Here’s a wonderful review that Molly wrote on her blog for Milk Money – book #2 in the Chesapeake Weddings collection that’s coming in April 2010!
Review For Milk Money
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Monthly Archives: January 2010
Christian Book Distributors Catalog Featuring My Novel!
Check out page 33 of the latest Christian Book Distributor (CBD) catalog! You’ll see my 3-in-1 collection featured! Remember, Chesapeake Weddings is coming in April! 🙂
Night Light By Terri Blackstock
Night Light by Terri BlackstockPaperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Zondervan (July 1, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0310257689
ISBN-13: 978-0310257684
From the Back Cover
In the face of a crisis that sweeps an entire high-tech planet back to the age before electricity, the Brannings face a choice. Will they hoard their possessions to survive or trust God to provide as they offer their resources to others? #1 bestselling suspense author Terri Blackstock weaves a masterful what-if series in which global catastrophe reveals the darkness in human hearts and lights the way to restoration for a self-centered world. An era unlike any in modern civilization is descending, one without lights, electronics, running water, or automobiles. As a global blackout lengthens into months, the neighbors of Oak Hollow grapple with a chilling realization: the power may never return. Survival has become a lifestyle. When two young thieves break into the Brannings home and clean out the food in their pantry, Jeff Branning tracks them to a filthy apartment and discovers a family of children living alone, stealing to stay alive. Where is their mother? The search for answers uncovers a trail of desperation and murder . . . and for the Brannings, a powerful new purpose that can transform their entire community and above all, themselves.
I reviewed the first book in this series here. I can see why this author is a #1 best-selling writer! I was so impressed by the first book that I ordered the rest of this series from Amazon! I kept thinking about the characters and the fact that the lights, electricity and electronics had not been restored by the end of the first book. The characters never left my mind so I eagerly started the second book in the series months later. This book won’t disappoint you! The world is still without power and mankind is still scavenging for food and clean water. Most of the residents of Oak Hollow have banded together to stay alive. They’ve combined their manpower to build a well, so that they can have clean water to drink. Food is still scarce and when the Brannings find children stealing their food, they discover that the youngsters are living in a dirty apartment building, alone.
The children come to live with the Brannings and the family wonders if they’ll have enough food to feed the extra youngsters. Meanwhile, technology in the world does get a slight boost when it’s discovered that old automobiles, build in the seventies and before that, will work because they don’t use a microchip.
Meanwhile, Deni Branning wonders about her fiance. He doesn’t seem to care that’s she’s almost gotten killed during the blackout. Should she breakup with him?
I highly recommend this novel. The story will keep you entertained for hours. Blackstock is one of my favorite authors. Her suspense is extremely intriquing.
40,000+
Just noticed that my counter has surpassed the 40,000 mark! I’m glad people are visiting my blog!
Momma’s Wine Cake
You don’t have to worry about the alcoholic content in this cake! The alcohol bakes out of the cake in the oven. You could probably use any kind of cake mix for this recipe. Somebody gave me this recipe in an email. It’s very tasty!
Momma’s Wine Cake:
1 (18.25 ounce) package butter recipe cake mix or chocolate cake mix
1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix or chocolate pudding mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup white wine
4 eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray the inside of a bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle white sugar inside the pan. (This will create a great sugary crust on the cake while baking.)
In medium bowl combine the cake mix, instant vanilla pudding, vegetable oil, white wine, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer for 5 minutes. I mixed it by hand. It only took a few minutes.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cake cool on rack in pan for 10 minutes then remove cake from pan to rack. Let cake cool completely before slicing. Garnish sliced cake with a dollop of whipped cream or dust with confectioners’ sugar and sliced strawberries. I didn’t garnish mine. I just removed it from the pan and we sliced and ate it! Yummy!
I’d like to try this using another variation: Yesterday, I purchased a lemon cake mix and a box of lemon instant pudding from the store. I’d like to try this recipe using those two ingredients. I’d also like to add a little bit of lemon extract to the cake if I do this? Not sure if I’ll add the extract, though. It would be interesting to see how it turns out. I probably won’t get around to trying this for awhile though – at least a few months! I’ll be sure to blog about it once I try it!
