I saw an advertisement for the contest in the May 2012 issue of “Guideposts Magazine”.  The link to details about the contest says they are “looking for writers that exemplify their mission to spread messages of hope, faith, and encouragement to others.”  The Grand Prize winner of this book publishing contest will have their book published by Inspiring Voices, be spotlighted in “Guideposts Magazine”, and have their book promoted in numerous ways. There will also be other winners with various prizes in addition to the Grand Prize winner.

     The entries have to be received by July 1, 2012 and the contest is open to legal residents and citizens of the United States who are 18 and older.  All the contest details can be found at  www.inspiringvoices.com/contest

     The advertisement for the contest in “Guideposts” has a quote from Kitty Slattery, contributing editor of “Guideposts” and author of the book “Heart Songs“.  She says “Only you can tell your inspiring story in the way it was meant to be told.  So I say, go for it.”  I agree!  If you have a story to tell, GO FOR IT!

“The Chair” is the story of a chair that is supposedly built by Jesus.   Corin Roscoe owns a struggling antique store. One day a mysterious elderly lady appears in his store and gives him a chair - a very old, fairly simple chair - and insists that he keep it. She will not tell him upfront any details about who she is, only saying that he is meant to have the chair. And she will not tell him who actually made this chair she wants him to keep, telling him that “it was made by the most talented tekton craftsman the world has ever known”.  This mystery lady tells him that he will eventually figure out who made the chair.

Really being left with not much of a choice, Corin accepts the chair and the adventure really begins.  Within days a child with a severe case of asthma is in the antiques store shopping with his mother.  The kid sits in the chair while his mom shops, unaware of anything special about this chair.  Within hours of leaving the store the child is completely rid of any signs of his asthma.  Doctors are totally dismayed by his complete change and his story quickly makes the news.  Credit is not being given to his sitting in the chair in the antique store, but when Corin reads the story of the miraculous healing of the child, he begins to wonder if the chair had something to do with it.

Corin Roscoe is not a religious man.  But he really has questions about “the chair” which seems to possibly be some sort of religious artifact.  He does searches on the Internet trying to find out information about this chair that he now has in his possession.  He talks with his girlfriend searching for some kind of help since she had grown up in a much more religious environment than he had.  Being closed minded to much talk about religion, she really does not even want to believe in any way that the chair could have healing power. Corin eventually turns to a favorite professor from his college days for help on any information about the chair. Corin’s life truly does turn upside down.  A mega church pastor who has spent his life in search of this chair puts his pressure on Corin to get his hands on the chair.  This minister will stop at nothing to get the chair.

Author James Rubart does a good job of interweaving several story lines and characters as he builds up the intrigue about the true history of the chair.  Readers will come to understand some deep secrets about Corin’s life and his struggles, his almost completely severed relationship with his brother, how ”the chair” brings about a huge strain in his girlfriend’s attitude towards him, and the discoveries about the mystery lady who gave him the chair.

I really wondered how the story would wrap up, considering all the turmoil surrounding the chair that had come into Corin Roscoe’s possesion. Did the chair really have healing powers? How would a Christian writer explain the power of a chair if it really did have power?  You will not be left with many questions about the chair when you finish up the book.  And I believe that if you do start reading this Christian fiction novel, you will be compelled to read it to the end.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being great, I  give “The Chair”, a  5

The Chair: A Novel

James L. Rubart

B&H Publishing Group

2011

ISBN 978-14336-7152-4

11/22/63 is a novel about time travel.   The book’s main character is Jake Epping, a high school English teacher in a small town in Maine.   On the side he teaches a GED class.  As an assignment for his GED students, he asks them to write an essay about something that has happened to them that changed their life.  One of his students, the janitor in the high school, writes an essay that really gets Epping’s attention.  He writes about how his father had killed his mother, sister, and brother when he was a kid more than fifty years ago.  Epping cannot get the story off his mind.

