Guest Blogger Ava Pennington and One Year Alone with God

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

AVA PENNINGTON  is a writer, Bible teacher, and speaker. She is the author of One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God, endorsed by Kay Arthur. She is co-author of Faith Basics for Kids, including Will I See You Today? and the award-winning Do You Love Me More? Ava has also written for numerous magazines such as Today’s Christian Woman and Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse, and contributed to more than twenty anthologies, including sixteen Chicken Soup for the Soul books. Visit her website: www.AvaWrites.com.

ONE YEAR ALONE WITH GOD: 366 Devotions on the Names of God
by Ava Pennington
Published by Revell Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the daily devotional One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God, author Ava Pennington examines the biblical names of God through 366 daily readings and helps readers discover what those names mean for their own faith.

Readers will learn how a particular name of God provides insight into his character, how those attributes affect them individually, and how they should relate to others. Pennington examines each of God’s names for three days, applying these three perspectives to our lives.

Each devotion looks at a particular name of God and includes a passage of Scripture, questions for reflection, and a prayer.

One year from now, will you be able to say that you know God better than you did before? Revitalize your devotional life with an intimate journey through the names of God.

The next 366 days will pass quickly—make each one count!

Readers, buy your copy of One Year Alone with God today! Also available at Barnes & Noble and Christianbook.com

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR FEATURE AUTHOR

Wooed to the Dark Side?

I write non-fiction. All sorts of non-fiction, including devotions, personal stories, Bible studies, humor, editorials, and teaching pieces, to name just a few genres. I’ve published a devotional endorsed by Kay Arthur—One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God and co-authored two picture books—Do You Love Me More? and Will I See You Today?

But I don’t write fiction.

Oh, I’ve tried my hand at it a few times. I wrote a novel seven years ago. Finished it, actually. But I promise you, I will never show it to another person. My dear hubby has instructions to burn it in the event of my demise. Still, it was a terrific (maybe terrifying is more accurate) exercise in learning how much I didn’t know about writing fiction.

I did start writing another novel a few years later. Didn’t get very far before I put it away. I wasn't ready. There was still so much I needed to learn.

A friend suggested I join American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). I hesitated. After all, ACFW is for novelists, and I write non-fiction. Even if I did want to write a novel someday, I wasn’t ready to be wooed to the dark side just yet. I was doing quite well…or so I thought. Besides, how could learning to write better fiction help a non-fiction writer?

How could it not?

Whether the skill set involved voice, POV, plot, structure, dialogue, or character development, my non-fiction writing benefitted as I studied the craft. My articles are tighter. Descriptions are more vibrant. Teaching is clearer. Creative non-fiction short pieces are more animated, demonstrated by publication in more than twenty anthologies.

My fiction abilities are also improving. I wrote a short story published last year in Christian Fiction Online Magazine (have you CFOMed yet?). Of course, the more I learn, the more I learn how much I need to learn.

My first love is non-fiction. Writing One Year Alone with God: 366 Devotions on the Names of God wasn’t work, it was (cliché alert!) a labor of love. Spending time with the Lord, searching for the right words to describe His character and His ways, and experiencing the joy of sharing what He has been teaching me about Himself was an experience like none other. I hope you’ll find it a blessing in your own relationship with Him.

Still, that unfinished novel has been calling my name.

I may yet be wooed to the dark side. :)

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Thank you, Ava, for sharing with us today.

Reader Question: In what way are you stepping outside your comfort zone?

This week, there is no giveaway. But please do interact with our author, Ava, and thank her for taking the time to visit. As much as readers enjoy getting to know authors, we authors love to hear from readers too!

Spotlight on Kimberley Woodhouse and Welcome Home

NOTE: Kim's book has already gone into its second printing...and it hasn't even been released yet. :) Congratulations, Kim! Readers, you will be touched beyond imagination by this poignant, entertaining and heartwarming story. I'm many times blessed to count Kim as one of my dear friends, and once you finish this book, you'll feel like you know her too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

KIMBERLEY WOODHOUSE is a wife, mother, author, and musician with a quick wit and positive outlook despite difficult circumstances. A popular speaker, she’s shared at more than 600 venues across the country. Kimberley and her family's story have garnered national media attention for many years, but most recently her family was chosen for ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, The Montel Williams Show, and Discovery Health channel’s Mystery ER. Welcome Home: Our Family’s Journey to Extreme Joy, releases from Tyndale House Publishers September first. In addition to her non-fiction, she also writes romantic suspense and children’s books. Kimberley lives, writes, and homeschools in Colorado with her husband and two children in their truly “extreme” home. www.kimberleywoodhouse.com

WELCOME HOME: OUR FAMILY'S JOURNEY TO EXTREME JOY
by Kimberley Woodhouse
Published by Tyndale House

ABOUT THE BOOK

Overwhelming trials . . . met with overcoming joy.

