Tuesday, March 30, 2010



Poet and Author Acholam Birago
April National Poetry Month! This is a time to celebrate poets and their poetry. Through out the month of April, numerous events are held. It is wonderful way to involve youths in a poetic activities.
Inaugurated by the Academy of American Poets in 1996, National Poetry Month is now held every April, when publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, schools and poets around the country band together to celebrate poetry and its vital place in American culture. Thousands of businesses and non-profit organizations participate through readings, festivals, book displays, workshops, and other events.

http://www.poets.org/page.php/prmID/41

Join me on my online Radio Blog Talk Show! Yes, The Certain Ones now has a home on the air waves! Our forthcoming segment is: Poetic Justice.

We will be celebrating National Poetry Month in the Month of April- with the fiercest inspirational and motivational poet and author Acholam Birago. Stage name: Poetic.Soul.Provider. You do not want to miss this enchanting evening of soul stirring and thought provoking conversation!

http://www.poeticsoulprovider.com/


http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thecertainones/2010/04/21/celebrating-national-poetry-month-poetic-justice

Listen to The Certain Ones on Blog Talk Radio

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Celebrating Women in Ministry Blog Tour with author Vanessa Miller




We invite you this week to highlight your favorite FEMALE MINISTER in the comment section below. Participants will be placed in a drawing for an autographed copy of Yesterday’s Promise by Vanessa Miller and a $25 Gift Card.

About the Book
Melinda Johnson has always felt called to ministry. So, when her father, Bishop Langston Johnson, decides to step down after thirty years of leadership at Omega Christian Center, it seems only natural for her to take his place. But Bishop Johnson feels led by a God who has other things in mind, and to succeed him, he appoints Steven Marks-a man who is opposed to female pastors, not to mention the fact that he is Melinda’s ex-fiancĂ©.

Feeling defeated, Melinda nevertheless maintains her position as the church’s Missions and Community Outreach Director. Frequent interaction with the new bishop incites bitter sparring-and rekindles long-suppressed attraction, which grows only stronger when Melinda develops a relationship with Steven’s precious daughter, Brianna, who’s still struggling with the death of her mother.

Can Steven and Melinda set aside past pains, forgive each other, and learn to love again? Or will their opposing positions regarding women preachers keep them forever at odds?

About the Author
Vanessa Miller of Dayton , Ohio is an Essence best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying and Abundant Rain. To date, Vanessa has written the Rain Series and the Storm Series. The books in the Rain Series are: Former Rain , Abundant Rain, and Latter Rain. The books in the Storm Series are: Rain Storm and Through The Storm . These books have received rave reviews, winning Best Christian Fiction Awards and topping numerous Bestseller’s lists.

Yesterday’s Promise is the first book of a series entitled, Second Chance of Love. Whitaker House plans to release the next two books in October 2010 and January 2011. Visit her online at www.VanessaMiller.com.

Tell Us About Your Favorite Female Minister
View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/WomeninMinistry.


Yesterday's Promise by Vanessa Miller (Excerpt)



Yesterday's Promise Book Trailer



Tell Us About Your Favorite Female Minister



My Favorite Female Preacher:
Rosa Meredith, of Deliverance Victory Temple Ministries in NC, has been called the revelator because God has gifted her with revelation involving powerful analogies as she expound the word of God. She teaches life impacting sermons such as “What make you do what you do?” she is pastor, preacher and teacher. Pastor Meredith’s belief’s are based on the sound doctrine of Jesus Christ. Pastor Meredith preaches toward resurrecting the lost and instructing them how to be free in Christ and how to stay free and how to obtain victory in diverse circumstances.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Mystery and Thriller Author DK Gaston

D K Gaston was born in Detroit, Michigan. He left Michigan as a young adult to serve in the U S Army from 1985 to 1990. During his stint in the military, he traveled overseas to Korea, Japan, Mexico and Australia. After leaving the Army, D K earned his Bachelor degree at Detroit College of Business in Computer Information Science.

He worked as a janitor, security guard, computer instructor, word processor, and computer technician before centering his career in computer networking. Since then, he'd earned two Masters Degrees from the University of Phoenix in Technology Management and Business Administration.

D K Gaston is the author of XIII, The Friday House and Lost Hours. He is a husband and father, residing in Michigan. He is currently working on his next novel.

Richardson: Hello D K! Thanks for chatting with me. Please tell readers about yourself.

Gaston: I'm an author. I write in several different genres and currently have three published novels: XIII, Lost Hours & The Friday House.