Shortly after reading this essay, one of Epping’s close friends lets him in on a big secret.  Al, who owns a diner in the small town, shares how he can can travel back in time by going into a closet type room in the diner.  When he goes back in time he always goes to the same day in 1958.  No matter how long he stays, when he comes back he has only been gone for two minutes.  Al tells Jake Epping about this time time travel secret because he is very ill and he has an agenda that he wants Epping to complete.   Al wants Epping to go back in time and prevent President John F. Kennedy from being assassinated.

The story is fascinating as Epping goes back in time and attempts to change history.  He willingly takes on Al’s Kennedy plan, but first he wants to stop his janitor/GED student’s terrible past.  He takes on the name George Amberson and eventually ends up living in a small Texas town, where he be becomes a high school teacher there.  Full of details on life in the early 1960’s, the book keeps you involved and intrigued with the differences in life in the the early 1960’s versus today.  Epping/Anderson falls in love with another teacher and the love story captivates you as much as the plot to save Kennedy’s life.

The story fills 850 pages but it is a page-turner.  With every twist and turn imaginable, Stephen King weaves a complex story of love, suspense, tragedy, and hope.  Will history really be changed?  Can it be changed for the better?  The story keeps you involved throughout and you just cannot imagine how it will end.  As I stated, this is the only Stephen King book I have ever read.  But I must say that if 11/22/63 is any indication of King’s writing talents, I know why he has been such a popular author.  This tale could only be written by a master storyteller.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being great, columbiabookseller definitely gives 11/22/63  a 5!!

11/22/63 : A Novel

Written by Stephen King

Scribner (a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Published November 2011

ISBN 978-1-4516-2728-2

The deadline for applications is soon, so this is probably not a situation where you will see this as a chance to start a novel today and enter the contest (although anytime is a great time to start writing or work on your writing!).  Partnering again with the SC Arts Commission and Hub City Press (in Spartanburg, SC), are The Humanities CouncilSC and the South Carolina State Library.  Entries must be received by March 19, 2012.  Basic eligibility requirements are that the applicant must be a legal resident of the US and South Carolina with a permanent residence in South Carolina for twelve months prior to the application deadline.  Applicants must be 18 years of age or older at the time of application and they cannot have published a novel before.   Applicants may have published a book of non-fiction, short stories, poetry, or children’s literature.  According to the guidelines, the novel may have been submitted to other publishers previously, but it is not eligible if it is currently under consideration by any publishing company.

This is the third First Novel Competition.  The winner of the first contest was Brian Ray.  Ray, who at the time lived in Columbia, SC, won with his book, “Through the Pale Door“, which was published in June 2009 and received favorable reviews across the Southeast.  Booklist gave it a starred review and called Ray “a talent to watch.”  His book also received an IPPY award for best novel in the Southeast by an independent press.  The second contest was won by Matt Matthews, of Greer, SC.  Matthews’ book “Mercy Creek” was published in 2011.  The book sold out two hardback editions and is being released as a paperback and in an e-book format.  Publishers Weekly called the book “an enticing full-blown whodunnit…a first-rate effort displaying skill, sensitivity, and grace.”

The winner of this third contest will be announced in October, 2012.  The distinguished judge is Josephine Humphreys, a Charleston novelist whose latest book is “Nowhere Else on Earth“.  (Applicants works are reviewed anonymously by panelists who make their judgements on the basis of artistic merit.  Six to eight novels will then be judged by Humphreys, who will select the winner).  

The winning author will receive a book contract with the Hub City Press, and award-winning independent press in Spartanburg, SC.  The winner will also receive a $500 advance against royalties, and the Hub City Press will publish at least 1500 paperback copies of the book.  The book will be distributed nationally through John F. Blair Co. of Winston-Salem, NC.

So if you are a South Carolinian with that just waiting to be published book, this may be your chance!  For all the information, guidelines, and eligibility requirements, visit http://www.SouthCarolinaArts.com/firstnovel   or call (803) 734-8696.  (Information for this article was taken from the Hub City Press website). 

