Just for Fun: New Lady Gaga Parody from Weird Al

I confess... I follow Weird Al on Twitter. Today, he put a link up to his blog with the story of this song. Apparently, Al was told by Gaga's manager that she did not approve of the song, so he wouldn't use it on his new album. But then he heard back from the manager with an apology. Seems he rejected the song without letting Gaga hear it, and when she did, she loved it. So now Al gets to use it on his new album.

Thought you might enjoy hearing it. (BTW, as of this posting, he still hadn't updated the disclaimer at the beginning of the video, but he added a comment saying she's given her approval.)

Have fun!

On The Road Again...

The blogging road, that is.

Actually, I'm back to blogging because I just got off another road... The Mother Road. That's the name of my next book. It doesn't come out until April of next year, but it had to be turned in by April first of this year. Needless to say, it took up a great deal of my time over the last month.

I'm looking forward to getting back in the swing of things. Thanks for coming back after my long absence. Now I've got a question for you... When it comes to fiction, what's your favorite thing to read? Is there a certain genre you can't get enough of? Is there one you're sick of? Is there a topic you really want to read about but can't find? Please share!

CFBA presents A HEART MOST WORTHY by Siri Mitchell

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingA Heart Most Worthy(Bethany House - March 1, 2011)bySiri Mitchell


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including in Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.

But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a sermon and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.

Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.

Her ninth novel, A Heart Most Worthy, follows prior Bethany House releases: A Constant Heart (October 2008), Love's Pursuit (June 2009), and She Walks in Beauty (Apr 2010). She Walks in Beauty won the inaugural INSPY Award for Historical Fiction in Dec 2010. Two of her novels, Chateau of Echoes and The Cubicle Next Door were Christy Award finalists. Love's Pursuit was a finalist for the ACFW Carol Award.

Publishers Weekly proclaimed, "Mitchell delivers the historical goods."



ABOUT THE BOOK

The elegance of Madame Forza's gown shop is a far cry from the downtrodden North End of Boston. Yet each day Julietta, Annamaria, and Luciana enter the world of the upper class, working on finery for the elite in society. The three beauties each long to break free of their obligations and embrace the American dream--and their chance for love. But the ways of the heart are difficult to discern at times.

Julietta is drawn to the swarthy, mysterious Angelo. Annamaria has a star-crossed encounter with the grocer's son, a man from the entirely wrong family. And through no intent of her own, Luciana catches the eye of Billy Quinn, the son of Madame Forza's most important client.

Their destinies intertwined, each harboring a secret from their families and each other, will they be found worthy of the love they seek?


If you would like to read the first chapter of A Heart Most Worthy, go HERE.


JEN'S THOUGHTS

Thanks to a looming deadline, my reading time has been severely restricted. Basically, I only read at bedtime, which means I end up falling asleep in the middle of a sentence. (Not because the book is boring, but because I'm exhausted.) For this reason, and this reason alone, I haven't finished reading A Heart Most Worthy. And it's killing me.

I want nothing more than to snuggle into the couch and read and read and read this wonderful book. It's the first book I've read by Siri Mitchell, but it certainly won't be the last. Her characters are so fully realized, so alive, I feel like they're waiting for me to come join them again. What a treat it is!

Another cool thing about this book is the use of an omniscient narrator. It's a device not often used in modern novels. In fact, authors are usually advised against it. But Mitchell handles it so well, I can't imagine the story being told any other way. Bravo on creating a book so engrossing and entertaining. Now, if I only had time to finish it...

Just for Fun: Tom Hanks Spoofs "Toddlers & Tiaras"

Yes, it's been a while since I posted something new. This is because I'm on a tight deadline, and of course, everything else that could happen, did. But I started seeing this video pop up all over the place and it's so funny, I have to share it on the off chance you haven't seen it yet.

Let me be very clear... this is a SPOOF video of the TLC show Toddlers & Tiaras made by Tom Hanks and his daughter, Sophie. It aired when he was on the Jimmy Kimmel show, and is one of the funniest videos I've seen. Enjoy the laugh, and the surprise cameos at the end.

CFBA presents SAVE THE DATE by Jenny B. Jones

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingSave The Date(Thomas Nelson - February 1, 2011)byJenny B. Jones



ABOUT THE AUTHOR


I write Christian fiction with a few giggles, quite a bit of sass, and lots of crazy. My novels include the Katie Parker Production series and So Not Happening. I would also like to take credit for Twilight , but somewhere I think I read you’re not supposed to lie.

When I’m not typing my heart out (or checking email), I teach at a super-sized high school in Arkansas.

My students are constantly telling me how my teaching changes their lives and turned them away from drugs, gangs, and C-SPAN.

Okay, that’s not exactly true.

Some facts that are true include:

I've always been refined!

A. I got my camera confiscated by big boys with guns at the American Embassy in Europe this past summer. O la la!

B. I once worked in a seed mill office and cleaned out mice on a regular basis. Ew.

C. I’m a former drama teacher.

D. I didn’t pass my drivers test the first time. Or the second…

E. I attract stray animals like a magnet.

F. I used to assemble and test paint ball guns for a local factory...

Since my current job leaves me with very little free time, I believe in spending my spare hours in meaningful, intellectual pursuits such as:

-watching E!
-updating my status on Facebook
-catching Will Ferrell on YouTube and
-writing my name in the dust on my furniture

I’d love to hear about you, so drop me a note. Or check me out on Facebook.