Kayla Woodhouse is not your typical twelve-year-old. Due to a rare medical disorder, she feels no pain, doesn’t sweat, and needs protective cooling gear just to go outside. With her restrictive lifestyle; countless hospitalizations, including brain surgery; and the resulting mountain of hospital bills, what’s a family to do?

How the Woodhouse family has faced seemingly impossible challenges is a story that has captured the hearts of America. Millions of people have experienced glimpses of their lives on Discovery’s Mystery ER, The Montel Williams Show, and Extreme Makeover: Home Edition (recently voted one of the show’s all-time best episodes!).

Now Kayla’s mom, Kimberley, takes readers behind the cameras to reveal their family’s journey as never before told. From medical sleuthing to cross-country moves, from freak fires to battles with insurance companies, Welcome Home proves that truth really is stranger than fiction. This candid life story reveals both success and failure and demonstrates how, even during tough circumstances, to shift your life from heartbreak to extreme joy.

Peak inside the Woodhouse family’s life (and their famous house) with a 16-page photo insert.

Readers, buy your copy of Welcome Home today!

MY REVIEW

I'm not one who is prone to tears, but I shed some while reading this book. I also laughed, smiled and was touched to the core by Kim's wit, wisdom, and poignant honesty as she shared her family's amazing journey that had led them to where they are today. Kim is straightforward, honest and sometimes blunt about their struggles and the truths surrounding the rising medical bills, as well as the fears of having a daughter with a rare life-threatening medical disorder. But through it all, the warmth, genuine love and Kim's characteristic sense of humor shine clear and bright. You'll go down in the depths of seeming despair and rise to the heights of triumph with Kim and her family as you read this heart-gripping story. I dare you to not be affected by the story.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. This is your first book. Congratulations! You've told your story so many times in so many different venues. What inspired you to write about it in this way?

The publisher asked me to write it. Originally, I had planned the book to be something else, but God’s plans are always better than our own. And we’d had thousands of people writing in through my website needing encouragement, I knew the Lord was leading in this direction.

2. What has been the most memorable aspect for you of this book's publishing journey?

Writing it in two and half weeks. It was crazy, gut-wrenching, uplifting, and special.

3. Are there any themes in Welcome Home that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the stories progressed?

Joy is the main theme. On this journey, I learned that God’s joy is always there, it can never be taken away. Another theme that I think it vitally important is to keep going. Don’t quit. When you feel like you are at the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and swing.

4. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

The most difficult parts were definitely during the stage when Kayla was not diagnosed and then later when she had to have brain surgery. I cried until I didn’t have any tears left. My favorite parts were going through all my journals and notes, remembering all the hilarious stories of my kids and times when they taught me invaluable lessons.

5. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

Be looking for more non-fiction and fiction. I can’t talk about the who’s and when’s yet – but keep watching my website www.kimberleywoodhouse.com.

6. Is there anything else you'd like to share with my readers?

Thank you! Thank you for having me here, Tiff. I love you, girl!

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Love you too, Kim! :) Thank you for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Welcome Home: Our Family's Journey to Extreme Joy.

Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net). You won't be entered in the drawing without it. If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post.

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to anyone worldwide.

Spotlight on Michelle Cox, John Perrodin and Simple Little Words

Today, I am veering just a smidgeon off-course from featuring a fiction book. However, as my tagline is "Touching Hearts; Inspiring Lives" I figured this book would fit right in line with that. It's all about how the simple little words you speak can touch a life in ways you never imagined.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Michelle Cox is a speaker, co-author (with John Perrodin) of Simple Little Words: What You Say Can Change a Life, and the author of Mothers Who Made a Difference. She writes frequently for various publications at Focus on the Family, has written greeting card text, and recently taped a part of a DVD small group curriculum on parenting and marriage for Focus on the Family. She and her husband, Paul, live near Asheville, North Carolina.

John Perrodin is Senior Editor for the Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writers Guild. He has written three YA novels with Jerry in the Renegade Spirit series. For 12-plus years, he worked at Focus on the Family and served as Special Assistant to Dr. James C. Dobson. He and his wife, Sue, live in Colorado Springs.

SIMPLE LITTLE WORDS
by Michelle Cox & John Perrodin
Published by David C. Cook

ABOUT THE BOOK

Words can inspire, encourage, and convey love. They can poke and prod and compel to action. Or they can wound, discourage, and criticize. And what is said or not said in the most mundane moment can alter the course of a life...forever.