     On Amazon.com, the Top 10 Bestselling Books, at the 8:00 pm hour (my Eastern Standard Time), was lead by Jeff Kinney’s newest book, “Diary of a Wimpy Kid 6: Cabin Fever”.  #2 is “Steve Jobs” by Walter Isaacson, #3 is “The LEGO Ideas Book” by Daniel Lipkowitz, #4 is “Inheritance” by Christopher Paolini, and the top five is rounded out with “Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever” by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard.  #6 is a book that I have set aside as the next book I will read.  It is “11/22/63: A Novel” by the always prolific Stephen King.  The reviews I have read on this book have been good.  #7 is “The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxed Set” by Suzanne Collins and #8 is one of the individual titles in the trilogy, “The Hunger Games”.  #9 on Amazon’s list is “Being George Washington: The Indispensible Man, as You’ve Never Seen Him” by Glenn Beck.  And the tenth best seller at this hour was a surprise to me.  It is “Encyclopedia Mythologica: Gods and Heroes Pop-Up” by Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda.

     I jumped over to BN.com, which is Barnes and Noble’s online store.  Their list is also updated hourly.  Leading their list is “The Elf on the Shelf” which is actually a boxed set with a book and a toy elf that likes to snoop around homes making sure kids are being good during the Christmas season.  “The Elf on the Shelf” is a creation of Carol V. Aebersold.  #2 at BN.com is Jeff Kinney’s latest Wimpy Kid book, “Cabin Fever” and #3 is “The LEGO Ideas Book”.  Another LEGOs book is at #4.  It is “LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia”.  “If You Give a Dog a Donut” by Laura Numeroff is the #5 bestseller and Paolini’s “Inheritance” is #6.  The “Steve Jobs” biography by Isaacson comes in at #7, followed by “The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus Series #2)” by Rick Riordan at #8, and then Stephen King’s “11/22/63: A Novel” at #9.  BN.com’s #10 bestseller is Shel Silverstein’s “Everything on It”.

     I checked the bestseller lists of three other general booksellers that I am familiar with and found a huge variety of titles on their lists.  Powells.com, a bookseller with several stores in the Portland, Oregon area and with an online store,  has the book “Super Natural Every Day:  Well-Loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen” by Heidi Swanson as their #1 bestseller.  “Wildwood” by Colin Meloy and Carson Ellis is at #2, followed by “Cutting for Stone” by Abraham Verghese at #3.  Some titles on their list that I did not find on the other lists were “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot (#6), ”The Tiger’s Wife” by Tea Obreht (#7), “Go the F**k to Sleep” by Adam Mansbach (#9), and “1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus” by Charles Mann (#10). 

     The Strand, a gigantic bookstore in New York City, had several titles that were not on other lists I reviewed.  Their #1 is “1Q84″ by Haruki Murakami.  “Blue Nights” a new book from Joan Didion is at #2, Suzanne Collins’ “Catching Fire” at #3, and “Everything Matters” by Ron Currie, Jr. at #5.  “Just Kids” by Patti Smith came in at #6, “Lucky Peach Issue 2″ by David Chang is #7, and another Suzanne Collins book, “Mockingjay” is at #8.  Ernest Hemingway hits the bestseller list at The Strand with his book “Moveable Feast” at #9 and then another Joan Didion title, “Slouching Towards Bethlehem” rounds out the list as the #10 bestseller.

    Malaprops, a large bookstore in Asheville, NC, was another website I looked at.  To my knowledge Malaprops is not a major online seller, but did have their store’s bestseller list on their website.  None of the books on Malaprops list showed up on any of the other lists that I reviewed.  #1 is “Nightwoods” by Charles Frazier, an author from North Carolina.  The author Silas House has four titles on Malaprops list.  “Eli, the Good” is #2, “Clay’s Quilt” is #5, “A Parchment of Leaves” is #6, and “The Coal Tattoo” is #7.   “Mayhem in Mayberry: Misadventures of a P.I. in Southern Appalachia” by Brian Lee Knopp is at #3 at Malaprops, “Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom” is at #4, “Under the Mercy Trees” by Heather Newton is #8, and “Mudbound” by Hillary Jordan is at #9.  The current #10 bestseller at Malaprops is “That is All” by John Hodgman.

