I'm Now an Award Winning Author

Isaiah Washington, Victoria Christopher Murray, Me and Yvette Hayward

This past Thursday I embarked on a journey to the African American Literary Awards Show held in New York. It was a rocky start, beginning with my connecting flight that I missed due to inclement weather and my plane running out of fuel causing the plane to make a detour and refuel. After many delays, I finally made it to New York with two hours to prepare for the awards. I didn't have time for the mental break down I felt I deserved, instead I put on my big girl shoes and persevered.

I had the concierge send for a car to take me to the awards show, and again bad luck reared its ugly head. The concierge had written down the wrong address, writing the address numbers backward. By now the car that dropped me off was now gone and I was stranded. Next, I walked down the block in my five inch heels and hailed a taxi to take me to the correct address, which cost me an additional $10. Tired, frustrated and sleepy as hell, I walked in the building feeling slightly defeated. But by the time I stepped off the elevator, I had given myself a stern pep talk. I said, "Lena, you made this far in spite of the obstacles, just go a little further and claim what God has in store for you. You are already a winner, you just need to get your award." So I stepped out that elevator confident and assured. I was met by familiar faces that I admire, like authors Victoria Christopher Murray and Reshonda Tate Billingsley. Then I met new authors that I recognized through Facebook and the back of book covers, like Walter Mosley, Wahida Clark and K'Wan. I also met editors of Kensington Publishing and the founder of AALBC, Troy Johnson.

Me and Victoria Christopher Murray

The time finally arrived to have dinner and to announce the winners. My category was Anthologies/Short Stories and the presenter was none other than Victoria Christopher Murray, whom I sincerely adore. When she announced my name as the winner, she smiled so wide and said, "one of mine won. Yes!" She gave me a kiss and a hug and I felt overwhelmed with gratitude and appreciation. I became teary-eyed and thanked my blog followers and readers for their support. Because I knew without them, I couldn't have made it this far. I took photos with the AALAS founder Yvette Hayward, Victoria Christopher Murray and actor Isaiah Washington. 

I took my seat, stared at my award and exhaled. I was now ready to go home. I was elated to be there but I missed my husband who was back home in Alabama with our kids. Without him there to share in my joy, it just didn't feel complete. He has been my biggest cheerleader from day one. He bought me my first computer and told me to write. So without him, the moment felt imperfect. I needed to get home and show him our award. After the awards were over, I took lots of pictures and networked. I hailed a taxi back to my hotel room and packed my suitcase. I had to be at the airport in less than fours hours, I had no time to relax or decompress. Not wanting to wake up my husband with a late phone call, I texted him the words, "I did it." He texted me back, "We won?" I texted him back, "We sure did." Then I called him and told him all about my exhausting day, while he listened attentively. My heart and my award truly belonged in sweet home Alabama and I couldn't wait to get them both there.

Week in Review and Giveaway

I hadn't had a chance to blog or visit blogs all week :-( I had a jam packed week and eventful weekend. But I enjoyed it. This past Thursday, bestselling authors Victoria Christopher Murray and Reshonda Tate Billingsley came to my area for a book signing. It was nice to see them again and briefly talk. I bought their new book, Sinners and Saints, and I can't wait to read it. The two ladies make a great duo. They are funny, informative and a delight to be around. And I must congratulate Ms. Reshonda on her NAACP Image Award Nomination last week.

Friday, my girls basketball team had a game, and we lost. As the coach, I was devastated. But my team is still number 1 in their league. Woot! Woot! We will have to step it up at the next game. I also saw the film, Red Tails this weekend. It was enjoyable. I highly recommend it. The flight scenes were fantastic. Terrance Howard was sexy as all get out in his pilot uniform.

Then Saturday evening, January 21st, was the She Speaks book signing. I'm a featured poet in the anthology She Speaks, so I was asked to get up and bless the mic. It was my first time reciting any of my poetry. My poem is called, A Song for Queen. Talk about nervous, my knees shook the entire time. I was so elated to finally sit down. I've been in stage plays before, I currently give workshops and I sing in the church choir. So being in front of an audience doesn't bother me at all. I think I was nervous because it was the first time I had recited any of my poetry pieces. But I think I fared well and I can say without a doubt the event was fabulous. Some of the other talented poets rocked the mic as well and I can say that some of them left the mic smoking hot. My hat goes off to Dr. Kim White Glenn and Kimeko Farrar, those ladies always bring it whenever they touch the mic.