Buy Your Copy Today!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

1. You've compiled a collection of stories from a wide variety of authors and known names in the industry for this book. What gave you the inspiration for this story?

JP: Michelle Cox and I have been friends for years. When I saw some stunning samples of her article writing I knew it would be great to work on a book project together. So we did some brainstorming and pitched and pitched and pitched. Simple Little Words was Michelle's brainchild and appropriately leads off with her sharing a touching personal story. I think both of us try to share encouragement whenever we can – and we were thrilled to have the chance to put some of the exciting results of those "simple little words" in this special compilation.

MC: A special moment from my childhood was the inspiration for Simple Little Words. As a child from a dysfunctional home situation, I had no self-esteem and no self-confidence. On a class field trip one day, a classmate’s mom said, "You have the most beautiful green eyes I've ever seen." To her they were ten simple little words, but to a child who needed to hear there was something of beauty about her, they were life changing. This book is a beautiful reminder that our words are powerful tools.

2. Tell us one thing about this book that might not be obvious from reading it, or something special from the time it took to put it together.

JP: This project helped me to realize how everything – even a book – must be placed completely in God's hand. From the cover selection to the order of chapters, I had to let go and trust. And that was as fun as it was hard. Ultimately, it was exciting to see things shaped differently than I expected and yet clearly along the lines God had in mind. Both Michelle and I experienced email problems and computer "issues" and learned that "in everything we must give thanks." Maybe that's part of the reason we were so pleased to turn over the creation of the website, http://www.simplelittlewords.com, to my teen son, Jace.

MC: John lives in Colorado and I live in North Carolina. I'm still amazed at how well our writing partnership works despite the distance. Writing with John is a joy and I know without a doubt that God put this team together. I think the thing that really surprised us as we worked on this book was that God’s vision for Simple Little Words was so much bigger than ours had been. We were awed by the heart-tugging stories He sent us. John and I split the submissions for editing so neither of us had read the entire manuscript from start to finish until several weeks before our deadline. When I read the complete book for the first time, the powerful stories God provided blew me away. I cry every time I read them.

3. What themes exist in Simple Little Words that you hope the reader sees? Are there any themes that weren't overt but developed as the story progressed?

JP: I hope the reader sees that our time on this spinning orb is short. We don't know how many more opportunities we'll have to look a loved one in the eye and say "I'm sorry." That's the beauty of Simple Little Words. We're not asking anyone to make fancy speeches or write eloquent tomes. All we're asking is that they take the time to speak life, hope, and love to those around them.

MC: I think one of the most important themes is that people need to say those simple little words to their loved ones while there's time. None of us has the guarantee of tomorrow. We all need to hear that we're special to someone or that we're loved. Children need to hear that they are of value to their parents—and they need to hear it often. I hope our readers will realize that the words they say today might be remembered for a lifetime.

4. What were your most difficult parts to write? Your favorite?

JP: The hardest part of the job was making sure we were staying true to the heart of the each storyteller. Especially with the "as told to" chapters we wanted to allow the voice of the person to come through loud and clear. My favorite part of the process was waiting to see what stories God would send our way. That was sheer delight – to see Him deliver us the words He wanted us to share.

MC: One of our challenges was that we had a rather tight deadline to compile Simple Little Words. The publisher originally wanted the book in six weeks—and we only had two stories! Our first thought was panic and then we prayed. Two days later, I called John and said, "If God sent us the contract, He will send us the stories." We were amazed at how the stories came to us.

5. When is your next book coming out and what is the story?

JP: I have two books coming out: Uncover Me and Surviving Me, the first two (of four) books in the Trio Plus series for teen girls. These Thomas Nelson releases will be available August 2008. Uncover Me and Surviving Me are co-authored with Susie Shellenberger, editor of Focus on the Family's Brio magazine.

MC: I just finished a 360-page cookbook as a gift to welcome my son's new bride to our family. John and I will begin working soon on a study guide/workbook about prayer for a large evangelistic ministry. We don't have a release date yet. We also have several projects under consideration at various publishing houses.

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Thank you, Michelle and John, for being in the spotlight with us.

Readers, leave a comment for your chance to win a FREE autographed copy of Simple Little Words.

If you wish to comment but don't want to be entered, say so when you post. Make sure you also leave your email address (name at domainname dot.com/net) or that it's available for viewing in your blogger profile. Wouldn't want you to miss out on winning a book. :)

And if you want to make certain you don't miss anything, check the box that says 'email follow-up comments to:' when you leave a comment and they'll be sent to the email address associated with your blogging account. That way you'll be notified of any comments and will know when I announce the winner.

This week, the contest is open to US/Canada residents only.

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