This women’s History Month I would like to highlight female writers who hail from the Caribbean as a means of showcasing the contribution these women made to the world of literature.

First on the list is Rosa Guy (1925-2012), who was born in Trinidad (my native country) and immigrated to Harlem, New York. Her parents died while Rosa was very young, and she lived for a time with a relative who was a supporter of black nationalist Marcus Garvey. Rosa attended New York University where she studied theater and writing and at the American Negro Theater she studied acting.

In 1950, Rosa went on to cofound the Harlem Writers’ Guild, an organization that nurtured the works of prominent writers such as Paule Marshall, Audre Lorde, and Maya Angelou. When Rosa died in 2012, Maya Angelou said of her, “she was never afraid of the truth.” 

Indeed, while Rosa wrote for both adults and young adults, her books explored topics that were off-limits for young adults at the time — topics such as the tensions between African Americans and West Indian Blacks, unwanted pregnancy, and same-sex relationships.

Rosa wrote sixteen novels, the most successful one for adults being My Love, My Love: Or, The Peasant Girl (1985), a retelling of “The Little Mermaid” set on a Caribbean island. This novel was adapted into a musical and ran on Broadway for over a year while being nominated for eight Tony awards. Rosa’s work received the Coretta Scott King award, the New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year citation, and the American Library Association’s Best Book Award.

Rosa’s work was not only limited to the stage or to writing. She became an activist in traditional civil rights and also in a Black nationalist literary organization, On Guard for Freedom. This group featured in a famous protest at the United Nations during the Bay of Pigs Cuban invasion and actively supported the liberation of the Congolese leader Patrice Lumumba.

If you read one book by a Caribbean author this women’s history month, make it one by Rosa Guy.

Angela is a blogger and author of Christian women’s fiction. Her latest release is Love, Lies, and Grace.

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Who has never heard the stirring hymn “Amazing Grace,” written by John Newton? One biographer states that the hymn has had the honor of being translated into over 50 languages and about 10 million performances of this hymn are done every year, so it’s fair to say that this hymn has reached and touched the lives of millions around the world. And now you can learn the true story of the author when you get a copy of this book.

The introduction to the book Amazing Grace cites many instances where the hymn was sung during moments of intense national grieving in the United States as a means of bringing hope and comfort to the nation. The book itself tells the surprising true story of its author and reveals Newton’s dramatic story of sin and salvation as a slave trader before his ultimate transformation to speaking out against the horror of slavery. His story speaks to the brokenness within us all and our need for God’s amazing grace—and reveals the truth behind his song.

Since the first public singing of Amazing Grace almost 250 years ago, every generation has been profoundly moved by the song, and now readers can connect with John Newton’s story like never before. In these days of extreme polarization when beliefs about race, church, and politics have all become deeply divisive in society, we need grace more than ever. We need stories like this one that talk honestly about the human condition but even more about the relentless love of God and his forgiveness of sins.

This book reads like a novel and grasped my interest even from the introduction. I’m happy that I was able to get a copy of this book and I highly recommend it to anyone who has been touched by the hymn or knows someone who can benefit from reading this profound story about someone who was just like we were — lost in sin and saved by God’s amazing grace.

You can get a free copy of this book by following this link:  https://www.blessedfreebies.com/amazing-grace-giveaway.html

To purchase:  http://bit.ly/3YZRWRT

Angela is a blogger and author of Christian women’s fiction. Her latest release is Love, Lies, and Grace.

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Book #7 in the Sail Away Series

Contemporary Romantic Women’s Fiction

Date Published: March 8, 2023

Set sail to new adventures and escapes with eight best-selling authors in the exciting new Sail Away series!

Sometimes magic happens…

Gabby Willets returns to her hometown of Ellenton, NY, to care for her father, who’s dying of cancer. She and her father are exceptionally close because her mother died giving birth to her in a situation that should never have happened. As Gabby was growing up, she and her father shared a love of cars and even participated in a few races. Her father suggests she work at the Dan Davis Lexus Dealership, where he has been head mechanic for years, and Gabby decides to do it. When a contest is announced with the prize of two tickets for a 10-day Caribbean cruise for the salesperson selling the most cars in a two-month period, Gabby goes for it, competing against the owner’s son, Hank.