She Speaks is by poet Katina Walton and I must say she did a great job putting everything together. Her piece at the end had me snapping and popping my fingers and I got teary-eyed because I knew the emotion coming from her was raw and sincere. Singer, Gina Brown graced us with her voice at the close of the event, she is anointed and talented. She has worked with greats like the late Etta James. Gina Brown's voice is powerful and sultry. I could feel all the love and support in that room for Katina Walton. So I wish her the very best of luck in all her endeavors.

Well, that was my week in review.

I will be giving away THREE (3) FREE copies of the book She Speaks by Katina Walton.  Each book is valued at $15.99. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment below and on Sunday, January 29th midnight, 2012, I'll choose 3 winners randomly using random.org. Winners will be announced Monday, January 30, 2012. Open to International and U.S. participants.

Don't forget my short story collection, If I Had My Way, will be available on February 1, 2012. The date is fast approaching. If you want a free copy of my short story, Tandrin Drive, please sign up for my newsletter located in the upper right hand corner of my sidebar. Everyone that has signed up for my newsletter should receive their free copy before the end of the week.

If you want a FREE copy of If I Had My Way to do a book review for your blog or to do a review for Amazon, Goodreads or Barnes and Nobles, please send me your email address along with your request at lena@lenasledge.com and where you will likely post your review and I will get it to you. I'm also available for book club discussions via Skype. 

Thank You and Have a Fantabulous Week!

Claim: B9P36Z7R2V26

10 Unique Ways to Market Your Book

Most of my readers know by now that my debut book, If I Had My Way, is being released on February 1, 2012. I have had to do a great bit of marketing in the last year to get to a place where hopefully readers other than my loved ones will buy my book. I will admit marketing can be difficult. I say difficult because there is always something else to do or that you could be doing. But I found out through lack of sleep, that I can't do everything because I have other priorities. So I learned to do what works and what is most beneficial to me in the long run. There are hundreds if not thousands of marketing strategies and tips available that can be useful to sell books, but today I will share only ten.


1. Get Actively Involved. 
Join associations and organizations geared toward networking, helping or supporting writers and authors. But don't just join and fade into the background. Get active, volunteer or sponsor events to get recognition. By doing so, you could meet potential publishers, editors and agents. Not to mention you can make lasting literary connections. Most associations and organization have a newsletter. When your book is being released, you can request to have it mentioned in the newsletter which is usually sent out to hundreds or more members. I am currently a member of several literary organizations. The one I'm most involved in is The Alabama Writers' Conclave. It's one of the oldest writers' organizations in continuous existence in the United States. I am also the Publicity Chair for the Alabama Writers' Conclave. The AWC holds an annual writers conference every year in different parts of Alabama. This year it will be held in Huntsville, Alabama. There you can network, attend workshops, and meet great people. If you are a member of the AWC, you can get a discount on the conference as well.

2. Attend Local Book Fairs and Festivals
By attending book fairs and festivals you have the opportunity to meet readers. People who attend book fairs and festival are there because they love books. Most book fairs and festivals have opportunities for authors to rent tables or booths to sell their books. But even if you can't afford to rent a booth or a table, you can mingle amongst the crowd with a large book bag filled with books ready to sell should you meet a potential reader or buyer. Or you could go fully stocked with bookmarks and business cards to hand to passersby. There are a few festivals and book fairs that are opened free to the public. Check out my list of book fairs and festivals page.

3. Get Noticed in the Community News
When you go to any public event to talk about your book such as a book signing, make sure the local newspapers list your event in the Event section of the newspaper. In my area, the local newspaper offers this service for free.

4. Attend Trade Shows and Conventions
Nearly every genre or literary market is represented at trade shows and conventions. There you have the possibility of meeting publishers, editors, agents, manufacturers, buyers, authors, suppliers, media and distributors. You can network, draw up leads and contacts in one weekend that would likely be more beneficial than attending in other event. To find trade shows visit Gale,  Expo Guide and Trade Show News Network.

5. Visit the Library
The library is an abundant source of information for any author. Libraries can give you feedback on what people are reading, what genres are being read the most, provide databases, information on publishers, websites, magazines or general information to help you find more resources and facts. The library can also help you find a list of directories for periodicals and associations for marketing purposes. And most libraries will let you use their facility for a book signing. Possibly for free, but some may charge a small fee. To find a library in your area, contact Public Libraries.