Richardson: Have you always known that you would write Mystery & Thrillers? Who are some mystery writers that influenced you?

Gaston: I've always been a big mystery and thriller fan. But, no, I originally planned on writing comic books when I was younger. It wasn't until I was much older that I considered mysteries and thrillers. I would have to say that it was Dean Koontz who inspired me to write. I read Midnight and fell in love with his writing style.

Richardson: What do you want readers to take away from your novels?

Gaston: I really want to entertain the readers. I want my books to be that shot of caffeine that launches a person's morning and to keep them going all day.

Richardson: D K, you donated half the royalties from the sales of “The Friday House” to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Tell us how did that come about?

Gaston: Unfortunately, it did not generate any hard sells. I suspect the bad economy had a lot to do with that. I don't plan on giving up helping charities with sales of my books. Once the economy picks up, I'll start again, hopefully with better success in the future. I did appreciate all the people who tried to make others aware of what I was doing by posting on their blogs.

Richardson: What have you discovered about yourself on your journey to publication?

Gaston: That a little patience goes a long way. I also learned that authors love to help other authors on his or her journey.

Richardson: There is always a story behind the glory. How do/did you handle rejection (s)?

Gaston: Opinions are subjective; some will love my stories while others just won't get it. I understand that readers, reviewers, agents and publishers have varying taste, so I listen to them, evaluate their comments and hopefully improve upon my work. Authors have to have a tough skin in the writing business.

Richardson: What advice would you offer aspiring authors?

Gaston: Keep writing and don't stop writing until you finish your first draft. Once the draft is complete, step away from your book for a month and then come back and begins your edits/rewrite.

Richardson: How can readers contact you?

Gaston: The future belongs to eBooks. There will always be a great demand for paper edition books, but be aware that a growing number of young readers are jumping on emerging technologies.

I can be contacted at: author_dkgaston@yahoo.com

Richardson: D K, thank you for chatting with me. As always in closing, continue to inspire as you aspire.

Gaston: Thank you for this interview. I had a lot of fun answering your great questions.

D K Gaston
www.dkgaston.com
XIII, April 2007
Lost Hours, October 2007
The Friday House 2008

FYI
The Friday House - second edition
A second edition of The Friday House is now available at:

https://www.createspace.com/3344369


Short description:

Without warning or explanation, prominent Americans are carrying out horrendous crimes against the government. FBI Special Agent Jamaica Kurtz is assigned to profile these assassins. All the killers have one thing in common, the Friday House Orphanage. What secrets does this institution hold and will Jamaica Kurtz find the truth in time to stop more attacks?

25 Miles to Touching the Heart of God Author Christel Lim

Christel's first book "25 Miles to Touching the Heart of God" is an easy-to-read book that simplifies profound and eternal concepts for teens and people who are searching for answers. She weaves anecdotes and her own experiences into her truthful chapters, allowing readers to relate to her and understand her message better. If you have always wondered about God and how to get closer to Him, this is the book for you! Raise the level of your relationship with your Creator today

V. Richardson: Hi Christel! Thank you for chatting with me Congratulations! You have just released your latest book, 25 Mile to Touching the Heart of God. What is the synopsis of 25 Miles to Touching the Heart of God?

C. Lim: It’s actually a personal journey I took to search after God. And it’s broken down into 25 Miles. Most people know that there is a ‘God’, but I needed to know who He is, not just the mere fact that He existed. I didn’t want a head knowledge class on ‘God’; I wanted a relationship with Him, something like a friendship. I learned a lot about God, a little more about His character, and there were moments when I felt like I felt His heartbeat. I think when you really seek after God; what you’re actually seeking for, is His heart.

There were many times when, if not most, when I honestly felt that in that moment in time, I felt in sync with God. I felt His heart for people. God definitely taught me when I was on this journey with Him and so, 25 Miles to Touching the Heart of God contains those ‘lessons’ which I like to call, ‘Miles’, that I learnt and it just sank into me. It changed me. Oh, one thing about God, He’s funny.

V. Richardson: What do you want readers to take away from this book?

C. Lim: Travelling these 25 miles really enriched my life, it changed my thinking, and it was enlightening. I just wanted people to know that they could have a relationship with God too! It isn’t as scary as what people might make it out to be. I wanted them to know that God has been waiting outside their door for a long time.

He wants to have a relationship with them. Really, he does. He wants them to know all about Him. He already knows all about you, but you’ll get to know more about yourself as you get closer to God because God is the only one who knows you better than yourself.

