Welcome to the online home of Audra Jennings, a book publicist and crafter. Here I share about both. I hope you'll find books you'll want to read and crafts you will want to order. I live a rather boring, single life. At times I would like to think I am humorous. The kids I teach in Bible class tend to think so. I also blog about current seasons of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. I don't know why, I just do.
Help your family learn to build a first line of defense against sexual abuse with Justin and Lindsey Holcomb’s new book, God Made All of Me. Their simple and relatable story, designed to help children protect their bodies, will be an important resource for every family with young children. It equips parents to talk with both boys and girls about their bodies and to help them understand the difference between the appropriate and inappropriate touch of others.
{MORE ABOUT GOD MADE ALL OF ME}
(New Growth Press, September 2015)
“God made every part of you!”
It’s easy to convey the message to children that their bodies—or particular parts of their bodies—are shameful. This misconception fuels confusion, embarrassment, and secrecy, and often prevents children from recognizing or reporting sexual abuse.
God Made All of Me is a simply-told, beautifully-illustrated story to help families talk about these sensitive issues with two- to eight-year-old children. Because the private parts of our bodies are private, the home is the ideal environment where a child should learn about his or her body and how it should be treated by others.
God Made All of Me starts from the fundamental truth that God created everything and applies that truth—the doctrine of creation—to kids and their bodies. It equips parents to talk with both boys and girls about their bodies and to help them understand the difference between the appropriate and inappropriate touch of others. God Made All of Me allows families to build a first line of defense against sexual abuse in the safety of their own homes.
God Made All of Me is the first children’s book written by Rid of My Disgrace authors Justin and Lindsey Holcomb. Parents of young children themselves, the Holcombs regularly counsel victims of sexual abuse and are profoundly aware of the dangers kids face. Their simple and relatable story, designed to help children protect their bodies, will be an important resource for every family with young children.
Justin Holcomb, PhD, is an Episcopal priest and professor of theology and Christian thought at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Reformed Theological Seminary. He is the author of On the Grace of God, Know the Heretics, and Know the Creeds and Councils, as well as the coauthor of “Is It My Fault? and Rid of My Disgrace. He also serves on the boards for REST (Real Escape from the Sex Trade) and GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in Christian Environments).
Lindsey Holcomb, MPH, counsels victims of sexual assault and domestic violence and is the co-founder of REST (Real Escape from the Sex Trade). Lindsey has provided crisis intervention to victims of sexual assault and domestic violence and conducted a variety of training seminars to service providers. She is also the coauthor of Is It My Fault? and Rid of My Disgrace.
Imagine being held captive for seventy years without aging a day, only to escape into modern-day 2015. Meet WWII hero Roger Greene in Rick Barry’s The Methuselah Project. Katherine Mueller—crack shot, genius, and real Southern Belle—offers to help him find his way home. Can he convince her of the truth of his crazy story? Can he continue to trust her when he finds out she works for the very organization he’s trying to flee?
{MORE ABOUT THE METHUSELAH PROJECT}
(Kregel, September 2015)
Nazi scientists started many experiments. One never ended.
Roger Greene is a war hero. Raised in an orphanage, the only birthright he knows is the feeling that he was born to fly. Flying against the Axis Powers in World War II is everything he always dreamed—until the day he’s shot down and lands in the hands of the enemy.
When Allied bombs destroy both his prison and the mad genius experimenting on POWs, Roger survives. Within hours, his wounds miraculously heal, thanks to those experiments. The Methuselah Project is a success—but this ace is still not free. Seventy years later, Roger hasn’t aged a day, but he has nearly gone insane. This isn’t Captain America—just a lousy existence only made passable by a newfound faith. The Bible provides the only reliable anchor for Roger’s sanity and his soul. When he finally escapes, there’s no angelic promise or personal prophecy of deliverance, just confusion. It’s 2015—and the world has become an unrecognizable place.
Katherine Mueller—crack shot, genius, and real Southern Belle—offers to help him find his way home. Can he convince her of the truth of his crazy story? Can he continue to trust her when he finds out she works for the very organization he’s trying to flee?
Thrown right into pulse-pounding action from the first page, readers will find themselves transported back in time to a believable, full-colored past, and then catapulted into the present once more. The historical back-and-forth adds a constantly moving element of suspense to keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Rick Barry is the author of Gunner’s Run, another World War II novel, Kiriath’s Quest, and more than 200 articles and fiction stories. In addition to being a World War II buff, he is the director of church planting ministries at BIEM, a Christian ministry operating in Eastern Europe. He holds a degree in foreign languages, speaks Russian, and has visited Europe more than fifty times. Rick lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.
