Novelist Bebe Moore Campbell, author of 72 Hour Hold, Brothers and Sisters and several other works of fiction and nonfiction is dead of complications from brain cancer. She was 56 years old. Our prayers go out to her family and friends as well as the thousands of readers whose lives were enriched by her words. Read more here.
Meet Me at the Altar...I could tell you that my husband loves me and treats me, right...but you read enough fiction. My husband rarely comes home anymore and when he does he sleeps on the couch or complains that I am not the woman he married. He had the nerve to say that marrying me was an experience he would not want to repeat.
No one gets married thinking that one day they are going to fall out of love with their spouse and get a divorce, and no one, I mean no one ever thinks that the man that falls to his knees and plants an engagement ring on your finger, then stands before a room full of people and pronounces his undying love for you will ever sum up your life together as an experience. Judge Mablean where are you when we need you, girlfriend?
Now I know that you are wondering why I on't talk to someone like my pastor or the First Lady of my church...been there and done that so many times.
"Sister, Shana, if you would just submit things would get better." Pastor Hughes said that to me. Told me I have a problem with authority.
"A man likes to know that his wife is going to be home waiting up for him when he gets there , no matter what time he comes in the house." The First Lady told me that.
What I'd like to know is why I have to be the one waiting up until three and four o'clock for him when I am the one working three jobs to pay our bills? Can you answer that, Pastor and First Lady?
© 2006 Tamika Johnson
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This blog tour is sponsored by
The Gospel Fiction Blog Alliance
If you are a newbie writer or an established writer, who wants to hone her craft, you must subscribe to Brandilyn Collins' Forensics and Faith Blog. She is quite gracious in providing not only writing tips, but writer's calls, this industry's behind the scenes sneak peaks, and one-on-one help with your WIP. And she does all this while writing bestselling thrillers. I call her a She-thriller. She writes stories with strong, but very feminine and faithful women lead characters and she speaks on things that horrify we, women: teenage girls' safety for one.
Web of Lies releases at an appropriate time since this past year teen dissappearances have made media buzz.
Below are articles that discuss teenage girl safety and tips for parents:
Web of Lies in a Nutshell
After witnessing a shooting at a convenience store, forensic artist Annie Kingston must draw a composite of the suspect. But before she can begin, she hears that Chelsea Adams wants to meet with her-now. Chelsea Adams-the woman who made national headlines with her visions of murder. And this vision is by far the most chilling.
Chelsea and Annie soon find themselves snared in a terrifying battle against time, greed, and a deadly opponent. If they tell the police, will their story be believed? With the web of lies thickening . . . and lives at stake, who will know enough to save them?
This book is fast-paced and is a good Friday night read with your man at your side and your bible at the other. :)
Today is an Open Track Back Day. 
For an explanation of a trackback, Go here. Leave a trackback of your best post for others to read. If you know of any other safety tips for teens leave a comment. And if you're a Brandilyn Collins Fan, let us know about it.
OTA: From Woman Honor Thyself...
Many of us find it disturbing to hear the sympathetic apologists defend the ACLU’s work to protect pedophiles over our children.
Don't forget to see Akeelah and the Bee this weekend.
Congrats to NAKIDA JOHNSON and GAIL HAYES winners of a copy of Tiffany Warren's WHAT A SISTA SHOULD DO. Read Tiffany's interview here.
The WD Popular Fiction Awards
It's a new short story competition from Writer's Digest! We want your
best writing in five categories: Romance, Mystery/Crime, Sci-Fi/Fantasy,
Thriller/Suspense and Horror. You can compete and win in every category--
just make sure your entries are 4,000 words or fewer and we receive them
by the November 1, 2005 deadline.
Enter the contest and your fantastic fiction could bring home these
big prizes:
GRAND PRIZE:$2,500 cash, $100 worth of Writer's Digest Books, plus a
manuscript critique and marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor
or advisory board member.
FIRST PRIZE: The First-Place Winner in each category receives $500 cash,
$100 worth of Writer's Digest Books, plus a manuscript critique and
marketing advice from a Writer's Digest editor or advisory board member.
HONORABLE MENTION: All Honorable Mentions will receive promotion in
Writer's Digest and the 2006 Novel & Short Story Writer's Market.
Click here for more information.