     Finally, I took a look at the bestseller list of LifeWay.com.  LifeWay is a Christian bookseller and I thought it would be interesting to see what they are selling during the Christian Christmas holiday season.   One of the most famous Christian preachers and authors leads their list, with Billy Graham’s latest book, “Nearing Home: Thoughts on Life, Faith, and Finishing Well”.  #2 is “Heaven is for Real, Kids Edition” by Colton Burpo and Sonja Burpo, followed by “Jesus Calling: 365 Devotions for Kids” by Tama Fortner and Sarah Young at #3.  “Not a Fan” by Kyle Idleman is #4, with “Longing” by popular Christian fiction writer Karen Kingsbury is at #5.  Two books that seem to go together are at #6 and #7.  “The Resolution for Men” by Randy Alcorn and Alex Kendrick is the #6 bestseller, followed by “The Resolution for Women” by Priscilla Shirer and Alex Kendrick at #7.  “A Call to Courageous Living Booklet” is LifeWay’s #8 bestseller and “Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream” by David Platt is at #9.  LifeWay’s list is rounded out with a fun looking novel, “Christmas at Harrington’s” by Melody Carlson at #10.

     It is fun to see the variety of books that are selling as the Christmas selling season is well underway now.  I hope lots of shoppers find their way into bookstores and onto bookselling websites as they look for that special gift for a special person this Christmas!

Novels for Adults:

     The Litigators     the latest from bestselling author John Grisham    

     11/22/63 : A Novel       new, and getting great reviews, from Stephen King

     The Christmas Wedding   yet another new book from James Patterson (with Richard DiLallo)

     The Drop                           new from Michael Connelly, another “Harry Bosch” novel

     Zero Day                            David Baldacci’s latest bestseller

     Longing                              Karen Kingsbury’s newest Christian fiction title

Non-Fiction

     1,000 Places to See Before You Die (2nd Edition)       Completely Revised, 200 New Places!

     Betty & Friends: My Life at the Zoo                   Betty White just keeps entertaining us

     StandOut                                              The latest motivational book from Marcus Buckingham

     Gabby : A Story of Courage and Hope     The story from Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords

For the cook in your life…

     Illustrated Step by Step Baking           A DK Illustrated Cookbook

     The Neelys’ Celebration Cookbook: Down Home Meals for Every Occasion   Pat & Gina Neely

     The Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia        Newly released Fall 2011

Devotional/Inspirational

     How Great is Our God: Timeless Daily Readings on the Nature of God      new from NavPress

     The Lucado Inspirational Reader: Hope and Encouragement for Your Everyday Life

                       newly released devotional from bestselling Christian writer Max Lucado

     Daily Guideposts 2012         the classic daily devotional book

     Love Out Loud: 365 Devotions for Loving God, Loving Yourself, and Loving Others

                        new this fall from Joyce Meyer

Children and Teens

     If You Give a Dog a Donut                          Has gotten good reviews     Ages 3 and up

     Heaven is for Real for Kids: A Little Boys Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back

                       Kid’s edition of the new classic

     Diary of a Wimpy Kid 6: Cabin Fever          Jeff Kinney’s latest is now available!

     The LEGO Ideas Book                   Unlock your imagination!  For ages 7 and up

     Guiness World Records 2012         Kids always love the latest Guiness World Records book

     TIME for Kids BIG Book of Why: 1001 Facts Kids Want to Know     The title says it all!