With
the first book in her new Waves of
Freedom series, Through Waters Deep (Revell/August 4, 2015/ISBN:
978-0800723422 /$14.99), Sarah Sundin transports readers back to the 1940s — a fascinating time when ordinary men learned they
could do extraordinary things, and women explored new roles while still
remaining ladies. It’s an era Sundin enjoys living in while she weaves her
stories. “When we read of how people in the 1940s prevailed in times of
uncertainty, fear and danger, it gives us hope we can prevail today, no matter
what we face,” Sundin explains.
Described by Booklist as “an optimal hybrid of 1940s crime and romance,” Through Waters Deep takes readers
through the tense months right before the U.S. entered World War II. There
they’ll encounter German U-boats and torpedoes, along with the explosive power
of true love.
Q: Through
Waters Deep is the first book in your new Waves of Freedom series. What’s
it like for you to start a new series?
Both
exciting and scary. I love getting to know a whole new cast of characters, but
it takes time to get to know them. I love the challenge of a new setting, but
the research can be daunting. I loved stretching myself by writing a mystery
plotline for the first time, but sometimes I felt I’d gotten in over my head.
And I never know what my readers will think of the new series . . . kind of
like trying a completely new haircut and waiting for your friends’ reactions!
Q: You are known for finding
inspiration for elements of your story plots in Scripture. Which verse did you
choose for Through Waters Deep?
Ironically, the verse I
originally chose didn’t really play into the book after all. However, verses emerged
when I wrote the story. For Mary Stirling, who struggles with a fear of
attention, her theme verse is Matthew
5:15-16: “Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a
candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light
so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father
which is in heaven.” Mary learns that using your gifts isn’t prideful when you
do it to call attention to God, not to yourself.
Q: Why do you like setting stories
during the World War II period?
It’s
a fascinating era filled with drama, action and romance. Ordinary men learned
they could do extraordinary things, and women tried new roles while still remaining
ladies. When we read of how people in the 1940s prevailed in times of
uncertainty and fear and danger, it gives us hope we can prevail today, no
matter what we face.
Q: Do you know anyone who served in
the Navy during World War II? Did you draw from real stories as you wrote Through Waters Deep?
My
grandfather served as a pharmacist’s mate (medic) in the U.S. Navy in World War
II. He was quite the storyteller! His wartime stories were medical in nature,
and I adapted one of them in my Wings of the Nightingale series. For the Waves
of Freedom, I read several accounts by U.S. naval officers who served on
destroyers.
Q: What fact did you find most
interesting as you did research for this book?
I
found something new and interesting almost every day! The novel itself was
inspired by the little-known fact that six American ships, including a
destroyer, were sunk by German U-boats in 1941 — before Pearl Harbor! Even
those sinkings and the deaths of more than 100 sailors and merchant marines
didn’t provoke the United States to enter the war.
Q: How does Mary’s fear of attention
hold her back? Do you have past or present fears that have held you back? How
did you overcome?
Mary’s
fear of attention causes her to hold back in many areas of her life. She wears
inconspicuous clothes, chooses not to assert herself on the job and refuses to
use her gift of singing. Only when she releases that fear can she fully use the
gifts God gave her — and she even chooses to wear red!
Personally,
I’m a cautious person by nature, so I’ve had to rely on the Lord to help me
overcome my fears and do what He asks of me. Whenever I do, it’s such a thrill
that over time it’s become easier and easier to step out in faith — and now
it’s a joy!
Q: Jim has always floated with the
current, and he struggles to be bold when necessary. Do you tend to be bold, or
do you “go with the flow”?
Like
Jim, I’m a people pleaser who loves peace and lack of conflict, and I usually
try to smooth things over between people. However, unlike Jim, I’ve always
known where I want to go in life, and I follow that path with determination (although
some might call it stubbornness).
Q: How do events that happen in our
childhood shape our present character? Is it possible to overcome these past
events and forge a new future?
I
find it interesting what a powerful effect childhood events can have on our
characters, shaping our fears and notions — often subconsciously. To overcome
the negative effects, we have to recognize them, find the source, combat lies
with truth and choose to live in the truth. Often it needs to be a daily choice.
I’m thankful God gives us the wisdom, comfort, truth and power to do this!