The Ripe Harvest Foundation and Bethany House Publishers announce the Ain’t No Valley/Get Lifted Essay Contest. Contestants should read the newly published novel Ain’t No Valley by award-winning author Sharon Ewell Foster, released by Bethany House, August 1, 2005.
Ain’t No Valley is a funky, soulful, and inspiring novel about new beginnings and learning to rise above adversity to glean the best of life. Sprinkled with Sharon Ewell Foster’s signature style of humor, this stand-alone contemporary novel will appeal across age, gender, and cultural distinctives. To celebrate Ain’t No Valley’s release, The Ripe Harvest and Bethany House will award four $1,000 scholarships and one $1,500 award. Scholarships will be awarded in two age groups, 16-21 years and over 21 years of age. Entrants should submit an essay (maximum 1,000 words) after reading Ain’t No Valley.
Essays must answer the following question: Describe the character you most identified with and how that character sought and found a new beginning in life. Now, describe your personal situation and the plan you have for a new beginning. Essays should be typed, double-spaced, and should include the entrant’s address, telephone number, email address, name and age. Completed essays must be postmarked by midnight January 7, 2006 and mailed to: Ripe Harvest Foundation, Inc. Ain’t No Valley/Get Lifted PO Box 10402 Baltimore, MD 21209 Winners will be announced in March 2006. For additional information about the contest and the book, please visit www.bethanyhouse.com/aintnovalley or phone The Ripe Harvest Foundation at 410-542-5144.
Looking to squeeze in one more great summer read? Let Word Praize help you out with that! Answer the question below and send your responses to: wordpraize@gmail.com with Sista Should Do Contest in the subject. The winners will be chosen from the correct responses.
1. What are names of the three main characters in WHAT A SISTA SHOULD DO?
Andy Crouch gave an interesting speech at the Christy Awards for Christian Fiction last week. Read it here.
For More Information, contact:
Nancy Guthrie, Show Media Relations Office: (303) 228-8225
International Christian Retail Show Debuts in Denver
All New Show Replaces 55-Year-Old CBA International Convention
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO (July 8, 2005) - A new tradeshow designed to meet the needs of today's Christian retailer will debut at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver July 10 - 14. Up to 11,000 people representing all segments of the Christian retail industry are expected to attend the international networking and buying event. Representatives from all 50 states and 55 countries will converge for the largest annual gathering of Christian retailers and product suppliers in the world. The show is not open to the general public.
"The International Christian Retail Show is the place where the industry comes together to work out the solutions, solve the problems, and identify the opportunities ahead," said Bill Anderson, President and CEO of CBA. "It is the event that drives the business of Christian retail." The exhibit floor will officially open Monday, July 11 at 10 a.m. when the ribbon is cut, which will feature Christian books, music, and gifts from over 410 different companies in 1,202 booth spaces, including 89 first-time exhibitors. Representatives from Christian retail stores from around the country and around the world will place orders, research new product and marketing trends, and glean ideas for merchandising techniques and store promotions. Throughout the week, attendees will hear from best-selling authors such as Max Lucado, Stormie Omartian, and Jerry Jenkins, and recording artists such as Michael W. Smith, Bart Millard, and Casting Crowns.
Numerous New Features Warrant New Name for Show
According to Anderson, the International Christian Retail Show was created by and for the retailer with extensive input from retailers via surveys and interviews. "It's all about developing the aspiring Christian retailer, and how we can help them succeed in a rapidly changing market." Anderson says that each word in the name of the new show was carefully chosen: "International" because of the world-wide scope and impact of the show, "Christian Retail" because that is what is center stage, and "Show" because it is designed to be a memorable experience in which retailers have the opportunity to see, touch, and feel what is new.
While some have questioned why CBA has taken the organization's name out of the name of the industry's largest and most important event, Anderson says the move illustrates that this event is not about an organization but is about and for the Christian retailer. "The reality is that the strong 'CBA' brand has carried over into multiple uses and become varied in its meaning," explained Anderson. "It is often used to talk about not only the trade association based in Colorado Springs, but as the name of the biggest annual event central in the industry's calendar, and to describe the entire Christian products marketplace."
