Tag Archives: Vanessa Miller

Love. Hope. Faith Anthology What’s Its All About? Complied by Vanessa Miller

LOVEHOPEFAITHBANNER

Title: Love. Hope. Faith Anthology
Complied by: Vanessa Miller
Genre: Christian Inspirational, Non-Fiction

<strong>About the Book</strong>

Stories of Love, Hope and Faith line the pages of this spiritually uplifting anthology produced by bestselling author, Vanessa Miller. Love. Hope. Faith. will take you on a journey toward your happy place. The contributing writers of this anthology pour out their hearts to deliver soul-stirring, Godly stories of triumph. The Love. Hope. Faith. anthology will touch your heart as it allows you to believe again.

<strong>Excerpts</strong>

<strong>From Trust-less to Trustworthy – By: Yvette Wilson Bentley </strong>

“When I looked at my friendships with women and why I didn’t trust them, I realized that I had lots to unpack and examine. I was okay not trusting women, but I knew that living as a Christian meant that my attitude and mindset had to change. Was it something that I wanted to do? At first, absolutely not! But I knew that to be of service to God and His people, a change had to be made, so I became willing to be willing”.

strong>Back At One – By: Kendy Ward<strong></strong>

“God, You promised that if I served You, followed You with every fiber of my being, then You would restore my family. It’s been five years. I don’t doubt that You can do anything. You specialize in the impossible, but my faith is faltering.” Jason then prayed in his heavenly language.
I am not a man that I should lie. I will complete the good work I have begun.
Jason released a sigh of relief. “Thank You for hearing me. I’ll wait. However long it takes, I will wait.”

<strong>No Greater Love – By: Rita Moore</strong>

“A few weeks into my pregnancy the doctor told us, the medications I had been taking caused harm to our child, test showed abnormal fluid. He suggested we terminate the pregnancy, or prepare for a child with birth defects! I was devastated, but my husband reminded me of the God we serve! Abortion was not an option! We found a new doctor, a believer, a doctor who trusted the miracle working love of God! Nine months later we had a perfectly healthy baby girl!”  
“On the day of my surgery, prior to being wheeled into surgery, the doctor took my hand and said, “It is my custom to pray with my patients prior to conducting surgery”. I have never known a doctor to do that!  Everything happens for a reason. His prayer spoke of his faith and trust in God to guide his hands, and he prayed for my complete healing. I felt confident he was definitely the doctor I needed to perform the surgery. God said He perfects those things that concern us!”

</strong><strong>Leap Into Your Destiny- By: Sherae Bell</strong>

One morning in late December, as I posted what I expected to be my last prayer to Facebook, my seven-year-old granddaughter, Anashija, ran into the room.
She stood beside me, put her arm around my neck and politely, but in a matter-of-fact manner, said, “Grandma, are you writing your God Notes?”
I did not realize that she had been paying attention. Surprised, I looked at her and said, “My God Notes?”
“Yes, Grandma, your God Notes!”
“Why did you call them my ‘God Notes’?”
She took a deep breathe, sighed and then said, “Grandma, because you write your notes to God every day.” She ran out of the room as if she had completed her mission to confirm that my postings had nothing to do with me and everything to do with God.
God’s timing is always perfect. Not until we acknowledge that it is just that, His timing, will we be able to live as He has designed. Every time I wanted to give up, He stopped me from waving the flag. I realized that God ordained my words. I knew that He had more work for me. God is faithful. He brings to fruition what He has ordained to be accomplished, no matter the package used to deliver it.

love fhindex

<strong>Courage To Stand- By Paulette Harper</strong>

Have you ever took a step of faith in what you believed you heard from God and got mid-way through and wanted to turn back, put the brakes on, put the car in reverse and start all over? You knew this was not the way you had envisioned your current situation. Everything you see before you tells you that somehow you’ve missed God.  Fear settles in, doubt and anxiety comes knocking at your heart.
Prior to taking that step of faith, confidence in what you were doing was strong and un-quenching, yet all alone God knew exactly what trouble awaited you, what problems were in the making and He knew you would be in that place of doubt and disbelief.
In your mind, you began to question if God told you to do this, did you really hear God? For sure if God told you then there shouldn’t be any problems, no challenges, no regrets, right? On the contrary, it’s in those places that we can be assured that God has us right where He wants us. In places of trouble, in that wilderness, in that place where even His still quiet voice is not speaking. This place is where your faith will be stretched, the promises of God will be challenged or questioned. It’s in this place that going back seems like the better solution, at least that’s what your flesh wants you to believe. Clearly what’s in front is more difficult than what is behind.