Q: Have you ever been on board a
WWII-era ship? What did you think?
I
have! In the past few years, I’ve explored an aircraft carrier, two
battleships, two destroyers, a submarine and a Liberty ship! I’m always
impressed by the sparse living and close quarters. No wasted space, no
unnecessary equipment or personal items, and everyone had to do their part. As
I learned about these ships and what they did, visiting the ships meant even
more to me. I got a bit too excited when I had the opportunity to climb inside
a 5-inch gunmount, visit an ammunition handling room and see a real Mark 37
fire control computer. I’ve never been normal.
Q: The U.S. was united immediately
after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, but earlier that year a different
cultural temperature existed. How does this time remind you of today’s world?
While
we all look back nostalgically at the unity in America during World War II, the
States were anything but united in 1941. Interventionists were alarmed by the
situation in Europe and wanted to join the war effort before Britain fell.
Meanwhile, the isolationists felt the best way to save America was by staying
out of yet another European war. They argued bitterly, with lots of name-calling.
The stark division and the angry debate remind me too much of the nation in
2015. I pray it won’t take another Pearl Harbor to bring us back together
again.
Q: What significance does the imagery
of sailing have in Through Waters Deep?
When
I was in the early stages of planning this novel, I was designing Mary’s
apartment and decided she’d have a painting of a sailboat on the wall — something
a Midwestern girl might buy when moving to New England. It appealed to Mary for
the sense of boldness and movement, surging forward despite the wind and the
current. I realized this captured the heart of the story: two characters who
need to learn to hoist their sails and fly!
Q: This book contains an element of
mystery; is it hard to create that kind of suspense?
What
challenged me most was the complexity of a mystery plot. About a dozen suspects
and investigators, acting, reacting to each other, implicating others, telling
the truth, telling lies, planting clues. My head swam. So I made a chart.
That’s what I do when I get confused. I had a column for each character and described
what they were doing or thinking in each scene and between scenes. It helped me
so much.
Q: What message do you hope readers
take away from reading Through Waters
Deep?
Hoist
your sails! Jim Avery is an easygoing, “float with the current” man who learns
the hard way that floating can carry him onto the rocks. And Mary Stirling
keeps her sails bound tight in false humility, fearful of becoming prideful,
fearful of falling. Jim and Mary learn, “We have to hoist our sails. We have to
let the Lord fill them. Then we have to resist the current if necessary to stay
the course. . . . Then we can fly with the wind.”
However,
I’ve learned readers often take away a completely different message than what’s
written, and that’s wonderful! I’m in awe of how God can take a simple story
and use one element to touch a reader’s heart in a personal and unique way. So
I hope readers take away what the Lord wants them to take away.
Q: What can readers anticipate as you
continue the Waves of Freedom series?
In
the second book, Anchor in the Storm
(Revell, summer 2016), plucky pharmacist Lillian Avery and high-society
naval officer Arch Vandenberg find danger from U-boats, black market drug rings
— and love. I’m currently writing the third novel (Revell, winter 2017). In it,
the
last thing no-nonsense naval officer Dan Avery wants to see on his radar is fun-loving
glamour girl Quintessa Beaumont — even if she has joined the WAVES.
It's off to go do a set-up for a show this weekend. I'll be so glad when Hobby Lobby opens in two weeks in Waxahachie so it won't be so inconvenient to make a trip when I need something specific. I had to take off work early today to go make a stop before set-up.
Most of what was done this week was replacements for what I already sold, but I did get these finished, and need to complete orders in the coming week. Then, it's more stock for the huge shows coming up. Busy! Busy! Busy!
Teach your child the Lord’s Prayer in a practical but fun way with the new children’s book from Catherine DeVries, Let’s Learn about the Lord’s Prayer.Preschoolers are invited on a playdate with Emma. Together they learn the Lord’s Prayer and practice “teaching” it to Emma’s favorite teddy bear. The entire Lord’s Prayer is included, along with a custom song (free download with access code).
{MORE ABOUT LET’S LEARN ABOUT THE LORD’S PRAYER}
(David C. Cook, September 2015)
In this first book of the HeartSmart series, preschoolers are invited on a playdate with Emma. Together they learn the Lord’s Prayer and practice “teaching” it to Emma’s favorite teddy bear.
Introducing HeartSmart, a Scripture memory series designed to create opportunities for children to fill their heart with God’s Word. HeartSmart combines key Scriptures with songs, giving parents a spiritual formation path for building a strong foundation of faith.