In regard to the show's theme, "Success in Store," Anderson said that helping retailers succeed is what CBA as an organization and this new show is all about. "The International Christian Retail Show is where aspiring Christian retailers find ideas and inspiration that can be translated into very real success in their stores," said Anderson. "This is where big ideas are presented; the big picture is reinforced, where retailers are exposed to the next wave of retail trends and concepts that are going to shape our industry. There will be a lot of practical emphasis on what success looks like for Christian retailing in 2005 and beyond."
From the first time attendees step onto the exhibit floor, which follows a new, easy-to-navigate hub-and-spoke design radiating from an all-new Show Central, it will be obvious that much has changed. Show Central will provide a full-service convention meeting point that will include an information desk, cyber café and a CBA Members-Only Club with special author and artist guests scheduled throughout the week.
The educational menu offered at the show is focused on addressing the five critical issues facing the Christian retail channel (trust, traffic, efficiencies & systems, passion for excellence, and profitability & capitalization) as well as the top problems member stores tell CBA they face every day. Much of the training will be available outside of exhibit floor hours so that retailers will be better able to take advantage of the learning and refining opportunities without missing out on opportunities to find new products. "Retailers in this competitive environment can never afford to stop learning and need to constantly improve their store's performance in the basics such as financial management, merchandising, and customer service, as well as acquire new and innovative approaches to retailing. We're addressing the fundamentals with a new twist at the show so that retailers can keep up with the ever-changing expectations of consumers and ever-growing challenges from the competition."
Super Sessions Bring Entire Industry Together to Address Big Ideas
The exhibit floor will be closed on Monday and Thursday mornings from 8:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. so that everyone-retailers, suppliers, vendors, authors, and artists-can come together at the Super Sessions. Monday's session will address the critical issue of passion for excellence in business and ministry by focusing on the challenges and opportunities Christian retail has to make a difference in the culture and the world. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, will help attendees to see the significance of the work they do that is bigger than individual stores and individual people. Thursday's Super Session will address the critical issue of increasing traffic and sales, which is the number one critical issue as rated by CBA retail members. Following a brief presentation on Christian retail benchmarks and forecasts based on the CBA Operating Statement Survey, a panel of industry leaders (Chuck Wallington of Christian Supply, Tom Betts of Zondervan's Office of the Consumer, Senior Pastor Al Pittman of Calvary Worship Center, and Kurt Bruner of Focus on the Family) and outside experts (including consumer researcher Britt Beemer and retail expert Jim Dion) will discuss how the habits and attitudes of Christian consumers have changed, and how Christian retailers can draw today's committed Christians into the Christian retail store.
For the first time, the ECPA Gold Medallion Awards will be presented in conjunction with the CBA Retailer Impact Awards at a new awards event to be held on Monday evening at 7 p.m. at the Convention Center Lecture Hall. Awards given out will include the Charles "Kip" Jordon Book of the Year and the Jim Carlson CBA Store of the Year Impact Awards. Authors will be on hand to accept their awards, and attendees will also hear from noted authors Charles Colson and Philip Yancey. On Wednesday evening, CBA, in partnership with W Publishing Group and Reunion Records will host "CBA Presents: Come Thirsty," a worship event led by Michael W. Smith and Max Lucado, designed as an evening of refreshment for the soul for the entire channel.
Standing on the Shoulders and Solution Centers New Floor Features
Down the main aisles of the exhibit floor, attendees will be able to take in the "Standing on the Shoulders" exhibit, which will feature nine men and women of the last century whose steadfastness for God set the stage for the ministry and mission the industry pursues today. "We are involved in an industry of not just products but communicators," said Anderson. "The Standing on the Shoulders exhibit provides our industry with the opportunity to take a step back and look at people who have gone before us and see how their impact continues. Looking at their lives and ministries challenges us in our own walk of service and faithfulness. On display will be personal artifacts including manuscripts, first-edition books, and media presentations by and about Francis Schaeffer, C.S. Lewis, Andrew Murray, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Fanny Crosby, Charles Spurgeon, D.L. Moody, Bill Bright and Kenneth Taylor.
At each of the four corners of the exhibit floor, retailers will find Solution Centers which are interactive resources for addressing challenges stores face. The Solution Centers will offer innovative design solutions for transforming and refreshing the retail environment of a store, strategies for reaching the 18-34-year-old customer demographic, ideas for using scrapbooking to create in-store events and traffic, and previews of upcoming movies and videos that will impact Christian retail product sales.
