Word for Women’s Blog

Meet Jewell Powell, author of Marriage 101

In July of 1992, Jewell met her Prince Charming at a Roy Rogers restaurant. When the couple decided to marry four years later, both were aware of the latest marriage statistics and the legacy of divorce that lay between them. Her parents divorced when she was four, after moving the family to Maryland, leaving her to be raised by a single mother. To circumvent the odds, they went through pre-marital counseling, attended church regularly and felt a strong love for one another. They believed they were ready for marriage.

While desiring to have a happily ever after, Jewell found life after marriage anything but a fairy tale. In 2001, she and her husband, Lewis, had been married for five years but were growing apart, after experiencing problems with infertility, sleeping in separate bedrooms and Lewis’s increasing disinterest in going to church. As she searched for answers to her marital troubles, Jewell found herself on a journey, seeking answers to save her marriage.

Despite a shaky beginning, the Powells now have a relationship with a strong foundation. After successfully resolving their marital problems, they started the Happily Ever After Marriage Ministry to help others do the same. Her new book, Marriage 101: Building a Life Together by Faith (Revell Books February 2009, ISBN 978-0-8007-3332-2, $13.99), offers hope and guidance to help transform broken relationships through the use of biblical wisdom in a simple workbook format.

Jewell serves as co-owner of Antiok Holdings, an emerging full-service management consulting firm, which she owns with her husband. She earned a Bachelor of Science in business from the University of Maryland and is pursuing a Master of Divinity. The Powells reside in southern Maryland with their two daughters. For more information, please visit www.marriage101.us.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Your marriage can be strong, healthy, happy, and blessed. Marriage coach Jewell Powell shows you how in this 8-week plan for marital success. She reveals how God’s truths can transform two individuals into the union he desires. Laying a spiritual foundation is crucial to your marriage. In Marriage 101: Building a Life Together by Faith, you will discover God’s purpose for marriage, how to develop godly character, how to communicate effectively, and much more. With biblical examples, study questions, and Scripture meditations perfect for individuals or couples, you will be challenged to examine areas in your life that may need change so that your marriage can thrive.

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/14516073/Marriage-101-by-Jewell-Powell

Follow the blog tour at http://bit.ly/Marriage101.

For more information about, visit Jewell at http://www.marriage101.us/.

Meet Jacquelin Thomas, author of The Ideal Wife

Jacquelin Thomas is an award winning, bestselling author with twenty-nine titles in print. Her books have garnered several awards, including two EMMA awards, the Romance In Color Reviewers Award, Readers Choice Award and the Atlanta Choice Award in the Religious & Spiritual category. Jacquelin was a 2005 honoree at the Houston Black Film Festival for the movie adaptation of her novel, Hidden Blessings. She was the first recipient to receive the Writers Achievement Award at the North Carolina Book Festival in Winston-Salem.      

Although Jacquelin initially published in the romance genre, she decided to follow the call on her heart to write Christian fiction because she seeks to write books that will touch your heart and uplift your spirits with tales of characters who yearn to have an intimate relationship with God.  Committed to writing books that glorify God and her growing teen audience, Jacquelin published the first of her Young Adult Inspirational Fiction series titled Simply Divine in October 2006.  Her second book in the series, Divine Confidential was nominated for a 2008 NAACP Image Award.  She has since gone on to publish two more books in the series.  When asked why she is so passionate about writing teen novels, Thomas shares that teens are confronted with so much—sex, drugs, violence and abuse, physically and mentally. They need to not only listen to what the world says about these things but also to what the Bible says.

Jacquelin is a member of the National Writers Union, Romance Writers of America and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. She is happily married to her best friend and is the proud mother of three children. Jacquelin and her family live in North Carolina.

ABOUT THE BOOK  

Jana Collins loves her husband with all her heart. But what if love isn’t enough?

Marrying a handsome, wealthy lawyer and living in a Hollywood Hills mansion . . . it’s a dream come true for twenty-four-year-old Jana, from the moment Lawrence Collins swept her off her feet and into his luxurious world. True, she put her studies at a local Bible college on hold in order to wed after a six-month whirlwind romance. Beautiful and vivacious, with a stunning body, Jana knows men like Lawrence don’t come along every day, and she vows to be a perfect companion—the ideal wife—to this sexy, powerful man. But at what price?