Gabby wins the tickets, and she and her best friend, Jessica Knight, board the ship, Tropical Magic, hoping for some magic of their own. The cruise is full of surprises starting with Hank’s arrival with Ashley Phillips, the woman he’s been dating—a woman both Gabby and Jess detest with good cause. Though Hank and Gabby have been attracted to one another, they don’t act on it because dating someone you work with seldom works, and Gabby doesn’t want to lose her job. But as Gabby and Hank get to know one another, magic does happen and suddenly they’re faced with different choices.

Surprises continue, including the most touching surprise of all when Gabby and Hank discover more than a cruise was at stake.

Judith Keim is a USA Today Bestselling Author known for creating characters and stories her many loyal readers love. Join Gabby and Hank and others in this heart-warming story of love’s magic in The Sail Away series.

★ Don’t miss any of the Sail Away books! ★

Book 1: Welcome Aboard – prologue book

Book 2: The Sound of the Sea by Jessie Newton

Book 3: Uncharted Waters by Tammy L. Grace

Book 4: A Not So Distant Shore by Ev Bishop

Book 5: Caroline, Adrift by Kay Bratt

Book 6: Moonlight On the Lido Deck by Violet Howe

Book 7: The Winning Tickets by Judith Keim

Book 8: Lost At Sea by Patricia Sands

Book 9: The Last Port of Call by Elizabeth Bromke

About the Author

Judith Keim, A USA Today Best-Selling Author, is a hybrid author who both has a publisher and self-publishes. Ms. Keim writes heart-warming novels about women who face unexpected challenges, meet them with strength, and find love and happiness along the way, stories with heart. Her best-selling books are based, in part, on many of the places she’s lived or visited and on the interesting people she’s met, creating believable characters and realistic settings her many loyal readers love.

She enjoyed her childhood and young-adult years in Elmira, New York, and now makes her home in Boise, Idaho, with her husband and their two domineering dachshunds, Winston and Wally, and other members of her family.

While growing up, she was drawn to the idea of writing stories from a young age. Books were always present, being read, ready to go back to the library, or about to be discovered. All in her family shared information from the books in general conversation, giving them a wealth of knowledge and vivid imaginations.

When she’s not writing, which isn’t that often, she enjoys an evening glass of red wine and her husband’s creative cooking and always loves spending time with family and friends.

Ms. Keim loves to hear from her readers and appreciates their enthusiasm for her stories.

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I feel a tinge of sadness as this Black History month comes to a close. As an immigrant, I knew nothing about celebrating black history until I came to this country, and the fact that a month was set aside to remember the achievements and struggles of black people in this country filled me with excitement.

Black History month was a time when we focused on the achievements rather than the struggles. We listened to and marveled at the eloquence, of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the bravery and courage of Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, and others like them.

We wore our beautiful African dresses to church and sang our favorite negro spirituals, and some of the young people would read poems by Maya Angelou, Langston Hughes and others.

Then came 2020 and along with all the mayhem taking place in the world — the Jan 6 insurrection, climate change, mass shootings, COVID-19 — things began changing. Later came the banning of books, mostly those written by African American writers, and now comes the shocking pronouncement that the teaching of African American history in schools has “no educational value.”

No educational value? The history of a people who were brought here over four hundred years ago, forced to work as slaves, beaten and humiliated at the whim of their masters and literally treated like animals has no education value? But despite the harsh conditions under which they existed, these enslaved people built some of our iconic landmarks, among them the White House and the US Capitol.

Then once freed, the slaves went on to use their God-ordained creativity and skill in every area of American endeavor. They became lawyers, doctors, singers, dancers, writers, pilots, astronauts, and inventors to name a few. They fought in wars to defend this country at home and abroad and some, like Frederick Douglass, even became abolitionists.