New CBA Size of the Industry Study Results Announced
Sales of Christian products grew to $4.34 billion in 2004, up from $4.2 billion in 2002, and $4 billion in 2000 according to the new Size of the Industry study conducted by CBA. The Christian Retail Channel continued to distribute the majority market share (53%) of a still-expanding marketplace of Christian products, while the General Market channels sold 31% and Other channels sold 16%. The study assesses the total volume of Christian product sales by CBA member suppliers through all distribution channels including the Christian Retail Channel, General Market channels (including warehouse clubs, mass merchandisers, and "big box" bookstore channels), and Other channels (including direct-to-consumer, church, and non-profit ministry sales).
The new study reveals that while dollar volume of sales through the General Market channels grew 22%, the market share decline in the Christian Retail Channel has slowed from a 5% drop between 2000 and 2002 to 3.5% between 2002 and 2004.
"This study mirrors the progress-and challenges-we are seeing in the industry," CBA President Bill Anderson noted. "As overall sales of Christian products have increased through all distribution channels, the Christian Retail Channel alone still sells the lion's share of these products, nearly 23% more than the various General Market channels combined. We've stemmed the tide, but we still have to be more aggressive in competing for market share."
Anderson added, "The good news is that as demand for what we sell continues to grow, Christian retail stores are experiencing increasing success in their efforts to maintain their position of being the primary and preferred distribution channel for Christian products even in a very competitive marketplace. This reality encourages us to continue our efforts in leveraging channel-wide collaborations to grow a healthy and successful Christian retail channel by outperforming our competition to better serve the customer."
Colorado Springs-based CBA is the trade association for the Christian retail channel, serving the interests and meeting the needs of 2206 member Christian stores. These stores provide Bibles, Christian books, curriculum, apparel, music, videos, gifts, greeting cards, children's resources, and other materials. CBA and their member stores also work with 623 associate member book publishers, record companies, gift companies and other product suppliers. Along with the Christian Trade Association International, CBA also serves the meeting and information needs of over 1,000 Christian stores and suppliers in over 50 countries around the world.
Ever wonder how Amazon works from the publisher's end? Smackberry, an anonymous content manager at Thomas Nelson give some insight in her post, Amazon is Your Friend...Really!
NAACP names Image Award nominees
TD Jakes' novel, WOMEN THOU ARE LOOSED, won for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Works. Other nominees include: "Birth of a Nation" by Aaron McGruder, Reginald Hudlin, "Drive Me Crazy" by Eric Jerome Dickey, "Ida B" by Karen E. Quinones Miller and "Now Is the Time To Open Your Heart" by Alice Walker.
In the March 14 Publisher's Weekly article, "The Numbers Game", Jana Riess explored the effects of automated tracking of booksales by Bookscan (ABA) and STATS (CBA). Though the STATS numbers are used mostly by CBA publishers, the large sales in Wal-Mart and other untracked chains leave a lot of room for guessing. Still the ability to track a trend or author's sales in one click is bound to affect decisions on all sides. How do numbers (Amazon ranks, best seller's lists) affect your book buying?
New voices are emerging in Christian fiction.
Take a ride on Pat Loomis' monthly carnival ride to visit blogs that range from post-modern writers to revolutionary evangelical editors. Chris Well, author of Forgiving Solomon Long, even draws parallels between CCM (contemporary Christian music) and fiction.
Take a ride on the words and see what you think.
Brands sell. Or so we're often told. People no longer buy soda or soap, they purchase Pepsi (Coke if you're in Atlanta) and Lever.
Books are no exception.
In the recent article,"Parable Spreads the Word," Publisher's Weekly tells the tale of The Parable Group, a marketing consortium (what is that exactly?) for 223 Indie Christian stores is moving into franchising with you guessed it--a national brand.
Jim Kregel, president of Kregel Inc. and owner of three Kregel Bookstores in the Grand Rapids, Mich., area, said that franchising is the current trend. "If you go on a trip and pull over for a meal, and you see Pat's Diner or the Olive Garden, you're going to choose the Olive Garden. You know the level of service and the product you're getting." Kregel's stores will adopt a hybrid store name by May of this year, with signage reading "Kregel: Parable Christian Stores."
