Christian Devotions SPEAK UP!

Financial Minister Chris Stocklin Faith & FINANCES are Bible-based devotions aimed to help readers apply God’s financial principles in their lives. These devotions will help you apply Biblicaly based principles to your family's finances so they may be free to develop a more intimate relationship with the Father. Christian Devotions ministry believes God owns all things and that every need should be bathed in prayer. Over the course of the next year we will touch on topics such as: Wasteful spendingTithingWorryWorkBudgetingContentmentDebtTaxesSuccessStewardshipSavingProsperityProvisionLendingInvestingGiving

  Award-winning author, DiAnn Mills, launched her career in 1998 with the publication of her first book. Currently she has over forty books in print and has sold more than a million copies.   DiAnn believes her readers should “Expect an Adventure.” DiAnn Mills is a fiction writer who combines an adventuresome spirit with unforgettable characters to create action-packed novels.   Six of her anthologies have appeared on the CBA Best Seller List. Three of her books have won the distinction of Best Historical of the Year by Heartsong Presents. Five of her books have won placements through American Christian Fiction Writer’s Book of the Year Awards 2003 – 2007, and she is the recipient of the Inspirational Reader’s Choice award for 2005 and 2007. She was a Christy Awards finalist in 2008.   DiAnn is a founding board member for American Christian Fiction Writers, a member of Inspirational Writers Alive, Romance Writers of America’s Faith, Hope and Love, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country. DiAnn is also a mentor for Jerry B. Jenkins Christian Writer’s Guild.   She lives in sunny Houston, Texas. DiAnn and her husband have four adult sons and are active members of Metropolitan Baptist Church.

Eva Marie Everson grew up in a rural southern town in Georgia just outside of Savannah. She is married, has four children and five grandchildren, and lives in Central Florida. She taught Old Testament theology for six years at Life Training Center in Longwood, Florida and has written numerous articles for Crosswalk.com (including the acclaimed Falling Into The Bible series), and has had articles featured in numerous publications, including Christianity Today, Evangel, Christian Bride, Christian Retailing,, The Godly BusinessWoman and Marriage Partnership magazines. Eva Marie has been interviewed by radio, television, newspaper, and Internet media outlets. In 2002 Eva Marie was one of six Christian journalists sent to Israel for a special ten-day press tour. She was forever changed.   Eva Marie’s work includes the award-winning titles Reflections of God's Holy Land; A Personal Journey Through Israel, Shadow of Dreams, Sex, Lies and the Media, and The Potluck Club as well as The Potluck Club: Trouble's Brewing, The Potluck Club Takes the Cake; The Potluck Cateromg Club Secret's in the Sauce, Oasis: A Spa for Body & Soul, and Sex, Lies and High School to name a few. Eva is a contributing author and/or editor to a number of other publications.

Virginia Smith is a writer of humorous novels, a speaker, and an avid scuba diver. She left her twenty-year career as a corporate director in the summer of 2006 to launch her career as a writer. Since that time she has written or contracted ten novels.   Ginny writes in two genres: contemporary fiction and mysteries. A Taste of Murder (October 2008) is her sixth release, following Stuck in the Middle (February 2008), Sincerely Mayla (February 2008), Just As I Am (February 2006), Murder by Mushroom (August 2007), and Bluegrass Peril (December 2007).   Ginny's speaking ability, groomed through years of presenting dry material to bored corporate employees, has been described as ‘entertaining, yet spiritually encouraging.' "She keeps her audience enthralled through her high-energy presentation," according to Pastor Amy Barkman, director of Voice Of Joy Ministries.   Ginny has published articles in a variety of magazines, and her short fiction has been anthologized. She maintains an active membership in several professional organizations, including Christian Writers Fellowship International, and American Christian Fiction Writers. She also serves on the board of directors for the Christian Authors Network.   When she isn't writing or speaking, Ginny and her husband, Ted, enjoy exploring the extremes of nature – snow skiing in the Wasatch Mountains near Salt Lake City, motorcycle riding on the curvy roads in central Kentucky, and scuba diving in the warm waters of Mexico and the Caribbean.   Christian Devotions SPEAK UP! is an outreach of Christian Devotions. Each week our host, Marianne Jordan, interviews Christian authors, agents, organizational leaders and speakers who work to address t

Alton Gansky is a full time writer. He is the award winning author of 30 books. In addition to his own writing, he consults with publishers and writers. He has also written scores of videos, radio and television ads and other business productions. Prior to turning to fulltime writing, he was the senior pastor of a Southern Baptist church. In addition to his writing, he speaks to writers groups and church organizations.