These accomplishments were by no means painless. With emancipation came Jim Crow, a nefarious legal and social system of segregation designed to separate white and black and literally keep “blacks in their place.”

Through “blood, sweat, and tears,” African Americans overcame these horrendous conditions, but the struggle never ended completely. African Americans still have to fight for equality in healthcare, for equal pay, and even for voting rights. And now even our history is in danger of being wiped out.

In the beginning of this post, I said I feel a tinge of sadness as Black History month comes to a close, but judging from the tenacity and resilience of the former slaves and all they have overcome, I feel a sense of hope. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, I believe “we too shall overcome.”

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This Black History Month there’s a lot of focus on the polarization taking place in our society. Racism seems to once again be rearing its ugly head in many areas. Even our school system is coming under attack from right-wing politicians who began by banning books they consider inappropriate for our children to read and are now banning the teaching of African American studies in schools. And all of this happening against the backdrop of the killing of black men by police officers.

If ever there was an attempt to exclude African Americans from the mainstream of society it would appear this is it. So where does Love, Lies, and Grace, a novel fit into all this?

Pat, Grace’s best friend, has been living in Grace’s house for a few years and therefore thinks she has some authority to say who should share their home and who shouldn’t. But as Grace later realizes, Pat is only afraid that the strong friendship she and Grace have built up over the years may be watered down by having a third person living with them.

However, there’s one other factor to consider: Milli, the newcomer is white. Pat is biracial and Grace is black. Grace, who does not have a prejudiced bone in her body, looks beyond Milli’s color and sees a fellow human being in need of help. She doesn’t think Pat is racist; she has white friends and was even dating a white man when she first came to live with Grace.

Martin Luther King said in his famous I have a Dream speech, I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Dr. King was referring to his children who are black, but this line can be taken generally to refer to everyone. Jesus taught, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’^[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ (Matthew 22).

 Pat would certainly agree with all this but like most of us, she chooses to do as she pleases.

Is Pat justified in thinking they should not take Milli to live with them? How can you look for similarities in others rather than differences? Leave a comment in the box below.

Have you ever shown hospitality to a stranger who turned out to be an angel? In my next post, I will deal with the religious aspect of showing hospitality to strangers.

Angela Joseph is the author of Love, Lies, and Grace, a Christian women’s fiction novel showing how life’s challenges help the relationship between three strangers evolve from friendship into family.

Angela is a blogger and author of Christian women’s fiction. Her latest release is Love, Lies, and Grace.

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Women’s Christian Fiction and  Romance 

Date Published: March 7, 2023

Publisher: Jess Mo Books

Sometimes genuine love requires uncompromising sacrifice.

It’s easy to make an idol of routine—finding comfort in the boundaries set before you. Something About Ruth is an intricately woven, magnificently crafted story about three ordinary strangers, who, after Katrina, are plucked from their own securities and set against unordinary circumstances. But fate brings them together.

Ruth, an outsider.

Naomi, a wounded mother.

Boaz, a no-nonsense man of character.

The path that brings them all together is scarred with the pain of loss, the bitterness of starting over, and the faith that sustains them.

Spotify Playlists

(Ruth–Bounce)

(Ruth–Rebirth)

About the Author

JC Miller is a freshly anointed, faith-based author who uses her childhood experiences in the Bronx, New York, to capture the soul of inner-city living. As a former student of Chicago’s Moody Bible Institute and a graduate of the Te’Hillah School of Urban Ministry, Miller utilizes her studies to intertwine pop culture with divine accounts of biblical characters. Through sharing these stories, her goals are to encourage people to study the bible and not make it complicated, to view themselves through the lives of those characterized, and to find healing in Christ.

JC Miller recently co-founded a publishing company, Jess, Mo’ Books, with her childhood friend, M.R. Spain. Together, these ladies are creating fresh content to uplift, educate, and motivate women through blogs, social media groups, and a yearly online magazine.