The entire Lord’s Prayer is included, along with a custom song (free download with access code).
Catherine DeVries has written twenty books for children, including the bestselling “The Adventure Bible Storybook.” As associate publisher of Children’s Resources at David C Cook, she leads product development for The Action Bible collection, which has sold over a million copies. Catherine lives with her husband, their three children, and their big furry dog in the Colorado forest.
Did you know your children’s view of God will primarily come from what they learn at home? Don’t freak out because Jim Burns’ and Jeremy Lee’s new book, Pass It On, is here to help! Most parents spend more time helping their kids succeed at academics or athletics than infusing shared spiritual experiences into the rhythm of everyday family life. Forever change the direction of your family’s spiritual legacy . . . starting now!
{MORE ABOUT PASS IT ON}
(David C. Cook, September 2015)
Parents often experience a “freak out” moment when they realize their children’s view of God will primarily come from what they learn at home.
Most parents spend more time helping their kids succeed at academics or athletics than infusing shared spiritual experiences into the rhythm of everyday family life.
While the idea of strategically passing down our faith can seem intimidating, the annual Rites of Passage Experiences contained in Pass It On make it easy for your family to celebrate milestones from kindergarten through high school graduation. Forever change the direction of your family’s spiritual legacy . . . starting now!
Jim Burns is president of HomeWord and executive director of the HomeWord Center for Youth and Family at Azusa Pacific University. He has more than 1.5 million resources in print and a radio broadcast heard on 800 stations a day. Jim resides in Southern California with his wife Cathy and their three daughters.
Jeremy Lee is the founder of ParentMinistry.Net, a subscription-based service for children and youth ministry workers. He was on the writing team for the Simple Truth Bible from Group Publishing and the Ignite Study Bible from Thomas Nelson Publishers. Jeremy lives in Nashville with his wife and children.
A family separated not
just by time, but by centuries
Lynne Gentry
concludes her latest series with a
thrilling story of fearlessness and family
ties
Lynne
Gentry takes readers to third-century Carthage for a thrilling time-travel
adventure in Valley of Decision(Howard Books/September
22, 2015/ISBN: 978-1476746418/$14.99), the explosive conclusion to the
Carthage Chronicles. In her latest release, Gentry brings her thorough research of the Plague of Cyprian to life as
she examines the power of family connections.
Thirteen years ago, Dr. Lisbeth Hasting made an impossible decision to leave
third-century Carthage and her husband, Cyprian, behind for good to protect their
daughter Maggie. Summoning all her courage, she struggled to move on with life
and keep her promise to Cyprian to keep their little girl out of harm’s way.
Years later, that little girl is now a headstrong young woman starting to chafe
under her mother’s protective wings. Craving an opportunity to express her
independence, Maggie decides to do what her mother appears to be unable or
unwilling to do: She secretly returns to the third century on a quest to bring
her father back. When Lisbeth discovers what Maggie has done, she is left with no
choice but to follow.
The idea of a child rebelling is not foreign to any parent, including Gentry. “I love my children. However, my kids are
human,” Gentry shares. “Whenever they dared to step out of the safety of the
boundaries I’d established for them, it was more than anger that kicked in. It
was sheer terror. What if they were hurt? What if I couldn’t rescue them?”
These are all issues Lisbeth and Cyprian must confront in Valley of
Decision.
With Maggie’s surprise arrival in
Carthage, chaos ensues. Finding her grandmother on trial for murder, she
attempts to save her, but her efforts only spark a riot that nearly destroys
the plagued city. Only one thing will appease the wrath of the new proconsul of
Carthage: the death of whomever instigated the riot.
Family ties are challenged, and every choice has a
consequence in the Valley of Decision. Ultimately, Lisbeth will learn family
is sometimes less about DNA and more about those who choose to love you — no
matter what.
As Gentry concludes this series, she reflects on
how she has grown along with her characters. “This series originated out of my own
regrets. I nearly made myself sick longing for a chance to redo the past,”
Gentry reveals. “Ironically, it was in the writing of Lisbeth’s desperate
attempts to right her own wrongs I discovered poor choices and failures are the
dark threads that give our life the depth of a tapestry. That’s how I felt when
I wrote the epilogue of Valley ofDecision. I’m comfortable with
who I am: an imperfect person wholoves God and is loved by God — even
when I fail.”