6. Virtual Book Tours
The person to person book tour is not as popular as it use to be. Mostly because some publishers don't want to foot the bill with so much competition going on with eBook publishing and one hit wonders. Virtual book tours have become popular with some authors because it's more economical; there's no need to get dressed, rent a car or buy an airplane ticket nor is it necessary reserve a hotel room for a days stay. Nope, with virtual book tours you contact a virtual book tour company, go over their fees or packages and they essentially do the rest for you. What a virtual book tour company does is contact several blogs that are already signed up with them to host authors or do book reviews on their blog. Once the virtual book tour company contacts its host, the host then receives a copy of your book, and they are asked whether they'd like to do an interview with the author, a book review or let the author do a guest post on their blog. Each day the author is hosted on a different blog. So lets say, I'm on tour, I would be hosted on 10 different blogs in say 10 days. Each day is an opportunity to meet new readers and make contact with bloggers that might like my book or that I could develop a future relationship with for future book releases. It also gives the blog recognition and page views because the virtual book tour owner would likely do some advertising to announce where the author will be each one of those 10 days. It's like a blog hop for authors. I am starting a virtual book tour company called Spotlight Virtual Book Tours and I'm in the process of accumulating potential hosts for virtual book tours. If you own a blog and would like to be a host, contact me at spotlight@lenasledge.com or read the Spotlight Virtual Book Tour info in the upper right hand corner of my sidebar.

7. Start a Blog
Blogging is beneficial for authors because it gives the author a way to connect to readers and fans in a more personal format. Also, search engines spider blogs more frequently than websites. Search engines look for new content, and websites usually don't have daily or weekly updated material like a blog. Once the blogger post the content, generally and hopefully readers will comment. Comments are new content/updates. The more comments, the more inbound and outbound links, the more search engines assume your blog is popular. Thus attracting more readers. More readers means increased potential to sell books. To find out other reasons why blogging is great for authors, check out my post, 5 Reasons Authors Should Blog.

8. Become active on Amazon
Amazon is a useful tool to use to get your name in front of readers. You can do this several ways. I will cover just a few. First, create lists using Listmania. Listmania is a list of books categorized by whatever title you give it. For instance, I could create a list titled Best Book for Self-Publishers. Once I have a title, I then add books that would fit into that category thus creating a list. Then people searching for books for self-publishers could choose to search using Listmania. Then viola, your list pops up along with your user name and author page info. You are now drawing attention to yourself as an expert or someone that is familiar with those types of books. Another way to get recognition on Amazon is do reviews of products or books. Trust me, people read reviews and they check the authority of the reviewer to see how many times the reviewer has reviewed something. Readers check for credibility. So don't just post one review, get in the habit of doing one a week. Plus, if your book is listed on Amazon, you'd likely hope someone would do the same for you when your book is released.

9. Be Prepared to Give Away Free Copies
I once read an article that said any author should be prepared to give away 10% of the books they expect to sell. So if you plan to sell 6,000 copies, be prepared to give away 600 copies for free. Why free? Free drums up publicity. Publicity generates sells. You can give copies away to doctor's offices for their waiting rooms or give them away as part of a contest or promotion. You can partner up with other authors or events to give away your books. Make sure when you give books away there is a way to contact you for future sales. You can create your own label and stick it on the back cover or in the inside jacket of the book. Also, as discussed above, you need reviews. You can get reviews easier when you give away copies. People are more inclined to do it considering they received the book for free. If you request a review, just be sure to ask for an honest review and once you receive the review, make sure and say thank you. Also, don't get upset if the review is not 5 stars. You want honest and fair reviews. Remember readers check the credibility of the reviewer.

10. Do a Radio Interview
There are so many radio blogs on the Internet. Some of them are searching for guest speakers to fill their time slots. Others would love to interview an author and talk about the author's recent work. It can be done by phone and pre-recorded for a later date or on air. And it's free. I was recently interviewed by bestselling authors, Reshonda Tate Billingsley and Pat Tucker for their literary radio talk show, From Cover to Cover on FM and Internet radio. It was my first radio interview, so I was extremely nervous. But it helps that both authors were welcoming and supportive so it eased some of the jitters and butterflies I had. I think I will do even better the next time I do a radio interview. But it's good to get your feet wet and get prepared to talk about your book and why you love doing what you do. No one can express the love and passion you have for your book better than you. So practice and be prepared to talk about yourself, your book and make that sell. You never know who may be listening.