ABOUT THE BOOK

You’re invited to the engagement of the most unlikely couple of the year.

When the funding for Lucy’s non-profit job is pulled, she is determined to find out why. Enter Alex Sinclair, former professional football star and heir of Sinclair Enterprises—the primary donor to Lucy’s Saving Grace organization. Alex Sinclair has it all . . . except for the votes he needs to win his bid for Congress. Both Lucy and Alex have something the other wants. Despite their mutual dislike, Alex makes Lucy a proposition: pose as his fiancée in return for the money she desperately needs. Bound to a man who isn’t quite what he seems, Lucy finds her heart – and her future – on the line.



Save the Date is a spunky romance that will have readers laughing out loud as this dubious pair try to save their careers, their dreams . . . and maybe even a date.


If you would like to read the first chapter of Save The Date, go HERE


THOUGHTS FROM JEN

Jenny B. Jones has made a permanent place in the hearts of young girls (and the young at heart) with her YA novels. But with Save the Date, her second foray into fiction aimed at a slightly older audience, she is now firmly ensconced in the hearts of anyone with an XX chromosome set. With her signature sass, Jones has written a book that will not only make you laugh, but give your emotions a good old-fashioned tug. Mark it down on your calendar... you don't want to miss Save the Date!

Bad Blogger Blues

I have been a very, very bad blogger. I have not been posting regularly... but I have a good excuse. Several, in fact...

• I have a book deadline coming up, and it's kicking my you-know-what. Actually, the deadline isn't the problem, it's all the other bits and pieces of daily life that are jumping up to distract me. And I'm easily distracted. In fact - OOO, look... something shiny!
• My blogging loyalties are divided. Not only do I contribute to Inkwell Inspirations (along with several other amazing ladies), I also run another blog of my own. The Pastor's Wife Speaks is a safe haven for women living on the front lines of ministry. Even though I have a great team of contributors, I still have to oversee the whole thing, which takes a lot of my time.
• Did I mention that I'm easily distracted?

So there you go... my excuses for being such a bad, bad blogger. I hope to get better, I truly do. My manuscript needs to be turned in by April 1st, so after that, I'll have one less distraction. Unless I can land a new contract, which I really hope I do. If that happens, I may still be a bad blogger, but I'll be a super-happy writer :+}

CFBA presents ANOTHER DAWN by Kathryn Cushman

This week, theChristian Fiction Blog Allianceis introducingAnother Dawn(Bethany House - February 1, 2011)byKathryn Cushman



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathryn Cushman is a graduate of Samford University with a degree in pharmacy. After practicing as a pharmacist, she left her career to marry and begin a family and has since pursued her dream of writing.

Other books by Kathryn, A Promise to Remember was a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers Book-of-the-Year in the Women’s Fiction category, and Waiting for Daybreak was a finalist in Women’s Fiction for the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award.

Leaving Yesterday, her third novel, was a finalist for the ACFW Carol Award.

Now her fifth book, Another Dawn, has arrived in stores, and I’m very excited about it!

On the homefront, Kathryn has been married to Lee for over twenty years now, and their two daughters are currently braving the worlds of junior high and high school. They’ve lived in Santa Barbara for the last nineteen years. It’s a beautiful place and Kathryn feels blessed to be there (although a seventy degree Christmas still leaves her dreaming of a white one—or at least a colder one!)


ABOUT THE BOOK

Grace Graham is back in Tennessee with her four-year-old son on a short unpaid leave from work, helping her father recover from surgery and spending time with her sister.
Shoal Creek seems more backward than ever after her years in California, and it's hard to find organic food anywhere. When the unthinkable happens and her son is diagnosed with measles, Grace's fears over modern medicine take a dangerous turn.
Worse, the town has fallen into quarantine and its residents focus their anger and blame on Grace. She is alone and scared, until one brave woman chooses to reach out a hand of forgiveness and mercy. But when the outbreak takes a life-threatening turn, will Grace be able to forgive herself?



If you would like to read the first chapter of Another Dawn, go HERE.


JEN'S THOUGHTS

In Another Dawn, Kathryn Cushman takes on the controversial topic of childhood vaccines and whether they can bring on Autism in once healthy children. But this isn't really and "issue" book. In fact, the deeper, core question is: Are you ready to accept the consequences for the choices you make?

Grace has long blamed her father for the death of her mother. He chose to smoke, yet her mother is the one who died of cancer. But now, Grace sees how her choice not to vaccinate her son has exposed innocent babies to a disease which could be deadly. Suddenly, everything that Grace used to see as black and white has become clouded in murky shades of gray.

Cushman does a great job at giving you something to think about. It's not hard to see both sides of the argument here, and it's almost impossible not to ponder what you'd do if you were in this woman's shoes. Another Dawn is a touching book about how one family deals with the consequences of some questionable choices.