From her wardrobe and hairstyle to her friends and her choice of church, Lawrence seems to want to change Jana into someone she’s not . . . and soon, the man Jana thought she knew will test her values and her faith with a shocking revelation that goes against everything she believes—how far will Jana be willing to go to keep the man she loves? With her “ideal” marriage falling apart, Jana—the real, modest, smart, and strong girl who knows what she stands for—must put her trust in God, and follow His guiding light out of the darkness of a broken relationship.

Drawing from a moving scripture tale with an insightful message for women today, Jacquelin Thomas delivers a provocative and enlightening new novel.

 BOOK REVIEW

I had the pleasure of meeting Jacqueline Thomas some time ago when she came to Columbia for a book club meeting.  However, I must admit that this is the first book that I’ve ever read by Jacquelin Thomas.  She takes a bold approach to deal with a subject that is not normally discussed amongst those in the church, but could quite possibly exist.  Initially, I was a little turned off by the lifestyle of Lawrence Collins and his close friends, but I then found myself wondering how it was going to end.  I must say I am glad that I read and finished the book.  It truly is a page turner. 

Jacqueline Thomas carefully takes her time to share what is and what isn’t acceptable in the marriage bed.  Lawrence and Jana Collins were Christians, but their background of biblical teaching was different especially in the area of sexual pleasure between husband and wife.  Lawrence is portrayed as a very dominating husband who wants the “ideal wife” that will hearken to his every command.  He slowly begins to challenge Jana to make changes in her life beginning with her wardrobe, hairstyle, friends, choice of church with a motive in mind to prepare her for a lifestyle that would test her values and her faith.  Jana tries her best to cater to her husband because she wants to please him, but she notices some unpleasant ways concerning how he talks to her and how he displays his expression of intimacy.

It was interesting how Thomas showed us that even those in high positions have the ability to influence people into believing their standard of living; whether it is negative or positive.  I was thrown away as to how so many of the church-going Christians in this book could read the scriptures, but have their own interpretation to suit their own fleshy desires.  I was so glad to see that Jacquelin Thomas made it clear in this book what is right and wrong concerning the marriage bed.

I was pleased to see that Jana found her way and allowed her faith in God to aid her in her stance.  I really felt sorry for Lawrence because he was really brainwashed by the lifestyle he had lived for so many years, but I was relieved to see that even he was able to see things clearly. 

You’ve got to read it and read it to the end.  Jacquelin Thomas does a great job with this subject and I look forward to reading more of her books.

Worth a Thousand Words
Jubilant Soul Series Book Two
by Stacy Hawkins Adams

Life has always gone Indigo Burns’s way. She’s smart, pretty, and talented, and she knows exactly what she wants. A photography internship at her hometown’s local newspaper is the next step in her well-laid plans for her future. But her long-term goals are put to the test when her boyfriend Brian proposes–two years before he’s supposed to and in front of all the guests at her college graduation party.

Too concerned about his feelings to say no, she heartily agrees, but inside she’s cringing. Indigo knows in her heart that she’s not prepared to sacrifice her dreams to become Brian’s wife–not before she has achieved any of them. Will she find the answers among family and friends in Jubilant, Texas? Or will the picture-perfect life she dreams of be left behind?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stacy Hawkins Adams is a nationally-published, award-winning author and speaker. Her contemporary women’s fiction novels are filled with social themes and spiritual quests that take readers on journeys into their own souls.  

She holds a degree in journalism and served as a newspaper reporter for more than a decade before turning her full attention to penning books, speaking professionally and writing freelance articles.

Stacy lives in a suburb of Richmond, Virginia with her husband and two young children.

Follow the blog tour schedule at http://bitly.com/WorthAThousandWords

For more information about Stacy, visit her at stacyhawkinsadams.com.

STOP BACK FOR THE REVIEW.