Good Luck and Blessings!

New Year Resolutions of Authors and Poets

Two weeks into the New Year and it seems this year will come and go faster than last year. I don't make resolutions per se. I just try to do whatever worked the previous year and do it better and take what didn't work and try to improve upon it. Don't get me wrong, resolutions are great. Resolutions help people set goals and encourage people to attain them. Resolutions can also be measured, thus holding the person accountable to a certain degree. But it never works for me. I've tried. But it's interesting to hear resolutions from other people, namely authors. So I asked a few authors and poets what their resolutions are for 2012 and here's what they had to say.

"My resolution is to work less and live more. 2011 was a great year for me. My novel Silver Sparrow was published, I won two major fellowships, got great reviews. But there is a lovely bottle of champagne in my refrigerator that has been there for almost a year. Why? I had plenty to celebrate, but I could never take the time out to sit back and enjoy it. I was always racing toward the next goal. So in 2012, I resolve to drink all the champagne in the world." ~ Tayari Jones, author of Silver Sparrow

"My 2012 resolution is to set reasonable and measurable productivity goals just like I did in the beginning of my writing career. If you write 3 pages a day (or even 1 page a day!), you'll finish a book or be well on your way to finishing one by end of the year." ~ Teresa Medeiros, author of The Pleasure of Your Kiss

"My goal is to finish revising my 3rd novel, Every Good Wish, and send it to my agent. (Hopefully this March). And I have plans to write a nonfiction book this year, which I'm very excited about."
~ Carleen Brice, author of Orange Mint and Honey 
 She is also the author of Children of the Waters. (Orange Mint and Honey was made into a Lifetime movie called Sins of the Mother starring Jill Scott...y'all know how I feel about Jill Scott, I'm still officially Jill Scott handed :-)



"This year, for the first time, I resolve to do only one thing. I didn't fast or give up anything....I resolved that every single day before I went to bed I would reflect on the blessings that I'd had for that day alone. I started this back on Thanksgiving and decided this would be my resolution for 2012. And, I love it. This one exercise alone has kept me HAPPY! #teamgrateful #365daysofgratitude."
~ Victoria Christopher Murray, author of The Deal, The Devil and the Dance and co-author of Sinners and Saints with Reshonda Tate Billingsley.

"I resolve to go from process mode to product. This is the beginning of my blogging. The spoken word CD and book of poems are priorities." ~ Dr. Kim White-Glenn, professor and poet

"To write as many books as humanly possible -- for me, at least -- and continue to grow my reader base." ~ Robert Gregory Browne, author of Kiss Her Goodbye


"My new years resolution is to become a better business owner. I want to reach across America and collab with better business partners to create a dynamic team so we can build other companies and enhance the lives of other artists." ~ Troy Lewis, Poet and CEO/Founder of The National Poetry Awards


"I vowed to get more organized because I have the best ideas, I create forms, etc...then I can't ever find the forms because my office is so messy! And don't get me started on tax time! So, I'm definitely pledging to get more organized in 2012!" ~ Reshonda Tate Billingsley, author of Say Amen Again and co-author of Sinners and Saints with Victoria Christopher Murray. 

What are your resolutions or goals for 2012?

May 21 The Rapture: The World is Ending, So Here's What You Need to Read

I was informed via Twitter that the world was coming to an end this Saturday, May 21st. My first thought was why didn't anyone tell me sooner, Twitter is a terrible way to find out I need to rush and get things done in less than 48 hours. My next thought was maybe the Doomsayers will move to the moon. And perhaps, they will be so kind as to leave me all their stuff, like flat screen televisions, houses, cars and all their cash. Surely, the moon will have it's own currency. My favor in return will be to recommend some books they may want to read or take with them on their earthly exodus. I feel that's the least I can do in return for boat loads of cash. I will also make a few suggestions for Doomsayers who believe they will exit this world entirely on May 21st. Sidenote: I could use all your stuff too. So here are a few of my recommendations for all those waiting on the rapture of May 21, 2011.

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"The Ultimate Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams

Product Details: Amazon Review

It's safe to say that The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is one of the funniest science fiction novels ever written. Adams spoofs many core science fiction tropes: space travel, aliens, interstellar war--stripping away all sense of wonder and repainting them as commonplace, even silly.