<strong>First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage – By: Valerie J. Lewis-Coleman</strong>

All eyes were on Jeanine as she took slow orchestrated steps toward the altar. The beaded embellishments on her tailored gown glistened in the sunrays that beamed through the cathedral windows. Every strand of her short bob was in place, Mac makeup flawless. The elegant bouquet of fresh-cut flowers bombarded her senses. For a brief moment, she stopped, closed her eyes, inhaled. The pianist seemed to strike the keys in sync with her racing heart. She opened her eyes and gazed down the aisle to see the groom poised, ready to meet his bride. A full smile washed across her face, she steadied her breathing. As she walked toward him, acknowledging each friend and family member with a glance, slight grin and head nod, she whispered a prayer.
“Father, I thank You for this beautiful day. Everything is coming together as planned; even the weather is perfect. I ask Your grace upon this union. Let it flourish. Keep away the naysayers. Divorce is not an option as this marriage will represent Your unconditional love. I count my request as done. I just have one question: When will it be my turn as bride? I’m happy for my girl, but…I’m tired of being alone, crying myself to sleep. Smiling at every man I meet, hoping, praying that he’s the one. I love my nieces and nephews, but I’m ready to be a mother. The official has shot the gun to start the foot race and I’m stuck in the blocks watching my girlfriends run ahead with husbands in tow. Why am I still single? What is it about me that keeps me on this side of matrimony?”
As the tears flowed, Jeanine took her place, two bridesmaids from the bride. She dabbed at the tears with a monogrammed handkerchief provided by the groomsman who escorted her.

<strong>As I Look Back – by: LaDawn Michelle</strong>

When I first got clean from drugs I learned in order to positively deal with any feelings I must first identify them. Today there is a popular saying going around “I felt some type of way.” That phrase doesn’t do anything to promote healing. “I feel some type of way” does not identify a feeling. You cannot heal emotionally by identifying with “feeling some type of way.” The only thing the statement does is give a voice to the fact that there is a dysfunction in your emotions. We must be careful that we do not allow our spirits to latch onto the commonalities society gives us that do not promote good emotional health by handicapping us with catchy phrases that mean absolutely nothing once they are dissected. One of the first tools I was given when I got clean from drugs was a feeling words list. In order to embark on a journey of emotional healing, one of your first steps may be to get a feeling word list and use it.

<strong>Triumphant Victory – by: Kyna Williams</strong>

My mind had been tainted to believe that all the good things in life only happened for the pretty girls with long hair or the children with both parents in the home. I believed the world was filled with two categories of people. One category consisted of “THOSE OTHER PEOPLE” who seemingly have no problems, no hidden secrets, or shameful pasts that stripped them of the freedom to live the “Good Life.” The second category consisted of the broken souls, filled with hopelessness, like me. I was void of even the faintest perception that I would one day have the opportunity to be one of “THOSE OTHER PEOPLE.” I had decided within myself that I was damaged goods. I carried with me the weight of emotional baggage my secretive fragile past had attached to me, limiting my ability to dream of a future where I would be free to live the “Good Life” or any type of life that did not require me to mask who I felt I really was beneath the surface of my glamorous facade. If anyone were to find out who I really was beneath it all, it would certainly result in the complete ruin of the flawless public façade I had mastered displaying.

<strong>The Visionary – by: Loureva Slade</strong>

“I need you all to trust me,” Pastor Gaines said as he tensely tapped his fingers on the table, unamused by Deacon Clemmons’ humor. “And if that is too difficult, trust that God has put me over this congregation and trust that He won’t allow me to do anything that doesn’t align with His will. Can you all just do that?”

Tour hosted by Write Now Literary www.wlbooktours.com

Follow the tour: http://wnlbooktours.com/?p=5262

 Links:
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Love-Hope-Faith-Anthology</strong>-Volume/dp/1508505330/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1424665362&sr=8-1
Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Love-Hope-Faith-Anthology-Book-ebook/dp/B00TU8PKYY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1424665362
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-hope-faith-vanessa-miller/1121261201?ean=9781508505334

 

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Guilty by Association Virtual Book Tour with Pat Simmons

The Jamieson Family Legacy series follow the lives of two Jamieson brothers in Boston, Kidd and Ace, and their cousin, Cameron, from St. Louis. The older brother, Kidd, is struggling with anger and resentment issues toward his absentee father who never married his mother. Yet, he had the audacity to demand his illegitimate sons carry his Jamieson name. Ace, on the other hand, is on his collision course to be a chip off the old block when it comes to women. Their highly MIT educated cousin, Cameron Jamieson, is all about saving family from self-destruction. Through genealogy research, Cameron’s mission is to show his cousins their worth as the eleventh generation descendants of a royal African tribe and to give them a choice: live with the stereotypical “angry black men” syndrome or to crush any obstacles that try and stop them to become strong successful black men.

Interview Questions by Linda Fegins

 What inspired or lead to you writing a series?