Praise for Lynne Gentry
“Extraordinary writing. I’ve just discovered my new favorite
author in Lynne Gentry. With an incredible, compelling new voice she weaves the
past and present together in a fascinating tale I couldn’t put down.”
~ Elizabeth Goddard, Carol Award–winning
author of Treacherous Skies, Riptide, and Wilderness Peril
About the Author
Lynne
Gentry has written for numerous publications and is a professional acting
coach, theater director and playwright with several full-length musicals and a
Chicago children’s theater curriculum to her credit.
Her love for writing
stories was born while growing up on a Kansas dairy farm as she longed for
adventure and dreamt of traveling to exotic places. She likes to write stories
that launch modern women into ancient adventures, such as The Carthage Chronicles series (Healer of Carthage, Return to Exile and Valley of Decision).
Gentry is also an
inspirational speaker and dramatic performer who loves spending time with her
family and medical therapy dog.
Let's start an #IdentityRevolution and take back what social
media has stolen!
Litfuse and Abingdon Press are excited to bring you debut author Jessica Fralin's
book, #Stolen:
Is Social Media Stealing Your Identity? Join the
#IdentityRevolution by pledging your social media support on October 2; head
over to the Thunderclap #Stolen Campaign Page to get
started. We need at least 250 pledges to meet our goal---help us get there by pledging your social media support and tell
your friends! When you sign up, you'll be the first to know on October 2 about
a special Instagram contest and the chance to win a $100 cash card.
We're also
offering you the opportunity to read the digital book and a companion youth
group study guide for free! Sign up here if you're interested in reading
the book. Even if you're not, would you pass this email along to your church's
youth pastor, a teacher, or a parent who would find the book helpful? We want
this book to get into the hands of those who will find the book useful for
walking teens and young adults through this transitional period of their lives-only
made tougher by the barrage of social media.
If you sign up to
receive the book and study guide, you'll receive them via email in early
October, along with an email full of social media and review tips and
promotions.
On behalf of Jessica and Abingdon, we appreciate your support! Don't hesitate
to ask us if you have any questions.
What can you do to help
get the word out about #Stolen?
Share any photos from this
email on Instagram---and
link to the Thunderclap (here's the short link: http://bit.ly/1ikBLtP).
Forward this email on to parents, teachers,
youth-group pastors---anyone who'd find this book helpful---and
encourage them to sign up to receive their free copy of the book!
Share on your social media
sites! We've made it easy with some
pre-made blasts you can copy and pastes below!
Social Media
Blast:
Is social media stealing your identity? Join the #IdentityRevolution
with Jessica Fralin's new book, #Stolen! http://bit.ly/1LXRPyi
Take back what social media has #Stolen (plus a chance to win a #cash card!) http://bit.ly/1ikBLtP
Want to help get the word out about a great book and have a chance to win a
#cash card? http://bit.ly/1ikBLtP #Stolen
Don't let social media steal your identity! Join the #IdentityRevolution http://bit.ly/1ikBLtP
About the Book
Take back what social media has stolen.
How many hours do we spend scrolling Facebook newsfeeds,
retweeting something on Twitter, or posing for the perfect selfie on
Instagram, hoping what we post will get likes and comments from our friends
and followers? To get those likes, we post what is---according to social
media standards---pretty, popular, and acceptable. We hide the messy parts of
life, play up the fun times, and even twist the truth a bit so we look a
little better, smarter, and funnier. But what happens when people start
holding us up to these unrealistic standards? What happens when you realize
that who you are on social media isn't who you really are? Have we let social
media steal our identity?
In
#Stolen, author Jessica
Fralin uncovers our deep desire to be affirmed, valued, and
loved and then points to the only place where that desire can be filled: in
Christ not social media. She offers creative #FunFact, #GiveItATry, and
#WhatDoYouThink callouts containing fun notes, activities, and ideas to
discuss with your youth group and friends. As she tackles the issues and
insecurities like popularity, body image, and cyberbullying, Jessica shows
you how to find your identity in the one voice that really matters, not the
million of voices online.
Jessica Fralin is an author, blogger, and full-time college
student residing in Lynchburg, Virginia. As a worship leader and aspiring
women's ministry leader, she conveys the message of love, acceptance, and
worth that can only be found in the gospel. On any given day, you can find
her holding a guitar, a book, or a latte and passionately teaching others who
they are-and why it matters-when it comes to social media.
This was the second take when someone got back from their trip down the hall. ;) The first take may have had me laughing too loud to hear them sing anyway.
