-
Communities
Christian Writers’ Market Guide 2008 by Sally Stuart
If don't want to miss any great book reviews or giveaways, consider subscribing to my feed byRSS or email. Thanks for visiting!
This week the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance presents the Christian Writers’ Market Guide by Sally Stuart.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Sally Stuart has been writing for the last 40+ years, and has been putting out the annual “Christian Writers’ Market Guide” for the last 23 years. Her other writing includes several Christian education resources books, a children’s picture book, a basic writing text, writing resources, and a western novel–plus hundreds of articles and marketing columns. She writes marketing columns for the “Christian Communicator,” “Advanced Christian Writer,” and the Oregon Christian Writers’ Newsletter. She speaks and teaches at Christian Writers’ Conferences nationwide. Sally is the mother of 3 and grandmother of 8. She and her husband, Norm, spend their free time vacationing on the Oregon coast.
Check out her blog!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
The essential reference tool for the Christian writer, Sally Stuart’s Christian Writers’ Market Guide is now in its 23rd annual edition!
Check out the section on Blogging on page 69…the CFBA is listed!
Writers’ Conference listings, Book Publishers, Magazine Publishers, and a Bookstore filled with the resources you need to be successful in this business. Get a Book Contract or Manuscript Evaluation, and check out the Writer’s Resource links. This book has all you need to connect to all these valuable helps for the beginning, intermediate, or professional writer.
To keep you up to date with the latest marketing news, visit Sally Stuart’s new marketing blog, Christian Writers’ Marketplace, at http://www.stuartmarket.blogspot.com/.
A new, updated version of the Christian Writers’ Market Guide is available about January 15 each year.
I am amazed at how much information is packed into this book! At 612 pages long, you’re sure to find the information you need to get published in the Christian market! The entire text of the book is also included on a CD-ROM, so you can find the information you need quickly on your computer. I would highly recommend picking up a copy of this book if you want to break into the Christian writing market!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Review & Giveaway: Happily Even After
This week the Christian Fiction Blogging Alliance presents Happily Even After by Marilyn Griffith.
About the Author
Marilynn Griffith is a wife, mother, and author of several Christian fiction and non-fiction books. She is also the founder of Faithchick.com, a blog for Christian fiction readers. Happily Even After is the last in Marilynn’s Sassy Sistahood series.
The Plot
Wife and new mother Tracey Blackman is adjusting to changes in her life. Motherhood. Changes in her husband’s behavior. Her overbearing mother-in-law. And finally, a new church. Just when you’d think life should be falling in place for the young mother, life is falling apart.
When it seems things can’t get any worse, Tracey turns to her old friends in the Sassy Sistahood to set her straight.
My Opinion
Happily Even After was a fun read. Marilynn Griffith did a wonderful job dealing with serious issues, while keeping the tone of the story light. Though not a suspense novel, there were lots of twists and turns to to this story that left me wondering what would come next.
I could definitely identify with some of the struggles Tracey went through, as she dealt with her problems. And I found myself cheering her on as she tried to follow the Lord’s will for her life.
This is good book to read on a rainy weekend at home or a sunny day at the beach.
The Giveaway
I’m giving away my once read copy of Happily Even After. To enter the drawing, just leave a comment on this post. I will close comments next Thursday, January 17th, at noon and draw a winner using a random number generator. Please only one comment per person. After the winner is selected, I will mail the book as soon as possible. Make sure the email address you enter is valid, or I will have no way to contact you if you win.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
The Winner of Abandoned Identity Is….
Comment #2! That’s Sarah, who said
Great review! I’m looking forward to the growth of this blog!
Congratulations, Sarah!
For those of you who didn’t win, I have another book review and giveaway set to go on Thursday, so be sure to check back!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
For those who read this site in a feed reader
I apologize for the partial feeds. I’m working to get that fixed, so you can see full feeds in your reader. Hopefully it will be fixed soon. I will keep trying until I figure out what the problem is.
Thank you for your patience!
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Debt-Proof Living by Mary Hunt
It’s no secret that Mary Hunt is one of my favorite personal finance authors and Debt-Proof Living is one of my favorite books. For my first personal finance book review, I’d like to take on the book that changed my life.
About the Author
Mary Hunt is the author of several books, including Debt-Proof Living, Live Your Life for Half the Price, and Debt-Proof Your Kids (reviews on the last two books coming at a later date). You can find her at her website, her blog, and in her monthly column for Women’s Day magazine.
Debt-Proof Living
Mary divides Debt-Proof Living into two sections: Debt-Proof Living in Theory and Debt-Proof Living in Action.
In the first section, Mary gets down to the nitty-gritty right away. She states that getting out of debt is a lot of hard work. Then she lays out her principles for debt-proof living. They include basic concepts, such as spend less than you earn, it’s not what you make, but what you do with it, and remember that God is the source of your money.
She then lays out some very good reasons to get out of debt. They include protecting your marriage and teaching your children about money. The remainder of the first section details Mary’s story, which is not much different than most people who find themselves in debt, the difference between good debt and bad debt, and her three step process for getting and staying out of debt: the contingency fund, the freedom account, and the rapid debt repayment plan.
The second section includes practical tips for managing your budget and getting out of debt. Tips include saving on groceries, managing your credit report, saving on college expenses, and retirement.
My Opinion
I love this book. I’ve had my copy for several years, and I still refer to it from time to time. I think that Mary’s plan is especially great for people who have variable incomes or unstable jobs. Since Mary stresses building a good sized contingency fund first, when you’re focusing on the rapid debt repayment in the third step, you don’t have to worry about going back into debt in the event of a job loss.
I also find Mary’s story very inspirational. This book was not written by someone who’s always had a lot of money. Mary was once deep in debt herself, and she learned the hard way how difficult it can be to get out. She writes from experience.
Perhaps my favorite aspect of this book is that Mary reminds us that we are not the source of our income. God is. And she gives a very compelling reason for not using credit: to experience God’s provision. She says,
By letting go of debt and depending on God too keep his promises to supply all our needs, we open our lives to his power. If you are always running ahead taking care of everything with a credit card, you may never know how God intended to care for you. (DPL p. 18)
Who should buy (or borrow) this book?
Debt-Proof Living is a great book for someone who is in the beginning stages of getting out of debt. This book’s strength is in Mary’s philosophy as to how and why to get out of debt. If you want a quick read that’s easy to understand, this would be a good book for you.
Book links are affiliate links.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
-
Subscribe!
-
Promoting Christian Literature