Readers. As a debut author in 2007, I didn’t know if I would make the cut, but the readers were very supportive, so the birth of the Jamieson men began and is still going strong. I think readers welcome the portrayal of strong black positive Christian men who know how to handle any negative situation. Also, Grandma BB’s antics with her Stacy Adams shoes proved to be the comedy relief in the stories. The readers loved her too.

 

Who is your favorite character and why?

Parke Jamieson VI is a fan favorite, but in Guilty by Association, it’s Kidd, who has just as much attitude. He gives Parke a run for his money. I cast my vote for Kidd because he represents the complexity within of all us and how God can heal our spiritual deficit.

 

How do you go about developing your characters?

I observe people—their expressions, mannerisms, dress, features, and then I pull out what I like and dislike about them. That helps me to build a character that is rounded with weaknesses and strengths that readers can identify.  I also interview people who have experienced what my characters are going through.

 

How did you determine the overall theme or 40 elevator pitch for this story?

LOL. In the writing industry, people call it an elevator pitch, but in news, which is my background, we call it the lead sentence. Broadcasters use it to entice the viewers to stay tuned. I learned the importance of the elevator pitch after I started going on book tours. I only had a short window to capture their interest before they moved on. Now, I create a lead sentence or pitch, sometimes, before I write the book. My pitch for Guilty by Association is actually 27 words:  “To Parke Jamieson VI, the tenth generation descendant of a royal African tribe, the name means everything. To his cousin, Kidd Jamieson, his name means absolutely nothing.”  A person would know genealogy or royalty is involved, and ask what happened to cause the conflict between the two.

 

Do you outline your book first or do  you just writing?

Give us an ideal of how you write and develop your  book? I’ll be the first to lift my hand and say, “I hate the outline process.”  BUT if you don’t have a book deal, get used to it. It’s a must when submitting a proposal to prospective publishers. They review every piece of paper in that proposal. However, I don’t always complete them before I start with the story. Usually by the sixth chapter, I’m free styling. The writer has to know the direction she wants to go and there has to be a smooth transition. Sometimes, you can’t tell that from an outline—or let me say I couldn’t get it. In the third book in the Jamieson Legacy, Free from Guilt, I tried to do an outline because of my tight writing deadline. After a few days, I realized I was wasting writing time because I couldn’t get pass five chapters, so I began to write the novel. I completed ten chapters (short chapters, maybe five pages), and from there I was able to complete the outline, but it took me to write fifty or so pages to know how to complete a 300 page book. Yay. Transition is IMPORTANT. It gives your novel a good flow.

 

Any writing suggestion or tips, strategies for writing a book?

1. Read your competition’s work. Know what you like about author A and what you don’t like about author B. Ask yourself where does your writing fit. For example, early in my published career, I was reading a novel and the author kept injecting into her character’s conversation, “I don’t want anything to happen to us…” Sure enough, on the next page, something happened. The story became so predictable. She was giving the reader the heads up too many times. I went back through my manuscript to make sure I wasn’t making the same mistake.

2. Know the general story in your head: how it begins, major scenes, and how it ends. Once you get it on paper, secure the services of an editor (I use Chandra Sparks Taylor), but there are other ones out there. Make sure they have edited for authors and the editor should provide a free sample edit. 3. Attend a writer’s conference (and there are many) that has the editors, agents, and publishing houses that represent your genre. Here are a few: RT Booklovers Convention, Romance Slam Jam, ACFW, RWA.

 

Who is your favorite Christian author and why? What skills,  if any have you learned from the person? My favorite?

That is never an easy answer for me. The very first African-American Christian romance author I discovered was Aisha Ford. I loved how she weaved scriptures into the story line. I do that in my novels. I’m learning how to insert them better, so my novels don’t come across as preachy. Right now, Vanessa Miller has become a good friend and mentor. She has taught me how to master the art of writing faster with confidence. I think she writes in her sleep.

What is your favorite author in any genre and why?

Wow. What a loaded question. I’m always excited about any projects Henry Louis Gates publishes, probably because I touch on genealogy in my books. Key word is “touch”. I don’t come close to the research he does and uncover invaluable information.

 

About the Book

There are three books in the Jamieson Legacy series: Guilty by Association (Kidd’s story), The Guilt Trip (Ace’s story), and Free from Guilt (Cameron’s story). Each of the three Jamieson men have to accept that their past and present are in God’s hand, and without Him they can’t advance to their future blessings. The bonus storyline in Guilty by Association is one that progresses the story of the much-loved character in the previous three book Guilty Series, Grandma BB. This time, she picks up a sidekick Mrs. Valentine.