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The Cavendish Family Series, Book 4

Regency Romance, Historical Romance, Victorian Romance, Steamy Historical Romance

Date Published: February 10, 2023

In this sizzling Regency romance by USA Today Bestselling author Charlie Lane, a lady with a secret runs from the gentleman who loves her.

She’s not who she says she is.

Shadows, secrets, and Jackson Cavendish—all things Miss Gwendolyn Smith runs from. She’s determined to live a life of obscurity, studying dusty tomes. Better that steady present than her haunting past or a future she cannot have. When a letter arrives that threatens her secrets and Jackson tells her he’s done waiting, she must choose—face her past and gain a future? Or continue running from both.

He fell first, but he’ll win at last.

Mr. Jackson Cavendish has chased Gwendolyn for six years but only caught her once. In Paris at midnight. He’ll never forget what she felt like in his arms. And he’s determined to repeat the experience. Every night for the rest of their lives. But how to convince the woman he loves to trust him with her secrets?

He’s tried seduction.

He’s tried retreat.

Now he’ll have to reveal his own fears and secret guilt.

When these two scholars must dig into their own pasts, they’ll learn how to build a future from it or lose each other forever.

About the Author

 USA Today Bestselling author Charlie Lane traded in academic databases and scholarly journals for writing steamy Regency romcoms like the ones she’s always loved to read. Her favorite authors are Jane Austen (who else?), Toni Morrison, William Blake, Julia Quinn, and Maya Rodale.

Charlie writes unique stories with unconventional characters who push against the rigid restrictions of their society. Officially, Charlie has a Ph.D. in literature with a focus on the nineteenth-century novel and children’s literature and answers to Professor. Unofficially, she’s a high-flying circus-obsessed acrobat. She lives with her own Colonel Brandon, two little dudes, and a furry fella in East Tennessee.

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Logline: Two worlds collide when a young Amish girl discovers she was adopted by a wealthy family.
As she seeks her birth mother, she must overcome the obstacles of a lost fiancée, a shunning and a crafty
gold-digger who seeks the fortune of her birth mother.

Synopsis:
Katie Lapp, a young Amish girl, discovers her parents have been keeping a secret from her… she is
adopted. Katie decides to seek her birth mother, defying the rules of her Amish village and risking a
shunning. Meanwhile, her wealthy birth mother, Laura Mayfield, battling an illness that might take her
life, begins a search to find her long-lost daughter to bequeath her inheritance before it is too late. Secretly
plotting against her is the gold-digging husband Dylan (played by John Schneider), who is scheming to
make sure it is he who inherits her fortune. With the help and prayers of her Christian maidservant
(played by Chonda Pierce), they try to foil Dylan’s plan and reunite Katie and Laura.

Production
“The Confession Musical” is based on the New York Times best-selling book series “The Heritage of
Lancaster County” written by Beverly Lewis and written for the stage by Emmy-Nominated
screenwriter Martha Bolton. Filmed in front of a live audience and brought to the big screen, the film
combines drama, mystery, faith, and spectacular songs and sets. A clean film the entire family can
enjoy or perfect for a spectacular “girls’ night out!” Mystery, intrigue, and romance are woven together with Broadway-caliber music under the direction of award-winning producer Dan Posthuma and film
director Stephen Yake with Yake Films. Wally Nason’s songs are dramatic, and Emmy-nominated
scribe Martha Bolton sprinkles in comedy as the screen is filled with over 20 actors and dancers,
supported by spectacular visuals. Produced by BLUE GATE MUSICALS.