Some stores though, aren't so optimistic. At least six stores have jumped to rival "marketing consortium" Munce Marketing group which has 596 stores and hopes to add 250 to 300 more in the next three years, especially Hispanic and African-American stores.
With all the talk of the struggles of Christian booksellers, the store-in-a-box concept is probably inevitable. Still, it'll be interesting to see if some Indie stores survive without branding. Will multicultural markets be the life preserver they're looking for? Only time will tell.
Is CSI your cup or tea? When crime shows come on, are you missing without a trace? Check Brandilyn Collins' new blog on forensics and faith. Check it out.
Beyond the Bookshelf: A Writer's Marketing Plan
This week, Good Girl Book Club 
founder and
Christian book promoter, Marina Woods will be teaching a course on how to develop a marketing plan before, during or after your book hits the stands. There will be specific strategies for partnering financially with your publisher (or yourself, if you're self-published), how to get most out of online marketing, which online communications (email, websites, chats, etc) result in the most feedback for GGBC authors and why ongoing promotion is vital to your book's shelf life and reprint success.
No matter where you are on your publishing journey, this class if for you. Participants will also receive a discount on GGBC advertising for a
limited time.
Click here to sign up.
In recent years, the term "Christian fiction" has become somewhat vague. Did that only mean books published by CBA houses? Books with Christian themes? It's all a fairly new concept (Check your high school classics list. There are a lot of Christian writers there). Sometimes, even the librarians aren't sure what's what. Here's some thoughts by a public librarian. (It's an old post, but still fairly timely). Here's a taste:
The evangelical publishers produce a wide range of titles. These include thrillers . . . mysteries . . . dramatized scriptures, and political axe-grinders . . . While these are undeniably Christian Fiction, in general, libraries that label Christian Fiction include these but do not include books by Catholic authors or titles from the major secular publishing houses. Are we to say that authors and their works are not Christian because they write about crime-fighting priests at Notre Dame, for example?
Interesting, huh? I wonder if Flannery O'Connor would be greatly concerned? I doubt it, but it's something to think about. Read the rest here.
Mick Silva, whose blog focuses on the recent shifts in Christian fiction, looks at some of the comments in a recent PW article about African American fiction. Sounds like there is definitely an outcry in the multicultural market for more realistic stories of the Christian experience. Grace-based fiction, maybe? Surf over and take and read.
In a post today on his book marketing blog, John Kremer addressed the following question about Christian books:
I continue to notice there is not much information being posted or resources being provided for authors who write Christian literature. It seems to be an isolated area of publishing--sort of in it's own world.
Even in book clubs, there is not much of a genre' for Christian literature and people don't respond to emails and other related subject matter. Seems they overlook these authors and focus on novels, short stories, and fiction more. Doesn't seem fair.
I read a LOT during the course of a given year. Of the many books I've read in 2004 (including Truth Be Told by Victoria Christopher Murray, Ain't No Mountain by Sharon Ewell Foster and Mother Eternal Everlasting's Dead! by Pat G'orge-Walker), two of the most memorable are Soul Journey by Jacquelin Thomas and For Love and Grace by Kendra Norman-Bellamy.
Soul Journey stands out because the main character Journee pursues her calling (in her case, to preach the Word), no matter what. Her own father is against her serving as a pastor, but she doesn't let that stop her from obeying God's call. That story inspires me to keep doing what I know I'm called to do, namely write for Him, and help other aspiring authors to do the same.
For Love And Grace deals with issues of forgiveness, something we all need to be aware of. The close friendship between two men of God is endangered when one, a doctor, saves the life of a woman whom the other blames for the car accident that killed his mother. This causes a rift between the two men that only God can heal. This one inspired me to search my own heart and wonder how I would respond if I were either of the men in this situation.
In terms of my own writing, books like these inspire me even more to write the best that I can, so that the stories I tell don't just entertain, but edify as well. And, for the authors I've committed to helping, I need to make sure I'm doing all I can to help them get where they're trying to go. Juggling my own writing with helping others is a challenge, but it's my calling and I can't run from it.
Maurice Gray
Author of To Whom Much Is Given, Traveling Mercies (short story in Blessed Assurance anthology)
I could write book reviews all night, so I'll limit it to two.