This omnibus edition begins with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, in which Arthur Dent is introduced to the galaxy at large when he is rescued by an alien friend seconds before Earth's destruction. Then in The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Arthur and his new friends travel to the end of time and discover the true reason for Earth's existence. In Life, the Universe, and Everything, the gang goes on a mission to save the entire universe. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish recounts how Arthur finds true love and "God's Final Message to His Creation." Finally, Mostly Harmless is the story of Arthur's continuing search for home, in which he instead encounters his estranged daughter, who is on her own quest. There's also a bonus short story, "Young Zaphod Plays It Safe," more of a vignette than a full story, which wraps up this complete package of the Don't Panic chronicles. As the series progresses, its wackier elements diminish, but the satire of human life and foibles is ever present. --Brooks Peck

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"And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie

Product Details: Amazon Review

Considered the best mystery novel ever written by many readers, And Then There Were None is the story of 10 strangers, each lured to Indian Island by a mysterious host. Once his guests have arrived, the host accuses each person of murder. Unable to leave the island, the guests begin to share their darkest secrets--until they begin to die.

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"Too Little, Too Late" by Victoria Christopher Murray

Product Details: Amazon Review

Jasmine Larson Bush returns to her devious ways in this tale of two marriages -- each threatened by lies and betrayal. She took marriage vows to be honest and true, but Jasmine's still hiding secrets to keep her husband, Minister Hosea Bush, by her side. When Hosea's ex-fiancée, Natasia, suddenly appears in New York, Jasmine knows it's not a coincidence. A former manstealer herself, Jasmine is very aware of Natasia's motives -- even if Hosea is not. Complicating Jasmine's life is the secret she's kept from her baby's daddy. Luckily for her, Brian Lewis has problems of his own. His wife, Alexis, is convinced he's cheating on her -- but Brian's real betrayal is much worse. Revealing the truth to his wife could lead him back to the biggest mistake of his life...Jasmine.

Two marriages are in desperate jeopardy. Will Jasmine be able to scheme to save her own? Or will she have to choose between protecting her past and compromising her future? Even if Jasmine and Brian find the courage to stop the lies, it may be too little, too late....
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"Heaven is For Real" by Todd Burpo, Lynn Vincent

Product Description: Amazon Review

A young boy emerges from life-saving surgery with remarkable stories of his visit to heaven.

Heaven Is for Real is the story of the four-year old son of a small town Nebraska pastor who during emergency surgery slips from consciousness and enters heaven. He survives and begins talking about being able to look down and see the doctor operating and his dad praying in the waiting room. The family didn't know what to believe but soon the evidence was clear.

Colton said he met his miscarried sister, whom no one had told him about, and his great grandfather who died 30 years before Colton was born, then shared impossible-to-know details about each. He describes the horse that only Jesus could ride, about how "reaaally big" God and his chair are, and how the Holy Spirit "shoots down power" from heaven to help us. Told by the father, but often in Colton's own words, the disarmingly simple message is heaven is a real place, Jesus really loves children, and be ready, there is a coming last battle.

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"Safely Home" by Randy Alcorn

Product Details: Library Journal

Executive Ben Fielding hits upon a perfect plan: he will make his company millions of dollars by using Chinese labor to manufacture its electronic components. To kickstart his plan, he visits China, where he stays with college roommate Li Quan, whom he hasn't seen in over 20 years. From Li, Ben learns that his initial impressions of China from his research and from visits over the years are false, but Ben doesn't believe Li's stories of the persecution of Christians until Li is taken to jail. As Ben rediscovers Jesus through Li's faith, he discovers the truth that God does not promise an easy life on Earth, only eternal happiness after death.

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"The Doomsday Key" by  James Rollins

Product Details: Publishers Weekly

Bestseller Rollins's labyrinthine sixth Sigma Force thriller (after The Last Oracle) offers plenty of intriguing science and history lessons. Sigma Force director Painter Crowe gathers the usual crew—Cmdr. Grayson Pierce; Pierce's best friend, Monk Kokkalis; lumbering Joe Kowalski—to discover why an experimental agriculture site in Africa has been attacked and razed, killing everyone, including a U.S. senator's son. The future of mankind may depend, they learn, on the Doomsday key, a strange substance brought to England long ago by ancient Egyptians that holds the promise of a new and powerful medicine. A few of the book's many highlights include genetic manipulation, traitorous beautiful women, illuminated manuscripts, saints, prophecies, curses and miracles. Rollins deftly juggles all this and more as the Sigma team races from the depths of the Vatican to the outer reaches of Norway toward an explosive confrontation with the shadowy forces of evil known as the Guild.

