng your time with us. You can visit Lisa's website at http://www.lisalickel.com       

CONTEST FOR FREE BOOK

This week you have the opportunity to win a free copy of my novel Do You Wanna Be Made Whole? if you answer this question correctly. The question is:

What publishing company will release Lisa's novel The Map Quilt? HINT: You will find the answer on Lisa's website.

The winner will be announced on next Friday.

THE WINNER OF LAST WEEK'S CONTEST is Tom Blubaugh. Congratulation Tom.                 

VANTORIA: THE WOMAN THAT I LOVE

More than twenty one years I walked into a church in Elyria Ohio and was introduced by my cousin to a beautiful woman named Vantoria Larkins. I entered into a new season that would dramatically change the rest of my life.

Our first date was a month later. We met at MacDonald's in downtown Cleveland on Good Friday. Vantoria was in the city for an appointment and I was in between attending Good Friday services that were being held all over the city that day. I only remember snippets of the conversation we had but what I have always treasured is the joy I felt being with Vantoria for a few hours that day.

From that day on we started pursuing each other. Our time together was precious. Because she lived in Elyria and I lived in Cleveland we didn't see each other every day. But the hours on the telephone connected my heart to hers and on Fridays when I would get off of work I sped down Interstate 90 to see the woman that I had fallen in love with. I knew in twenty one days that I had discovered the woman that I would spend the rest of life with. I'd found my companion, my help and my love.
Vantoria fulfilled my vision of a wife. She was beautiful, educated and gifted. She was outspoken, brutally honest and very transparent. She introduced me to a new way of life that I had not known growing up in Cleveland.

I proposed to Vantoria one friday night as we were riding in my Camaro on interstate 90. The soulful sounds of Luther Vandross filled our space as I professed my desire to spend the rest of my life with her. And she yes she would be my wife.

On Saturday July 13, 1991 we were married in the presence of our families and our friends. I stood at the altar and watched as Vantoria walked toward me on the arm of her father. I was grateful and frightened that Vantoria was becoming my wife. Would I be able to be the kind of husband that she needed? Could I make her happy? Would she have a great life with me? I didn't know what the future held for us but on that day everything looked golden. It was a day that new beginnings were being established.

I could write a book on our twenty years together. July 13, 1991 began a life in motion for both of us. Within a year Quincy would be born, our only child. A year and a half after Quincy was born we were moving to the state of West Virginia where I was called to pastor my first church. A year after that we were moving to Danville Virginia to our second church. We would live there for over five years.

When I look back its really astonishing that we made it to year twenty. We both brought a lot of baggage into our marriage. Although Vantoria grew up in a two  parent home I had not. And my view of marriage wasn't that great either. The way that I dealt with conflict was not to deal with it. It was easy for me to shut down verbally and emotionally. Vantoria had a different way of dealing with conflict and so we much conflict in those early years. Becoming a pastor and pastor's wife so early in our marriage also created a lot of tension for the both if us. We overcame many challenges in the early years with God's help.

There are two gifts that Vantoria gives me: Her love and her pride. She loves me and she is proud of me. And each day I try to live up to her expectations of me. Of course I fail. But I try to give her what she expects from me. So today I reflect on our beginning and on our continued journey. I thank God for making this unique creature to share life and love with me. My heavenly Father knew who I needed and He brought her to me. And by His grace we have walked together for the majority of our lives.

This woman that I love is Vantoria. She is the expression of God's love for me. God's grace to me and God's favor toward me. She is my helper, my motivator and encourager. She is my partner, my ally and my friend. God knew me and He knew her and He brought us together to know each other. She is the catalyst of my growth and the voice in my heart. She is the woman that I love.

FICTION FRIDAY

JOHN 3:16 BLOG TOUR

FEATURING SIDNEY FROST

This is week one of John 3:16 Adult Fiction Book Tour. Over the next seven weeks I'm going to introduce you to seven excellent authors. By learning who these women and men are I hope that you will be more than interested in the stories that they have to offer you.

Today I am introducing Sidney Frost, author of Where Love Once Lived.  

1. When did you first know that you would be an author?  My earliest memory of writing is when my sister decided we would publish a neighborhood magazine. We were living on Pete's Path in Austin at the time, so I had to be about twelve years old. By publish, keep in mind the magazine was handwritten and each copy was handwritten as well. So there wasn't a wide distribution and the magazine only lasted for a summer. When school started we were too busy to continue it. But I remember getting to write and I remember the encouragement from my sister.

2. Who are your favorite authors? For many years, my favorite all time author was James Michener. I love the way he researched and covered a geographical area in a way that made it come alive for me. As I studied writing, I read only books that were similar to what I wanted to write. My favorites at that time were Jan Karon, Dee Henderson, Philip Gutley, and Elizabeth Berg. Now I'm reviewing books for several publishers and belong to a neighborhood book club and I read books by a variety of authors.

3. Share with us your journey to publication? I've wanted to write for so long. I don't know where to start. I had some non fiction articles published n the 1980s plus a computer book in 1983. But, I've had an idea of an novel that I've carried around in my head since the 1960s. I even tried to to write it a couple of times. I finally decided to wait until I retired so that I would have time for what seemed like a monumental task. Then, I realized I didn't know how to write a novel. So the next step was to take online classes.

Four years later I had a good start for what eventually became Where Love Once Lived. It won several manuscripts contest, but I couldn't find an agent or publisher, Finally, in 2010, I decided to publish through a print-on-demand publisher, CreateSpace. I'm glad I did. The book is doing good and is currently #6 top rated in Amazon's Kindle Edition in the Religious Romance.