1) When reading Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers, I'd find myself staring off into the distance hearing the longings of my soul whisper past me in sighs and groans. In this story based on the Book of Hosea, Michael Hosea follows God's promptings to marry Angel, a prostitute in Pair-a-dice, a small California Gold Rush Era mining town. Angel, tortured by a shameful secret, is unable to comprehend the depth of Michael's love, much less the unconditional love of the God he worships. Knowing she is unworthy, Angel runs from Michael's farm back to her old life, time and time again, pushing away Michael and his God. To sum it up, this tale captures the essence of God's love for us: while we were sinners, Christ died for us. Unforgettable! This novel created a hunger in me for a steady diet of meaty Word.
2) Empire Falls, by Richard Russo, captures the essence of small town mentality. I'm so small-towned, it ain't even funny, so I felt like I knew the characters in this tale. Miles manages the café owned by rich Francine, while trying to cope with his failed marriage, raising his teenage daughter, his reoccurring dream of moving to Martha's Vineyard, and coming to terms with the events preceding his mother's death. Empire Falls is a place where secrets are hoarded like gold coins and are equally as valuable. While not a Christian novel, per se, it contains prevailing themes of confession and good vs. evil. I learned even the most ordinary character can become extraordinary when confronted with extraordinary situations.
I also read The Church Ladies, and echo Maryilynn's comments.
Looking forward to building my reading list here!
Angie Poole
Well, since I started all this, I guess I'll go first since everyone is being shy. :) LOL I read a lot of memorable books this year but a few in particular come to mind: 1) The Cross Centered Life by CJ Mahaney, a small book given to me by a friend, but boy did it pack a punch. It brought home for me in a new way the power of the cross;
2) The Good Earth by Pearl Buck, so high school book list I know, but I couldn't remember whether I'd read and once I started I couldn't put it down. It's a simple tale about the pain of wanting what one can't have and the tragedy of actually getting it. I sat stunned for a couple hours after finishing it. No twentieth century neat tie-ups here;
3)Shout Down the Moon by Lisa Tucker. After reading The Song Reader, I was almost scared to read this one. I didn't want to be let down. I wasn't. In yet another coming-of-age tale of a single mother-turned-jazz singer, I remembered the pain of my young womanhood and the dire need to scream sometimes, to save your life, your heart, your mind. Like the woman with the issue of blood, forcing her last breath into her lungs to bow down and tuch the thready seams of a man on a way to be someone's miracle, Patty Taylor finds her voice in a triumphant tale of second chances. The characterization here as in the debut novel pulled me totally in.
I hesitated on these last two because I've read them both within the last month, but I have no doubt that I'll never forget either of them.
4) Songbird by Lisa Samson. It's hard for me to describe how this book affected me without sounding weirder than I am. Suffice it to say that Charmaine Hopewell is someone I admire, a woman I empathize with and still think about like an old friend. Her abandonment issues, fractured relationships and hope in spite of it all were both refreshing and relatable. More than once I had to put the book down and pray, think or just go outside. Not that there were big preachy moments or anything, just small, quiet things. True things. I liked that. The Christy committee did themselves proud picking this one.
5) Bailey's Cafe by Glorida Naylor. Umph. That's about all I can say. This is far from what people would consider a Christian novel, there is cursing, violence and sorts of goings on. Yet there's more scripture in it than a few Christian novels I read lately and more truth too. Bailey's Cafe isn't defined by just one character, but rather it's world, a way station on the edge of any city anywhere, the place before there's no more places. Each day only one thing is offered, chicken one day, corn beef hash the next. There are no menus. Each customer decides whether to stay or go. Bailey is careful not to cook too carefully or people might actually think they're coming for food. They're not. These folks, churchy Miss Cassie who comes to doom everyone to hell, Sugar Man the short pimp, Sadie the twenty-five cent whore who carries herself with such class the glass mugs turn to china in her hands . . . These are the folks of Bailey's Cafe. And that's just the beginning of it. Across the street there is a Jewish pawn shop that never opens except to tell people to go elsewhere and a blossoming home for women called Eve's, which one can only find if you know what to ask. "No woman finds this place until she's ready for it," Eve says. And she's right. God didn't let me read this book until I was ready. And thankfully, I will never recover. Use your discretion on this one. It ain't for the faint of heart.
There was actually another, but I can't mention it because it's not published yet. There were countless other page turners in 2004, but these were the ones that really scratched the insides of my mind. Now who's next? LOL
Mary