     Liar’s Moon                         New fromElizabeth C. Bunce   for ages 12 and up

     The Genius Wars                Catherine Jinks    for ages 12 and up

     Every You, Every Me          by David Levithan     looks like a good read for teen boys

For your Post Office Delivery Person, Yard Care Worker, Handyman, Neighbor, etc….

      Life’s Little Instruction Book: 511 Suggestions, Observations, and Reminders on How to Live

      a Happy and Rewarding Life   by H. Jackson Brown, Jr.      This is not a new book, but is

      timeless and makes a great little gift for just about everyone!

Without a doubt, you can find the perfect book for the people in your life.  These are just a few suggestions.  Visit a local bookstore or shop the Internet, and you will find thousands and thousands of books…there are many to choose from for each special person.   Make it your goal this Christmas to put a book in the hands of each of your family members, friends, co-workers, etc.  There’s no better gift!

So, after finishing “The Last Child” I was excited to learn that John Hart’s newest book, “Iron House” was being released in mid-July.  I bought it fairly soon after it was released but it took me a little while to getting around to reading it.  But once I started it, it was hard to put down.  The main character, Michael, is deeply involved in the organized crime scene in New York.  But, having fallen in love, and seeing that he can never have a normal life if he doesn’t change his lifestyle, he decides to leave the world of organized crime.  But that is easier said than done.  Michael does make an escape of sorts with his lover, Elena, who really has no idea that Michael is involved in the world of crime.  But she quickly finds out.

Michael and Elena make a journey from New York to North Carolina to try to track down Michael’s brother, who was adopted as a child by a U.S. Senator from North Carolina and his wife.  The story becomes complex as Michael makes the connection with his brother Julian, and gets involved with a series of murders that have taken place on the huge estate of Senator Vane and his wife, Abigail.  Not only are they trying to sort through the crimes that have taken place on the Estate, which is set in Chatham County in the Piedmont of North Carolina, but Michael is also being hunted down by members of the N.Y. crime group he has tried to escape.

The story has twists and turns followed by more twists and turns.  Hart does a good job of developing the book’s characters and yet hits with you surprise after surprise involving the characters, too.  The book is definitely suspenseful, and it can definitely be called a thriller.  But, it is also very graphically violent.  People are killed right and left, and several of the murders are very explicitly described.  There are scenes of torture that are almost difficult to read they are so vivid.  So, if do not like graphically written violence, the book would not be for you.  It was more graphic than most books I have read, but I did find it to be a good read.  Another page turner from John Hart.  I did not enjoy it as much as his book, “The Last Child“, but it was well written.  I will read more of John Hart’s writings.

On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being great, columbiabookseller gives “Iron House” a 4.

Iron House

John Hart

Thomas Dunne Books (An Imprint of St. Martin’s Press)

ISBN 978-0-312-38034-2

My son is now 9 years old.  While I have been reading to him all of his life, he has not really been an enthusiastic reader himself.  He likes for me to read to him and that is great with me.  It has been a good bond for us.  But the lack of interest from him in reading on his own has always been a challenge for me.

But I have seen some new interest from him in reading this school year and that is exciting.  Fourth grade is about two months along for him now.  I have definitely noticed a new spark of interest in reading from him.  The question that is there for those of us who have kids who are reluctant readers is how to encourage them to read and to build enthusiasm about it.

Probably the first thing to do is to be sure your kids see you reading.  When you are reading they notice!  And if you read something that you think your child will find interesting, share it with them.  My son is a big fan of the University of South Carolina sports teams.  When I read something about one of their teams that I think he would be interested in, I regularly share that with him.  Another simple key is to be sure there are lots of appropriate reading materials around your home.  Have books, magazines, and newspapers for your child to see and pick up.  Think about your child’s interests and have books related to them available.  Subscribe to a magazine for your child.  Many child oriented magazines are available, such as “National Geographic for Kids”, “Ranger Rick”, “Highlights”, and ”Sports Illustrated for Kids.”