Robin Shope is a romance and mystery writer. Robin and her husband Rick are former missionaries and once pastored a country church for six years in Illinois.   "I write stories about Christian people who struggle with their faith," says, Robin. "But I still depend on God. I write emotionally driven stories with a strong romance and a strong Christian principle. When a reader picks up one of my books I don't want to fail them. I want them to be awed, moved to laughter or tears or both in the span of a few chapters. I want them to talk to their friends about my book, that they've found a keeper of an author in me because all my books are a must-read and how they can't wait for the sequel or the next new release."

Ann Tatlock is the author of the Christy Award-winning novel All the Way Home. She has also won the Midwest Independent Publishers Association "Book of the Year" in fiction for both All the Way Home and I'll Watch the Moon. Her novel Things We Once Held Dear received a starred review from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly calls her "one of Christian fiction's better wordsmiths, and her lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories." Ann lives with her husband and daughter in Asheville, North Carolina. Visit http://www.anntatlock.com/.

Jonathan Clements is a 13-year veteran in the entertainment world – in the areas of career consulting and management, brand development, and public relations,– with concentrations and work experiences in a variety of fields, including the literary, speaking, music, and entertainment worlds. These distinctive experiences combine for unique perspectives, as it relates to the development and placement of ideas and intellectual properties. Presently, Jonathan spends his time advancing the careers of authors and expanding corporate brands. Relationship driven … he prides himself as a true “connector” of people.

Yvonne Lehman lives in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina where she and her husband raised four children, now grown. She is an award-winning, best-selling author of 40 novels and director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference. In each of her novels, Yvonne tries to present one significant ingredient—hope. She has a southern upbringing and many of her novel settings are in the mountains where she's lived for the past 25 years. Many of her novels reflect her unique sense of humor.

This week bestselling author and columnist Jane Hampton Cook talks about the birth our nation and how God influenced the hearts of our founding fathers. Think God isn't important to the security and blessing of America? Tune it to hear Jane's perspective of how our first leaders understood God's sovereignty. You can receive Jane's weekly devotion from Christian Devotions by subscribing to Jane's: Faith & INDEPENDECE devotion.

Tonight we read the Christmas story with fresh eyes.

On this week's show we welcome Christian author Loree Lough will explain how God provides storylines, characters, and helps her devise realistic situations, problems, and solutions that bring Him glory.   At last count, best-selling author Loree Lough had 64 books (fiction and non-fiction for kids and adults; 1 novel optioned for a TV movie; 2 slated for 2008 and 6 contracted for 2009 release), 59 short stories, and more than 2,500 articles in print. Her stories have earned dozens of industry and “Readers’ Choice” awards, and publishers have (jokingly, she hopes) threatened to charge for the costs of forwarding large volumes of fan mail.  AND while contractually obliged to protect the artist, Loree IS allowed to brag that she "wrote several hit songs (music and lyrics!) for a Grammy-nominated C&W star." (So if you hear a couple of tear-jerkers about love gone wrong....)  Since 1990, Loree has been busy developing and teaching writing-related courses (including Writer’s Digest WOW sessions), seminars, and workshops, each geared to educate and inform, inspire and enthuse her students… hundreds of whom are now, themselves, published authors. In 1999, Loree designed THE LEADING EDGE WRITERS' STUDIOS... interactive one-day workshops structured to help authors sell, regardless of genre or skill level.  A frequent guest speaker for writers’ organizations, book clubs, private institutions, corporations, college and high school writing programs, and more.

Ron Benrey, author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Writing Christian Fiction, began his writing career as Electronics Editor of Popular Science Monthly. He is an experienced non-fiction writer who has written more than a thousand bylined magazine articles, eight published books, and scores of major speeches for the CEOs of Fortune-100 companies. Ron has taught dozens of fiction courses and workshops at major Christian Writers’ Conferences, including Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, Mt. Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference, San Diego Christian Writers Conference and Write! Canada. Ron holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master's degree in management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and a juris doctor from the Duquesne University School of Law. He’s a member of the Bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Nikki Leigh is an award winning fiction and non fiction author. She has over fifteen years of promotional experience. This background has been helpful with her book promotion and with her new promotional venture, Promo 101 Virtual Blog Tours. Her new book -Book Promo 101 lets her share many of the things she's learned. It gives information about many types of promotion. For details about Book Promo 101 and your other promotional options, visit her web site. For detailed promotional and virtual blog tour information, visit Nikki's blog.

This week we talk writing with Ariel Allison. Ariel lives in a small Texas town with her husband and three young sons. She is the co-author of Daddy Do You Love Me: a Daughter’s Journey of Faith and Restoration (New Leaf Press, 2006). Her days are filled with toothless grins, muddy hands, and a never ending stream of words that try to find their way to her laptop. She ponders life as a mother of all boys and her thoughts as a redeemed dreamer at Ariel Allison. She and her husband are expecting their fourth son in December.