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"A Change is Gonna Come" by Jacqueline Thomas

Product Details: Barnes & Nobles Review

Think Waiting to Exhale with a spiritual\al twist...
Co-workers Cordelia, Bonnie, Sabrina, and Tangie may range widely in age, but they've become good friends who share advice, joy, and pain.

Cordelia, 40+, is an avid church-goer - some might say too heavenly bound to be any earthly good. Her zest to please the church has cost her a husband, but now her teen daughter - and her reputation - are at risk.

Bonnie was 50 when her white husband died four years ago. Now she replaces her loneliness by mothering everyone in her path and trying to make everything right.

Sabrina, 26, is a shameless gossip who's not afraid to use a man, or even her own mom, to get the money and possessions that make her happy.

Tangie's in her thirties and addicted to love, if you know what we mean. Part of her problem stems from her mother, who has a thing for married men - including Tangie's dad.
But when illness strikes Cordelia, in spite of all the drama, her friends (and her ex) will have to rally around her in her time of need.

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"All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque

Product Details: Amazon Review

Paul Baumer enlisted with his classmates in the German army of World War I. Youthful, enthusiastic, they become soldiers. But despite what they have learned, they break into pieces under the first bombardment in the trenches. And as horrible war plods on year after year, Paul holds fast to a single vow: to fight against the principles of hate that meaninglessly pits young men of the same generation but different uniforms against each other--if only he can come out of the war alive.
"The world has a great writer in Erich Maria Remarque. He is a craftsman of unquestionably first trank, a man who can bend language to his will. Whether he writes of men or of inanimate nature, his touch is sensitive, firm, and sure."

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"Let the Church Say Amen" by Reshonda Tate Billingsley

Product Details: Amazon Review

 In her riveting second novel, ReShonda Tate Billingsley -- winner of the Gold Pen Award for Best New Author for My Brother's Keeper -- crafts a bold and heartwarming story of family and faith that will inspire readers everywhere.

Reverend Simon Jackson has always felt destined to lead and he's done a good job of it, transforming his small Houston church into one of the most respected and renowned in the region. But while the good Reverend's been busy tending his flock, his family's gone astray. His nineteen-year-old daughter, Rachel, gives new meaning to "baby mama drama." Crazy in love with her son's father, she's wreaking havoc on the man's life, even though he's about to marry another woman. David, Simon's oldest at twenty-seven, has been spiraling downward ever since a knee injury ended a promising football career. These days he's seeking solace in drugs -- even feeding his habit by stealing church offerings. Blessedly, twenty-three-year-old Jonathan, a college graduate and the apple of Simon's eye, is poised to take his father's side as associate pastor -- or so everyone thinks.

 

Loretta has been a devoted wife to Simon, but she's beginning to realize that enabling him to give more to the church than to his children was her biggest mistake. As things begin to fall apart and secrets are revealed, will Loretta be able to help her husband reunite their tattered family before it's too late?
Let the Church Say Amen is a powerful journey through one family's trials -- and a remarkable story of reconciliation and love.
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"This is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Tropper

Product Details: Publisher Weekly

Tropper returns with a snappy and heartfelt family drama/belated coming-of-age story. Judd Foxman's wife, Jen, has left him for his boss, a Howard Stern–like radio personality, but it is the death of his father and the week of sitting shivah with his enjoyably dysfunctional family that motivates him. Jen's announcement of her pregnancy—doubly tragic because of a previous miscarriage—is followed by the dramas of Judd's siblings: his sister, Wendy, is stuck in an emotionless marriage; brother Paul—always Judd's defender—and his wife struggle with infertility; and the charming youngest, Phillip, attempts a grown-up relationship that only highlights his rakishness. Presided over by their mother, a celebrated parenting expert despite her children's difficulties, the mourning period brings each of the family members to unexpected epiphanies about their own lives and each other. The family's interactions are sharp, raw and often laugh-out-loud funny, and Judd's narration is unflinching, occasionally lewd and very keen. Tropper strikes an excellent balance between the family history and its present-day fallout, proving his ability to create touchingly human characters and a deliciously page-turning story.
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Also don't forget to check out the current book giveaways. We are giving away three bestselling novels. Click HERE for more details

• The Room by Emma Donoghue
• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Midnight and the Meaning of Love by Sista Souljah