Away with Words

Book Review: Kiss by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy

Kiss by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (January 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595544704
• ISBN-13: 978-1595544704

***** A five-star read!!!

Ted Dekker fans won't be disappointed with his new book, Kiss, co-written with first-time novelist Erin Healy. Dekker's suspense-driven story line, in-depth characterization, and unexpected plot twists make this a satisfying read. As the book's protagonist, Shauna McAllister, is compelling, no doubt attributable, in part, to Erin Healy. I've read most of Ted Dekker's books, and this one is one of his best!

New Year Fresh Start

Renegade writer Linda Formichelli offers some wonderful tips for recalibrating your writing business for 2009 in her blog post: New Year, Fresh Start: How to Recalibrate Your Freelance Business in 2009.

Happy writing!

Diversify to Keep Those Freelance Dollars Coming In

 Check out my latest article on Suite 101:

Don't let the economy get you down. Sure, freelance dollars are limited. But seasoned professionals know how to keep those freelance dollars coming in during slow economic times. Here's how they do it: To read this article in its entirety, visit Suite 101. Happy writing! Mary

Person Mary Yerkes

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Teen Suicide

This past Tuesday, a 17-year old committed suicide in an open field behind my home. I saw him right before the suicide. He was on his knees, hands outstretched. He appeared to be praying. I stopped and prayed that God would comfort him and minister to him. I went to the doctors and by the time I got home, the police were there, and they took him away in a body bag. I thank God for his mercy--that I didn't witness the actual suicide, but my heart breaks for his family and for our teens. 

A church lay on the other side of the field--just a few hundred yards from the young boy's body. Are we, in the church, ministering to these hurting teens, or are we somehow failing them? They are quite literally dying in our backyards and just outside the doors of our churches. What would God have us, as the body of Christ, do? 

My heart is breaking for this family and for our teens. I have committed myself anew to being used in the lives of these teens as God opens doors. I pray that you, too, would be open to being used to minister the life and hope that is found in Jesus Christ alone to our hurting youth.

For more information on teen suicide, the warning signs, or what you could do to help, visit Teen Suicide. There's also a helpful article on Suite 101 on the topic.

Introducing “true:shift” – Can You Meet the Challenge?

My friends over at the True Campaign have launched a new initiative--True:Shift. I have just signed up to feed a child in Uganda and hope that you prayerfully consider the challenge.

Here's a teaser from a recent post that describes the initiative:

The True Campaign exists to end the crisis of distorted self image by challenging cultural ideals about identity and beauty, so we can be free to impact our world as God intended.

Here we are at the end of another year. For me and my cohort Travis, this past year has largely been about working together to create this campaign, and then trying to figure out how to make it as effective as possible. It’s been great hearing from so many of you who have been positively impacted by it, and we’re excited about the future, which hopefully includes plugging more of you into our work here.

One of the most interesting things to us has been the fact that if we could take all the money we spend on “outside appearance” stuff like diets, fashion, cosmetics, etc. - about $80 billion annually - we could actually wipe out worldwide hunger. We talked about this in our I have eating issues video, and invariably when we play it for people, there is an audible gasp at this point in the video

To read this post in its entirety, visit the True Campaign.

Book Review: The Kingdom of the Occult

The Kingdom of the Occult

 By Walter Martin, Jill Martin Rische, and Kurt Van Gorden

The Kingdom of the Occult, by Walter Martin, Jill Martin Rische, and Kurt Van Gorden, is an excellent read. An exhaustive, one-stop resource, the book includes gripping case studies, extensive resources for further study, and a Scriptural response section that arms the reader with biblical truths to refute false teaching and theology.

Included in the book are chapters on Kabbalah, Wicca, Witchcraft, Eastern mysticism and New Age, demon possession and exorcism, evangelism, goddess worship, along with many others. I found the chapters,"Christian Counseling and the Occult" and "Evangelism: Reaching the Hearts of People, of particular interest." Both offered practical information and advice I could put to immediate use in my church and the marketplace.

Despite the seriousness of the topic, the tone is light and filled with hope, making it not only an educational read but an enjoyable one as well. Written in a down-to-earth, easy-to-understand style, the authors are masters at taking complex information and breaking it down into easy-to-digest pieces.

The Kingdom of the Occult is an exceptional piece of work, one that is appropriate for pastors, students, youth workers, people serving in their local congregations, scholars, theologians, and seminary students.

It is definitely a five-star read, one that I highly recommend.

 

 

Blogs Worth Reading

Did you know that I've set up a blog devoted to magazine publishing?  Check out my latest post:

Queries, deadlines, interviews...oh my! Who has time for anything else?

Every writer struggles with time constraints and feels pulled in a thousand directions. Yet, we all know that insights and advice from other experienced writers can save us time and frustration. One way to profit from the experience of other experienced freelancers is to read their blogs.

A few of my favorites are below:

The Golden Pencil
Get Paid to Write Online
The Well-Fed Writer Blog
Copyblogger
Write to Done
The Renegade Writer

To see the full list of my recommended blogs, click here.

The Renegade Writer Linda Formichelli Offers Advice to Magazine Writers

Check out my interview with Renegade Writer Linda Formichelli. What she has to say just might surprise you! Here's a tease to whet your appetite:

Linda Formichelli writes for Health, USA Weekend, Fitness, Women’s Health, Multi-Channel Merchant, Target Marketing, Writer’s Digest, and more. Linda co-authored The Renegade Writer: A Totally Unconventional Guide to Freelance Writing Success and The Renegade Writer’s Query Letters That Rock.

In the interview that follows, Linda offers insider tips for breaking into national periodicals and shares what led to her wildly popular books, The Renegade Writer and The Renegade Writer's Query Letters that Rock:

To read this article in its entirety, visit Suite 101.

And don't miss the companion article, Expert Breaks Into Print by Breaking the Rules.

Happy writing!

Mary

P.S. Linda's e-courses start back up in January. To learn more, visit The Renegade Writer blog.

The Kingdom of the Occult -- Review Coming Soon!

Coming soon...

My review of The Kingdom of the Occult (Hardcover)

by Walter Martin (Author), Jill Martin Rische (Author), Kurt Van Gorden (Author)

Product description from Amazon.com:

"The Kingdom of the Occult delivers the timely followup to Dr. Martin's best-selling The Kingdom of the Cults

This book takes Dr. Walter Martin's comprehensive knowledge and his dynamic teaching style and forges a strong weapon against the world of the Occult-a weapon of the same scope and power as his phenomenal thirty-five year bestseller, The Kingdom of the Cults (over 875,000 sold).

Chapters include: Witchcraft and Wicca, Satanism, Pagan Religions, Tools of the Occult, Demon Possession and Exorcism, Spiritual Warfare, etc."

• Hardcover: 752 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (October 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1418516449
• ISBN-13: 978-1418516444
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies

Promotion to Magazine Publishing Feature Writer

As most of you know, I've been a contributing writer at Suite 101 for the last three months. I received my first review yesterday, and I'm pleased to report that I've been promoted to Magazine Publishing feature writer.

In my new role as feature writer, I will be keeping a blog at Suite 101 that covers the world of magazine publishing. So, if you're a writer, editor, or someone who wants to launch a print of online magazine, be sure to check it out.

It will take me a while to generate the content, so check back often. I'll be posting a few times a week. And while you're there, check out my two latest articles: How to Write Personality Profiles that Sell and Write for Trade Magazines to Boost Your Income.

Would you do me a favor? If you like what you read, leave a comment--on the article or blog.

Are there topics you'd like to see covered? Drop me a note at magazinepublishing at suite101.com.

Happy writing!