4. What advice do you have for aspiring authors? I am often asked how one goes about writing a novel and getting it published. All I can tell them is my own experience. However, I can add where I made mistakes so they can skip some of the trial and error I went through. For example, one thing I learned too late is that you should know the market before you start writing.  I didn't know what genres were or what publishers were buying. It may have made it easier to get published if I had studied the markets first.
Another thing I tell people is to take classes. Not just for what you learn from instructors, but for what you can learn from reading your classmates' works and what they say about yours.

5. Have you explored interracial themes in your writing? I am the father of three children and I was a single parent with full custody for many years. I taught my children to be color blind. I believe in total equality of the races and believe that it is only possible if differences were noted at all. When my daughter started dating a black friend in high school, some of my friends were shocked. Not me. Because I knew she wasn't doing it for any other reason than the fact she cared for the person.
In Where Love Once Lived, there is a black family and an interracial marriage. I hope it comes across as realistic. I've had more comments about that part of the book than other parts and people have even asked abut a follow up book to find out what happens next.

6. Tell us about our future projects? I have completed another novel. It is Christian fiction, but it fits more in the mystery/suspense genre. It is called The Vengeance Squad, and it is about a young college professor who uses computer knowledge to track down the people who killed his fiancee. The book is complete and is in the final stage of getting ready for publication.

Thank you Sidney for sharing your experiences with us. If you are interested in learning more about Sidney or would like to purchase a copy of Where Love Once Lived you can find him at:
http://sidneywfrost.com
http://christianbookmobile.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sidney-W-Frost/131589900213725
http://twitter.com/#!/sidneywfrost  

CONTEST FOR FREE BOOK

Each week you will have the opportunity to win a free book. To participate in this drawing you must answer the following questions about the author that I have just interviewed. The winner will be announced on next Friday when I feature another author of the John 3:16 Adult Fiction Blog Tour. The prize is a Free Copy of HOME AGAIN: STORIES OF RESTORED RELATIONSHIPS.  The question is:
What is the name of Sidney's wife? Hint: The answer is at his website. http://sidneywfrost.com
   

FINANCE FRIDAY

FINANCIAL FREEDOM

This Monday we will celebrate the independence of the United States and the forming of this great nation. In America we value the ideas of liberty and freedom. We are proud of being citizens of the greatest country in the world. But in this midst of all of this freedom many citizens are slaves. We are held captive by poor financial management. We are chained to poverty and we are the victims of consequences that were brought on by a lack of knowledge and discipline in the area of finances.

I hope that I don't sound as if I am judging because I can't. I too am bound by certain practices and decisions that I have accepted as normal. But this year I am declaring my freedom and I'm coming out of financial slavery. My exodus started in February of this year. I was writing a sermon to deliver at the church on the last Sunday of the month . The text of my sermon was Saint Luke chapter 19: 11-27. As I was writing the sermon God spoke to me from this passage about making an investment and calling the church to do the same. 

The next step to my freedom came when I started watching a a pastor on television named Gary Keesee (http://faithlifenow.com ) Pastor Keesee teaches about the Christian's role in the marketplace and God's call to Christians to walk in dominion in the earth. One element of his teaching has been revolutionary to me, he teaches about the "earth curse system." (If you want to know more about this biblical concept read the book FIXING THE MONEY THING).  After following Pastor Keesee's teaching I purchased his book that I mentioned previously. Although I own many books on finances and stewardship this book has planted many seeds in my heart for the season I'm in. Old truths are being renewed and new truths are being brought to light. When I started to implement some of Pastor Keesee's instructions I started to save money immediately.

The next step toward my financial freedom was to bring the group in the church to an understanding of the kind of investment that we needed to make. The Sunday that I preached the message from St Luke 19 I shared with the congregation how God was speaking to me about us making investments and watching those investments grow. I told everyone that I was led to ask each of them to make a commitment to set aside a certain amount of money each month and together we would see how God would lead us. Twelve members agreed to join me. I wasn't sure where we was going but I knew that God would make it plain. By the end of April He did.

A financial teacher that I had the privilege of meeting at a financial empowerment conference fifteen years ago came to my mind. I had been receiving mail from his firm for a few months. His name is William Thompson and he is the Co-owner of Dynamic Financial Training.  (http://www.dynamicfinancialtraining.com ). I contacted William and told him about the group that I had formed and I asked him would he be interested in coming to our church and mentoring us in finances to which he readily agreed. We had our first meeting on Monday June 6, 2011.

We met for two hours and William challenged us to make the first step in becoming financially free by changing our mindset. His teaching was electrifying. He taught us the NINE LAWS OF FINANCIAL TRANSFORMATION. He taught us about the four houses that God wants us to bless. Two of the most impacting things that he said was "When you learn how to help others you create wealth." That's a great principle. The other was , "Money is an idea, those who lack money lack ideas."

Our group will be meeting with William for six months. Our next meeting is Monday July 18, 2011. And I can't wait. Our homework assignment was to activate the LAW OF RECOGNITION (One of the laws that William taught from the NINE LAWS).  

I want to share with you what I'm being different this year to become financially free:

1. I've been reviewing our household bills to see what cuts can we make in our monthly expenses. 

2. I've devoted a great amount of our finances to paying off debt.

3. I've increased my offerings to ministries that are doing the work of the Kingdom.  

4. I've been talking to my son more about the financial picture in our family.

I feel the breeze of liberation blowing over me. I'll be sharing more with you as I take this journey toward financial freedom.