V. Richardson: How do/did you deal with rejection (s)?

C. Lim: First of all, I believe, I’m a person of destiny, and destiny as Jill Austin says, is a process. My destiny started the day I was born. Everything that happens in my life comes with a reason. There are things in life, like rejection, which happens to every person, but I believe for me personally, it just means that God closed that door because of a reason.

It could be that God has something better in stored for me or maybe I wasn’t ready for that. I made a decision that I only want to walk in God’s perfect will, not permissive will. And if that isn’t right for me, I tell God, please don’t let that door open. Most people see rejection, as rejection itself. I see it as rejection because as that point in time, that wasn’t in line with what God intended for me. But I have to say, that to be in God’s perfect will, you have to walk right with God in your relationship with Him.

V. Richardson: What have you discovered about yourself on your journey to publication?

C. Lim I discovered that I needed to be able to ‘wait it out’. In a world where everything is done fast, the book business is one of the slowest industries! It takes about a year for one’s book to be ready once you sign the publishing contract. I needed to be able to be steadfast. Personally, I get bored easily. And on this journey, I learnt a bit more on following through.

I was very blessed because once I was done with my manuscript; the first publisher that I approached offered me a contract. So technically, I didn’t experience any rejection with respect to publishing this book. I knew that what I wrote was inspiration from God, so I told God that if it was in line with His perfect will, please Tate Publishing sign me on. Tate Publishing is a Christian Publisher too, that’s why I approached them first. I have to add that I had not been exposed to the book business in any way. I didn’t know anything at all. But you don’t need to when you’ve got God as a friend. He’s by my side all the way. Even if I don’t know how, He does, and that is all I need.

I think, when you only desire God’s perfect will for your life, He’ll lead you to the right door and you don’t experience as much rejection as others do.

V. Richardson: Are there any forthcoming projects readers should be made aware of?

C. Lim:I don’t have any projects that I’m working on at the moment. But I know there will be. I’m eager to receive inspiration from God again. I always am. I love it. God’s wisdom is just awesome! I want to write again. I am hoping to write a novel. I would like to cross into another genre. I like writing my own poetry too.

V. Richardson: How can readers contact you?

C/ Lim: There are so many ways! There is Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Youtube or they could just email me I guess. I also have an address for snail mail, which by the way, I love. I love receiving snail mail. I don’t know why. But I have to say, I’m new at Goodreads and Twitter, so I’m still trying to figure my way around. But I’ll get there. And Youtube for that matter too. Alright, I’m just new at this whole thing.


The links:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/CHRISTEL-L...

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/AuthorChristelLim...

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Author_Christel...

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Author_Christel

My email address: chlsj_8948@hotmail.com

V. Richardson: Christel, thank you so very much for sharing your testimony with me. It was delightful connecting with you! As always in closing, continue to inspire as you aspire!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

My Mother's Child Blog Tour Dawn Abrams



Dwan Abrams is a full-time novelist, freelance editor, and publisher. She’s the best-selling author of My Mother’s Child (the sequel to Divorcing the Devil), Married Strangers, Divorcing the Devil, Only True Love Waits, and The Scream Within. She’s the founder, publisher, and editorial director of Nevaeh Publishing, LLC a small press independent publishing house. She’s currently signed to Urban Christian, an imprint of Urban Books/Kensington. Her sixth novel, the second book in the Married Series, is set to hit national bookshelves in 2011.


About the Book
Lyric Stokes lives, by most standards, a charmed life. Married to Michael Stokes, a prominent heart surgeon, she has financial security and lives in the lap of luxury. All is not perfect, though. Lyric feels inadequate because she gave birth to a daughter, rather than the son that her husband so desperately wanted.

After an unexpected turn of events, Lyric discovers that she’s pregnant again, but now she has to decide whether she even wants to keep the child she has longed for. She seeks solace in her church, where her daughter also feels at home; but they can’t get Michael to join them. Disagreeing with organized religion, he has put his job before all else, including God. The distance between the couple grows further every day.
Nigel Fredericks has a history of stalking women. He’s been accused, but never convicted. Now he’s set his sights on Lyric. She’s at a low point in her life, and Nigel knows just how to take advantage of that vulnerability. Lyric’s life is turned upside down; Nigel is like a cancer eating away at her mental stability, her marriage, and ultimately, her life. Will Michael reevaluate his priorities and his faith in time to save his family?



Listen to an excerpt from My Mother’s Child by Dwan Abrams




Visit Dwan online at http://dwanabrams.com.

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/MyMothersChild