Show your child that reading is something that many people enjoy.  They do not often see good examples of individuals reading on TV, but when you take them to your local library they will not only see the great variety of reading material available there, but hopefully will notice people of all ages at the library reading and checking out items.  If your child meets your library’s age requirement, get him or her a library card.  Kids love to have a card that is THEIRS.  Bookstores are obviously a fun place to explore, too.  When I take my son to a bookstore, I talk with him beforehand about the limit on how much we can plan to spend.  Or, I tell him we are going to make a wishlist, and write down titles of books we would like to get later.

Back to the school topic.  Many teachers give an assignment for students to read for a designated length of time each evening.  I recently read an article which recommended that if your child is reluctant about reading for the assigned period, say 20 or 30 minutes, etc., that you break the period up into two parts with an odd number of minutes.  This writer, whom I failed to note their name when I read the article, said kids love the odd number periods.  Have them read for 17 minutes, take a break, and then read for 13 minutes to complete their 30 minute assignment.  The article also said that if your child is not assigned a certain book to read and is being hesitant about reading. allow them to research a topic on the computer and read that.  Reading is reading!

My 4th grader has been more enthusiastic about reading this fall and I give credit to his school.  His teacher has given the students a list of award winning books to read.  When they finish one of the books on that list, they must pass a short test on the book.  When they have completed 14 of the books on the list, they get a trophy.  Trophies are great motivators for 4th graders, especially for boys!  Another plan has also created reading excitement for my son.  The media specialist (i.e. librarian) is having an optional book club for 4th graders.  It meets after school every few weeks.  They are reading assigned books and discussing them.  I can’t believe how enthusiastic my son has been about the book club.  Luckily, the county recreation center next door to the school is where many of the students at his school go for after-school care.  If the student normally goes to the rec center after school, the school has made arrangements with parents to walk their students there after each book club meeting.  So even those kids who are not “car riders” after school can participate in this club.

We certainly cannot make our children be passionate about reading.  But there are so many easy ways to expose them to reading and when we stop and think, there are many ways to peak their interest and build on this highly important life skill and hobby. Here’s to raising a reader!

I enjoyed the first book, but felt it was not really outstanding.  On a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being great, I had given it a 3.  But I do remember thinking after finishing the book that I would probably read the sequel when it came out.  The second book was released on April 5, 2011 and I have just had a chance to read it.  To me, the second book is considerably better than the first.  As the book opens, Alan is in a hospital recovering from an attack.  The story proceeds from there.  In this book, “Miles to Go“, there seem to be many more characters involved in the story than in the first book, and the development of the characters is better.

I found myself truly enjoying the book and enjoying the relationships that developed.  While there are difficult times and sad times in the sequel, one can find much inspiration from Richard Paul Evans’ writing.  Evans has written seventeen books plus five books specifically for children.  He is probably best known for his #1 Bestseller “The Christmas Box”.   In “Miles to Go: The Second Journal of The Walk Series“, you read about several people whose lives are transformed in various ways.  The book ends with a definite question that can only be answered by reading the next book in the series.  I will read it, but it is not scheduled for release until April 2012.

On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being GREAT), columbiabookseller gives “Miles to Go: The Second Journal of The Walk Series” a 5

We welcome your comments and feedback!!

“Miles to Go: The Second Journal of The Walk Series”

Richard Paul Evans

Published by Simon & Schuster April 2011

ISBN 978-1-4391-9137-8 

“Books had instant replay long before televised sports.” Bern Williams

“The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.”  attributed to Mark Twain

“The worth of a book is to be measured by what you can carry away from it.”  James Bryce

“When I get a little money, I buy books; if any is left I buy food and clothes.”  Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536)

“There is nothing to match curling up with a good book when there’s a repair job to be done around the house.”  Joe Ryan 

“I would be most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.” Anna Quindlen

“I find television very educational.  Every time someone turns it on, I go in the other room and read a book.”  Groucho Marx

“Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.”  PJ O’Rourke