Guilty by Association is the story of Boston bad boy Kevin “Kidd” Jamieson.  His gripe is with his father who dared to insist that his two illegitimate sons carry his last name.  To add insult to injury, the man never bothered to stick around to provide love and guidance as his boys matured into men.  Kidd’s anger overflows into every area of his life. As his animosity festers, Kidd becomes as a roaring lion, seeking whatever and whomever he can devour.  He’s as gritty as his cousin in St. Louis, Parke Jamieson VI, is polished. The two strong-willed men clash when Kidd relocates to St. Louis where his cousin assures him it’s a land of milk and money in job opportunities. Where is lands a job is far from it. 

Through a series of events that involve Grandma BB, her dog named Silent Killer and her Stacy Adams shoes, Kidd meets two women who recognize his hostile tendencies and immediately begin to administer CPR to his soul. LPN Eva Savoy eventually becomes his “Eve,” a woman God created from the underlying goodness hidden in Kidd’s own heart.

Reluctantly, Kidd allows Parke to divulge information about their royal family heritage. While everyone’s care and compassion begins to smother Kidd, he struggles to keep up the bad boy attitude as his walls start to crumble. Kidd learns it’s not his association with the name that identifies him, but the man he becomes that defines him.

About the Author

Pat Simmons is a self-proclaimed genealogy sleuth. She is passionate about digging up the dirt on her ancestors, then casting them in starring roles in her novels. She has been a genealogy enthusiast since her great-grandmother died at the young age of ninety-seven years old. Pat has won numerous awards for her novels which include: Talk to Me, Grace and Humility and Still Guilty, which was voted the Best Inspirational Romance for 2010. Pat is best known for her Guilty series: Guilty of Love, Not Guilty of Love, and Still Guilty. She is continuing the series through the Jamieson Family Legacy trilogy: Guilty by Association, The Guilt Trip, Free From Guilt. Pat has recently been nominated for the best Christian fiction award by the African American Literary Awards for her latest release, Crowning Glory.  Pat and her husband live in Missouri and have two children. Visit Patricia at:

www.patsimmons.net

twitter.com@patsimmons

facebook.com/patsimmonsauthor.

Book Review by Linda Fegins

Pat Simmons wonderfully crafted a clever tale about the Jamieson family’s determination to preserve a rich heritage and the desire of one of them to reject any association with that legacy and to distance his association with the Lord. It is a story of faith, love and family reconciliation. Without being preachy, the book subtly addresses the dismal affects of fathers being absent from the lives of their families. Thus, men who have no relationship with their father or responsible mentors struggle with many manhood issues which influence how they relate to women, family, their children and society. The book provides a message of hope and healing as “Kidd” ,after overcomig his emotional struggles and stubbornness, learns to trust God as his Father and to  understand the true meaning of family and love. I am looking forward to the next book as I thoroughly enjoyed Guilty by Association.

View the blog tour schedule at : 

http://www.tywebbin.com/blog-tours/authors-on-tour/2012-tours/

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A Love for Tomorrow Blog Tour with Vanessa Miller

Vanessa Miller is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.

Vanessa’s novels have received rave reviews, with several appearing on Essence Magazine’s Bestseller’s List. Miller’s work has receiving numerous awards, including “Best Christian Fiction Mahogany Award” and the “Red Rose Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction.” Miller graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication. She is an ordained “exhorter” in her church, explaining, “God has called me to exhort readers and to help them rediscover their place with the Lord.”

A Love for Tomorrow is the second book in the Second Chance at Love series

About the Book

When Christian talk show host Serenity Williams’ fiancé calls off their wedding because he can’t deal with her popularity, she determines that she will never fall in love with another pride-filled, ego-driven pastor. Then, Serenity’s producer asks her to interview the charismatic Pastor Phillip McKnight, who has recently gone through a divorce. Serenity feels that this is her chance to expose the arrogance of ego-filled pastors to the world. But Pastor Phillip is broken and humbled from his experiences, and the surprising humility of this man causes Serenity to want to un-break his heart. However, Serenity will need the Lord to fix her heart and change her mind about male preachers before she and Phillip can become all they were meant to be to each other.

Book Review

 I loved Vanessa Miller’s Yesterday’s Promise  which is  a delightful romantic story that addresses   the relevant social issue of women in ministry with honesty in a balanced manner.  A Love  for Tommorw  contines to explore the theme of women in the ministry. This time we see issues that  women in ministry or any  ministerial leader  must address which  could impact the integrity and effectiveness of their ministry. Further , it explores the negative impact being a ” preacher’s kid” can have on that son or daughter’s view of church.  It also touches upon the issue of  male ministerial leaders with big ego’s  being threatened by  a  female minister’s anointing. Miller’s simple crisp language and style  and well developed characters makes  this an enjoyable  book to read.

                

Purchase the Book Online at: 

 

 

 For More Information

 Visit the author online at http://www.vanessamiller.com

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