Tiffany L. Warren Presents “The Replacement Wife,” the BOOK not the stage play…

Hello World,

As a lifelong bibliophile, one of my greatest joys to discover a new book to love 🙂 My friend and fellow author Tiffany L. Warren has a written a brand new book  “The Replacement Wife” released today, that you are sure to love….Tiffany, who has written 15 novels including two young adult series (So For Real and The Fab Life) under pen name Nikki Carter, is also a playwright! “The Replacement Wife,” a stage play which debuted in 2012, featured vocal powerhouse Shirley Murdock and Tommy Ford from “Martin.” Below is a description of the book and my interview with Tiffany about “The Replacement Wife”  the book….

Five years after his beloved wife’s death, wealthy Quentin Chambers still hasn’t returned to the church or his music ministry. Even his home is now devoid of music, and without his attention, Quentin’s five children are getting out of control–until his mother steps in and hires him a live-in nanny. Montana is pretty, compassionate, church-going, and even has a beautiful singing voice. The children take to her right away, and soon enough Quentin finds his heart opening to faith–and love–once more. But not everyone loves Montana. . .

A “friend” of Quentin’s first wife, Chloe has been scheming to become the next Mrs. Chambers since the funeral. Chloe is convinced she’s just one seduction away from a marriage proposal. Now she’ll do whatever it takes to get rid of Montana–including blackmail, theft–and digging up a troublemaking man from Montana’s past. But Chloe forgets she’s got secrets of her own, and the tables may turn with a twist she never sees coming. . .

1.What inspired you to write “The Replacement Wife?”

It’s actually a faith-based take on “The Sound of Music.” I’ve loved that movie since I was a little girl! I wanted to write a romance with a widower, and this seemed like the perfect backdrop. A man who has abandoned his music ministry after losing his wife to cancer. There is a lot of room for reconciliation and redemption, the themes for all of my books.

2.What do you want readers to learn from this story?

That even the strongest Christians can be impacted by grief and even blame God their situation. I kept thinking about the Bible story of Job when he said, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”. What does that mean? Job believed that God was the cause of his affliction, but yet in order to recover he had no choice except to trust God. That was so profound to me.

3.Who is your favorite character in this book, and why?

Montana. She is a very trusting person. She looks for the good in everyone.

4.This novel is set in Atlanta. Why Atlanta, and how did you conduct research about Atlanta in writing this book?

I chose Atlanta because I’ve spent enough time there to be able to describe it properly. I only write places that I am familiar with, because I don’t have the resources to travel to locations and write. One day, I will write a book set on the Amalfi Coast (Italy)!

5.How long did it take you to write this book?

About five months.

6.Was this book easier or harder to write than your other books and why?

Each book presents its own challenges. This one challenged me because I personally have never experienced the type of grief that comes with losing a spouse or a close family member. I had to research the grief process.

7.Are you coming to Atlanta to promote the book? Where? When?

I will be in Atlanta, May 17-18. Locations haven’t been determined yet, but check my website at www.tiffanylwarren.com for details.

To read an excerpt of “The Replacement Wife,” go here

Any thoughts?

P.S. I will forever be indebted to Tiffany as I got a book deal through her 2010 Faith & Fiction Retreat held in Atlanta…Yes, Tiffany is a novelist, playwright, conference planner AND a wife and mother to five children 🙂

I’s Married Now!!! AKA Marriage, Day 8

Hello World,

The last time I blogged which was on Wednesday, Aug. 7, I was a single woman getting ready to be married on Saturday, Aug. 10…Leading up until the actual ceremony, I was pulling all-nighters trying to get everything done before the big day, particularly as we were flying out to Hawaii, the state where President Obama was born and raised, the next morning at 7:59 am!

So because you are my people, I have decided to share some of photos with you leading from the morning of the big day throughout our honeymoon…It has been a wonderful week…my best week ever…

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Here I am in my special robe…Can you see the word bride?

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One of the bridesmaids took this obligatory contemplative pose…Actually, it was a beautiful and prayerful morning in which God showed me over and over again that it would be a blessed day…

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Getting made up…

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My wedding dress…Isn’t it beautiful? A bridesmaid dress is in the back too…

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Getting my hair did and being buttoned up…

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Almost ready!!!