Worth a Thousand Words
Jubilant Soul Series Book Two
by Stacy Hawkins Adams

Life has always gone Indigo Burns’s way. She’s smart, pretty, and talented, and she knows exactly what she wants. A photography internship at her hometown’s local newspaper is the next step in her well-laid plans for her future. But her long-term goals are put to the test when her boyfriend Brian proposes–two years before he’s supposed to and in front of all the guests at her college graduation party.

Too concerned about his feelings to say no, she heartily agrees, but inside she’s cringing. Indigo knows in her heart that she’s not prepared to sacrifice her dreams to become Brian’s wife–not before she has achieved any of them. Will she find the answers among family and friends in Jubilant, Texas? Or will the picture-perfect life she dreams of be left behind?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Stacy Hawkins Adams is a nationally-published, award-winning author and speaker. Her contemporary women’s fiction novels are filled with social themes and spiritual quests that take readers on journeys into their own souls.  

She holds a degree in journalism and served as a newspaper reporter for more than a decade before turning her full attention to penning books, speaking professionally and writing freelance articles.

Stacy lives in a suburb of Richmond, Virginia with her husband and two young children.

Follow the blog tour schedule at http://bitly.com/WorthAThousandWords

For more information about Stacy, visit her at stacyhawkinsadams.com

STOP BACK FOR THE REVIEW

Marilynn Griffith, author of Mom’s The Word, talks about the birthing books.Marilynn Griffith is the author of eight novels, mother to seven children, wife to a deacon and proof of God’s enduring mercy.  One of her novels, If the Shoe Fits, served as a prop in Tyler Perry’s box office hit Why Did I Get Married? She has served as national Vice President of American Christian Fiction Writers and has served on faculty at several national writers conferences. When she’s not writing about friendship, family and faith, Marilynn blogs and speaks to women and writers.

List your published books.

• Made of Honor
• Pink
• If the Shoe Fits
• Jade
• Tangerine
• Turquoise
• Happily Even After
• Rhythms of Grace
• Mom’s the Word

Which book did you find the hardest to birth?

To tell the truth, they’re all hard. There are fun parts, like when God is telling the story to me, but turning the story over to the reader is where the real work comes in.

Which book is your current favorite?

Great question. My favorite is always the one (or two) I’m working on but Rhythms of Grace was my first completed novel so it will always hold a special place in my heart.

How would you describe your writing style?

Hmmm…poetic? Dramatic? I joke and say that I write romantic tragedies with a few laughs tucked in.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind?

Gospel, jazz, instrumental, hip hop, old school R&B. My musical tastes are eclectic as my reading habits.

Tell us anything about you as a writer that you think might be interesting or unusual.

I’m pretty boring. I have a big family–seven kids–that surprises people. I sing loud (and bad) and I love math.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

READ. So often when I talk to aspiring writers they don’t read widely or much at all. Read a lot, write a lot and and don’t do anything that will kill your love for stories.

Writers are often encouraged to write what they know. Have you found that to be the case with your writing?

No. I write what I want to know. I’ve written about industries and places that I had little knowledge of, but because my interest was genuine, I think it worked out

About the Book

When her tall, dark, delicious husband joins their three kids in calling her “Mom,” Karol Simons has an identity crisis. Sure she loves the pint-size trio, but what’s happened to her dreams of writing a novel? Determined to have it all, she turns to her neighbor for help.

Dyanne Thornton is thrilled to stand in as Mom for three weeks so Karol can write. Bursting with baby fever, the career-woman trades her glamorous clothes and four-inch heels for the playground and potty training. She hopes to convince her reluctant husband they should start a family of their own, right away.

Everyone’s in for some big surprises…

Order your copy of Mom’s the Word from Amazon.com .

Follow the blog tour at http://bit.ly/MomsTheWord.

Visit Marilynn online at http://marilynngriffith.com/.

Join Marilynn’s social network at http://www.sistahfaith.ning.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK

After three years of marriage, Denise Hightower discovers that her husband, Pastor Bryce Hightower, has a secret addiction that not only jeopardizes his marriage, but impairs his ability to effectively preach the gospel.   

Yielding to pressure from her mother and her husband, Denise agrees to keep his addiction a secret, although her self-esteem plummets. Her life as the perfect First Lady is falling apart at the seams. Denise suffers in silence until she is confronted with the addiction from a trusted member of the church. 