Where Am I?
I stumbled upon this post on the Sunny Island Breezes Blog. I told the blogger that I currently am not under contract for any more books. I do have projects for which I’m searching for a home, but so far, no takers! Plus I told her that Barbour rejected my last proposal.
So, if you’ve read my any of my Heartsongs and enjoyed them, then could you please let the publisher know via this link? Just mention that you liked my books and you’d like to see more!
I hope everyone has a blessed day!
Bloomsbury Publishing
Remember when I blogged about African Americans on bookcovers here?
I didn’t want an African-American on my bookcover because I was worried about my sales figures. I wanted a more generic cover with scenery versus having a person on the cover.
I recently came across this blog post which tells of Bloomsbury Publishing placing a Caucasian female on the cover of a YA book, but the character in the story is really African American. Bloomsbury has stated that they did this because books that have African Americans on the cover don’t sell. However, it is deceiving to place the Caucasian on the cover when the main character in the story is Black. Bloomsbury received a lot of flack for doing this and has since changed the cover to more accurately depict the main character.
However, they did the same with yet another YA title, not depicting the character as a person of color on the cover.
It’s shocking that they did this. It would’ve made more sense to do a generic cover without people…
This Black/White book issue looks like it’s a problem that’s going to be around for a long time.
Do you think Bloomsbury was justified with what they did?
I don’t think they should have portrayed the main character as someone of another race. It’s misleading to the reader…it’s the same as lying, which I think is wrong. You don’t want to deceive the consumer…
I know I was complaining about my cover having an AA person on the cover…BUT, I would never want my publisher to place a Caucasian person on the cover when my characters are African-American! I’m pleased with my cover. I’d just heard that the books within the series that had generic covers had great sales figures. Since I’ve never seen any of the 3-in-1s with AA covers, I wasn’t sure how the sales figures would pan out since my cover is going to be “different” than the others…
Genesis Contest For Unpublished Authors
Occasionally, unpublished writers will email me, asking for advice about how to get their novels commercially published. I mention joining a writers’ organization such as ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) or RWA (Romance Writers of America). I also mention entering their manuscript into a contest. This is a great way to gain feedback for your novel. If you place (or win) the contest, you may gain the attention of an agent or an editor.
ACFW recently opened up their Genesis Contest for submissions. This contest is for unpublished Christian fiction writers. I’ve helped to judge this contest for the last few years. If you have a Christian fiction manuscript that you’re trying to get commercially published, then you might want to consider entering the Genesis. Rules and regulations are outlined in the link above!
Latter-Day Cipher By Latayne C. Scott
Latter-Day Cipher by Latayne C. Scott
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Moody Publishers (April 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0802456790
ASIN: B002SB8NQC
When rebellious Utah socialite Kirsten Young is found murdered in Provo Canyon with strange markings carved into her flesh and a note written in a 19th Century code, questions arise about the old laws of the Mormon Church. Journalist Selonnah Zee is assigned the story—which quickly takes on a life of its own. Even before the first murder is solved several more victims appear, each one more mysterious than the last.
Adding to a slew of other distractions, Selonnah’s cousin, Roger, has recently converted and is now a public spokesperson for the Mormon faith. But paradoxically, Roger’s wife Eliza is struggling to hold onto the Mormon beliefs of her childhood. If something is really from God, she wonders, why does it need to be constantly revised? And could the murderer be asking the same questions?
I thought this book did a great job of showing the truth behind the Mormon church. I was compelled to purchase the novel more for the subject matter than for the storyline. Since I was raised in a religion that’s considered a cult, I was interested in finding out more about the weird teaching of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
There’s a murderer on the loose and after he/she kills, there’s always a message left behind, showing that the murderer is affiliated with the Mormon church. Selonnah Zee, a writer, is given the assignment to cover the murders and to find out more about the Latter-Day Saints church. While bunking with her male cousin and his wife, Selonnah finds herself taken on a journey where she questions the Mormon church and tries to find the answers behind the questions about her own faith.
This book will blow your mind, especially if you know little about the Mormon church and long to know more. I read it in a few days over the Christmas break.