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Getting ready to be summoned from the church annex to the church sanctuary…

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A quick pose with my bouquet…Isn’t it beautiful? Thanks HYR Designs!!!

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Of course, I didn’t take pictures during our ceremony…Here is one from the reception…Presenting Mr. & Mrs. Robert L. Meredith Jr.!!! Thanks to Take That Media 1 for the awesome photo booth at our reception…

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Mom and Dad clowning at the photo booth…

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We had an official cake made for the reception, but this is one of the Jamaican rum cakes that we had made as we gave out slices of Jamaican rum cake as one of our favors…

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Our fancy schmancy wedding vehicle…Robert and I had to return it before heading off to Hawaii…

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Cinderella has left the building…in my glasses for the looong flight…If you look closely, you can see my fake eyelashes are still on…I paid $100 for that face, and I intended to keep it on as long as possible…

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We have arrived…Note the palm trees in the background at the airport in Honolulu…

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On the way to the hotel…Blue skies and the sun…Missing them now that I’m back in rainy Atlanta…It has been one rainy summer in the A…

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Where we stayed…Lovely hotel…

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The view from our room…

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Posing in our room…

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The beach…

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This is where President Obama scattered his grandmother’s ashes in the ocean…beautiful site…

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The Dole Plantation…I had no idea this is where Dole pineapples come from…

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A fruit stand in the Hawaiian countryside…

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A fried banana…Note my bite taken out of it…

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A beautiful Buddhist temple…

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Enjoying the sun…

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Me and the handsome hubby about to barter for souvenirs…

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At a luau…Handsome huh? I know I’m married, but I can still look…

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And for the fellas…

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At the Ala Moana Center, which is the size of three Lenox Malls…We spent a lot of time window shopping there…

sooo….there are so many more photos I could share…literally hundreds…but this kinda gives you a feel of my last seven days…

Very last photo for this post…

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Leaving:(

Any thoughts?

Spelman College’s WISDOM Center Celebrates 10th anniversary with Ministry Conference & Book Launch

Hello World,

As the last few days of January slip by, I hope your year is off to a wonderful start…If you need some divine inspiration to chart a path for the rest of 2013, a visit to Spelman College this weekend may be in order…

The school’s WISDOM Center is celebrating it’s 10th anniversary beginning this weekend and continuing throughout the year. This year-long celebration, entitled “A Legacy of Women in Transformational Ministry, will be inaugurated on Friday, Feb. 1 with an awards ceremony featuring the official launch of the center’s new anthology, “If I Do What Spirit Says Do: Black Women, Vocation, and Community Survival,” followed by a book signing. The anthology includes essays by theologians, religious scholars, preachers and community leaders who presented during the WISDOM Center’s 2006 global conference. The evening will conclude with the Wisdom Café,  which will feature spoken word artists, and jazz, and gospel selections by faculty, staff, alumnae and students.

On Saturday, Feb. 2, the center is hosting it’s one-day ministry conference “Finding Your Way Home: Transitions, Transformation and Triumph,” which promises to include women pastors, clergy wives, lay leaders and students for a series of workshops and discussions that will explore issues such as life/work balance, resources for inner strength, overcoming personal challenges, transforming the mind and spirit, and the personal and family struggles of women in ministry. Some of the workshop titles are: Dream a Bigger Dream, Understanding and Balancing Our Roles as Women of Faith, and Overcoming Brokenness, Betrayal, and Bitterness. Some of the speakers will be: Reverend Renita Weems, Ph.D., co-pastor, Ray of Hope Community Church, Nashville, Tenn.; Beth-Sarah Wright, Ph.D., independent scholar and first lady of St. Paul Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Ga. and Lisa Williams, founder and executive director, Living Water for Girls, Atlanta, Ga.

Finally, on Sunday, Feb. 3, the weekend will culminate with a worship service at Sisters Chapel with brief sermons presented by three Spelman alumnae.

The events are open to the public. To learn more about the schedule and to register, visit this link. To register youth (ages 11-18), call 404-270-5729 or e-mail SistersChapel@spelman.edu.

Any thoughts?