Self-centered and determined to uphold his pastoral image, Bryce is oblivious to his wife’s emotional state. He’s convinced that he can overcome his “little problem” on his own, so he rejects the spiritual help God sends him. But when his secret is discovered, will he be able to come clean with himself, God, and his congregation before he loses it all?

For more information about Wanda, visit her at wandabcampbell.net.

BOOK REVIEW:   Wanda B. Campbell does an excellent job in describing the struggle that Pastor Bryce Hightower tried so desperately to keep hidden from his wife, Denise and from his congregation.  This struggle had become a part of him since his youth.  Pastor Bryce had no intentions of exposing himself to anyone; especially not his wife or his congregation.  However, when his wife, Denise walks in on him and catches him in the very act (you’ll have to read the book to find out what that is) the pain, the disappointment, and the shame felt by the characters are revealed throughout the pages (and I must add that those pages will keep turning because you’re going to want to know what happens next). 

Denise Hightower who tries to exemplify the perfect First Lady image who always covers her husband finds it difficult once she becomes aware of his struggle.  She sets out to work with her husband by not exposing him, but demands for him to put an end to this addiction.  However, when it is not so easy for Pastor Bryce to stop; Denise becomes frustrated and wants out of the relationship.  As time passes, Denise almost finds herself falling in the hands of temptation to attempt to ease her pain. 

Initially, Pastor Bryce Hightower is displayed as a man that hides behind his title, a person who feels important as long as he is validated and appreciated by his congregation.  When Pastor Bryce finally recognizes that he could possibly lose his wife and his congregation, he is connected with someone who can help him reach his deliverance. 

Wanda Campbell does a great job of describing how each character is affected by Pastor Bryce Hightower’s struggle.  She describes so well of how this struggle originated when Pastor Bryce was a young boy.  The importance of the father’s role makes a great impact on a child’s life and when that role is not fulfilled it can affect a child negatively.  Even though Pastor Bryce did not have a great father figure, someone stepped into his life and assisted in his deliverance.  What I got from this also is that every pastor needs someone to lean on; someone they can confide in without being ridiculed or having their business spread all over town.  Campbell does an excellent job in showing that. 

Denise Hightower went through many emotions; from wanting to save her marriage, becoming bitter towards her husband, wanting out of the relationship and even wanting to commit sin herself was revealed throughout the book.  The author does a great job of allowing the reader to become one with the feelings of each character.  The “church face” that Denise displayed as an attempt to keep her business from the congregation is real.  Believe it or not, Pastor’s wives have to show that great big smile even when they are hurting the most.  Many people in the congregation look for hope, encouragement and strength and many times they receive that from their Pastor and his wife.  Even when Denise tried to confide in her mother and her best friend, Erin; she still didn’t get the support she really needed.  Being fussed at and being betrayed was not something that Denise needed at this point in her life.  That showed me that a Pastor’s wife must be mindful of who she confides in.  I learned a long time ago (from a Pastor’s wife point of view), that you shouldn’t share your home business or church business with someone in the congregation and especially not a single woman.  Some of us (pastor’s wives) learned it the hard way as did Denise Hightower.  

Even through this struggle with Pastor Bryce’s addiction, love still prevailed in the end.  I was extremely pleased with how Pastor Bryce Hightower came clean before his congregation and how it healed many that were dealing with the same struggle.  Healing, restoration, forgiveness and reconciliation rang throughout this book.

This book is a must read and you will not want to put it down.  Although it is fiction, the characters are real.  Order your copy today by clicking on the link below.

http://www.amazon.com/Illusions-Urban-Christian-Wanda-Campbell/dp/1601629435/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1230526996&sr=8-1

BLOG TOUR GIVEAWAY 
This week’s winner will receive An autographed copy of First Sunday in October and a coupon for a FREE print design (choose a bookmark, postcard or business card) courtesy of Tywebbin Creations. Winner are responsible for printing.

Check Wanda B. Campbell’s blog for the winners.

For those ladies who love to read, in the month of February we will be reading, Illusions by Wanda Campbell.  To read an excerpt please visit her site at: www.wandabcampbell.net