Actors’ bios: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1veiii6eFFhekrUpF6fbt4bssyX9bVn18/view?usp=share_link

Website: https://www.fathomevents.com/events/The-Confession-Musical
Movie Trailer: https://youtu.be/nJb6JHIbpRI
Website: www.confesionmusicalmovie.com
Website: www.bluegatemusicals.com

MEDIA CONTACTS:
The Confession Musical Movie
Lori Heiselman
lori@biscuitmediagroup.com
Fathom Events
Colette Carey
ccarey@fathomevents.com

Order your tickets now to see The Confession Musical Movie with John Schneider and Chonda Pierce. You will Sing, Dance, Laugh and Gasp in this new film from Blue Gate Musicals! ONLY IN MOVIE THEATERS ON FEBRUARY 20

Purchase here: https://confessionmusicalmovie.com/?utm_medium=email&utm_id=frontgatemedia&utm_content=blogger

Giveaway link: https://www.blessedfreebies.com/the-confession-musical-film.html

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My devotional reading a few days ago focused on the phrase we hear ever so often about surrounding ourselves with “positive people.” As I read the term “positive people,” I couldn’t help but wonder what exactly did it mean. Did it mean people who always speak positive things, or people who share the same views as you do? The writer did not explain the meaning, but he went on to say that if we only surround ourselves with people who are just like us then we would not be living in a Christlike manner.

I agreed with this totally since the Bible cites many instances where Jesus cautioned His followers that they shouldn’t only be nice to people they know, but they should greet strangers and others who were not in their normal circle. He even went so far as to tell them they should love their enemies (Matthew 5 : 43). In today’s world, Jesus’s teaching would be labeled inclusive.

As I pondered on the devotional, I thought about my newest release Love, Lies, and Grace, a Christian women’s fiction dealing with the friendship of three women and how that friendship impacts their personal relationships.

In the beginning, Grace, the protagonist is about to move Milli, a young white woman into the house she shares with her best friend Pat. The young woman seems down on her luck and Grace thinks it a nice gesture to allow the woman to stay with them until she can stand on her own two feet. However, Pat immediately thinks Milli might not be a Christian and therefore they should not have her living with them.

This may seem like a highly prejudiced, bigoted way of thinking, but unfortunately, that type of thinking is all too pervasive in our society today. While I felt that Pat’s character might ruffle a few feathers, and it did, I stuck with my guns, especially since I knew that Pat would later evolve into a very likable person. I think that as writers we should not shy away from topics that may seem insensitive or discriminatory. To do so would be to pretend that such insensitivities do not exist and therefore should not be portrayed in literature.

As I write this blog post, I invite you to take this journey with me on the pages of Love, Lies, and Grace. I hope it will encourage you to take a critical look at what diversity and inclusion mean to us and how it is reflected in our society and in our books.

In my next blog post: Is Pat justified in thinking that Milli does not belong in their home? How can you look for similarities in others rather than differences?

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Practical Reflections on Honor and Shame in Scripture

Christian Devotionals, Christian Personal Growth, Christian Spiritual Growth

Co-Author: Ryan Jensen

Date Published: September 27, 2022

Publisher: Lucid Books

Honor and shame influence every major aspect of life, whether in relationships, politics, or social media. It’s not surprising, then, to find that honor and shame shape the biblical message and all that Christians are called to be. Unfortunately, many leaders and laypersons do not grasp the theological and practical significance of these concepts for the church.

Therefore, this book provides an accessible entry point for engaging these topics in everyday Christian living. Seeking God’s Face contains 101 practical reflections on honor and shame taken from across the pages of Scripture. It presents honor and shame, not as abstract concepts, but as compelling issues that affect evangelism, spiritual formation, and discipleship. Seeking God’s Face equips readers to interpret the biblical text faithfully and apply its message meaningfully.

About the Author

Jackson Wu (pseudonym; PhD, SEBTS) is the theologian in residence with Global Training Network. He worked in East Asia for almost two decades, teaching theology and missiology to Chinese pastors. His books include One Gospel for All Nations, Reading Romans with Eastern Eyes, and The Cross in Context. His blog is jacksonwu.org.

Ryan Jensen lived in East Asia for five years while he taught at a university. He earned a PhD in Intercultural Studies from Biola University, and he holds an MA in Intercultural Studies and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Wheaton College. Connect with Ryan at drryanjensen.com.

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