Bridging The GAP vol 2 issue 2 2017 by Bridging The GAP Magazine

ission of Bridging The Gap Magazine:

*The Mission of Bridging The Gap Magazine, is to showcase Christian Authors who are

Inside This Issue: Vol. 2, Issue 2, 2017

writing to glorify the Kingdom of God, while calling Others out from the secular realm and into the Spiritual realm to use their gifts and talents that they Have been equipped to use by God.

Page 2- Mission of BTG & MORE! Page 3– Special

*The Theme of Bridging The Gap Magazine, is

Announcement

Recognizing the elements of truth that leads to GOD through literature.

Page 4– It Was The Devil All Along: Avalon Brown* Page 7- Prayer for

*Bridging The Gap Magazine’s Foundation scripture is based from Jeremiah chapter 30, verse two, which says: “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: W rite all the words that I have spoken to you in a book.” (Amplified Version).

Christian Writers Author’s Corner/ Excerpts: Page 11-Shoba Sadler

*Connect with us on Facebook at:

Page 12-Precarious Yates

https://www.facebook.com/GODSAUTHORSPROSPER2/

Page 15– Annabelle Garcia

*Email us at: bridgingthegapmag2016@gmail.com

Page 28- Cover Feature: Author Joanna Alonzo -ADVERTISEMENTS-

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT Byâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; Deborah Dunson & Clarissa Rhinehart

Bridging The Gap Magazine is a magazine that will accomplish the mission which God has sent for us to accomplish; which is one that is manifesting into a reality and we are forever thankful for the Hand of God being over this publication while we NEVER despise small beginnings because we serve a BIG and MIGHTY GOD! It means a lot when people respect vision and are mindful that no one is perfect because we all are capable of making mistakes. Each day, each of us are writing our own stories and we need to thank God that He provides the eraser to erase when we have made a mistake and need to start over. With much prayer and the will to be ALL that God has called this publication to be, we as business partners, (Deborah Dunson and myself, Clarissa Rhinehart), have decided for this magazine to be released on a quarterly basis and we are doing this because we only want to produce our best work to our audience of readers. We do ask that you stay connected with us on social media for updates on upcoming events and authors who will be featured. We are looking forward to God doing great and wonderful things as He brings His Chosen writers to this publication and the many lives that will be transformed from reading the stories that bring His purpose and mission to heart of humanity through the portal of literature. God blessDeborah Dunson & Clarissa Rhinehart

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It Was The Devil All Along Book Excerpt by Author Avalon Brown

Since I already worked at the hospital and I knew they were hiring LPNs, I went up to the nursing office to put in my application for a position.

This short, little lady with a fake grin greeted me. She brought me into the office and proceeded to interview me. After my interview, she told me, “Well, since you already work in the hospital, it shouldn’t be a problem.” We will call as soon as a position opens. What shift are you looking for?” I told her any shift. She said, “All right, we will call you.” Now this was in November. December rolled around, and I saw one of the men who was in my class orientation on the fifth floor. I began to wonder. I was right in the hospital, and I hadn’t received a call. So I went to see this supervisor who interviewed me to find out if there were any openings yet. Again, she told me, “Not yet. We will call you.” It was the end of December and rolling into January. No call yet. And what did I see but another student from my class. I was infuriated. This was the second person from my class to get hired, and I was still in Dietary waiting to get hired upstairs. Wait a minute. Something was not right here. Then someone said, “You’re the reason you did not get hired!

They don’t want anyone from Dietary upstairs, especially if you’re black! They want to keep you in the kitchen.” I thought to myself, here we go with this prejudice mess again. It has to be because I’m in Dietary because one of the students is black. Now every time I was on the floor delivering trays, I started talking to the nurses’ aides. Then one day I was standing by this elevator and talking to one of my coworkers. This aide who overheard my conversation told me, “You should have never gone to that supervisor. That lady is so prejudiced.” 5

Ann Marie Bryan Order NOW at: Amazon.com 6

A Prayer for Christian Writers By Clarissa Rhinehart Father God, which art in Heaven, we acknowledge you for every good and perfect gift that comes straight from YOU into our lives. We thank YOU God that YOU have called OUR TONGUES TO BE THE PENS OF READY WRITERS, as we believe that we will transform and win souls through literature for YOU. Father, we thank YOU that there will be NO SPIRIT of Writerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Block to enter our creative minds as we write that which YOU guide us to write. We pray that our hearts will not just desire to make money, but most of all, we pray that the our hearts will be mindful of winning souls for YOUR Kingdom and for YOU to get all of the GLORY, HONOR and PRAISE from what we set out to do everyday of our lives. We are mindful Lord God, that we live in turbulent, deceit and dark times, where there are some who have SOLD their souls in the name of MONEY, but Father we ask YOU humbly, to allow our GIFTS TO MAKE ROOM FOR US, as we give YOU FREE REIGN to have YOUR WAY within us. Lord God in Heaven, hear this prayer from a heart that is thirsty and desires to PLEASE ONLY YOU! Let our writings be BLESSINGS to others to read as we keep our minds stayed on YOU and YOUR WORD. For we know that YOU Lord God are Jehovah Jireh and YOU have already PROVIDED ALL THAT WE WILL EVER NEED, so as we thank you in advance, and we PRAY, let YOUR WILL BE DONE as Heaven Invades this EARTH! Amen7

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Book Excerpt: Child of Dust By– Author Shoba Sadler

Julia!

Kim gasped.

“Ha! I knew I’d catch you here.” Julia expertly slid off her mare with the grace of a Native-American warrior. “Welcome back, girlfriend. Roused from shock, Kim advanced towards her roommate for joyous hug.

“I’m so sorry about your parents,” Julia wheezed under the tight embrace. When they drew apart, she explained, “I badly wanted to come for the funeral, but I didn’t know when or where it was. I had to read about it in the papers.” Kim grew wary at the mention of papers. The brash Julia was fully capable of posing awkward questions about the scandalous accusations of Judge Cao. To Kim’s relief, the redhead brushed her aside, pulling off suede riding gloves. Her interest strayed to the array of food. “I never believe a thing those bozos say, anyway. True journalism is dead in this country. What do we have here? A picnic, all alone?” “Well, Bryan is here. Julia swung to Kim, arching an eyebrow before following her friend’s glance. “Why, hello there,” Julia chirped. Bryan nodded. Kim quickly explained, “He’s my chauffeur.” “How interesting. How come I’ve never met you before, Bryan?” “Julia.” Kim raised her voice in embarrassment. “I just told you he’s a chauffeur. How would you have met a chauffeur?” “The same way you’re having a romantic picnic with him, I suppose.” Julia chuckled in amusement. shobasadler.com/ 11

Excerpt from Sensitivity By Precarious Yates “He said he saw two girls go into these woods.” At the sound of a man’s voice, Mara quivered. Lili stiffened in her arms and let out a tiny whimper. “Shh,” Mara whispered. “They will find us for sure if we make any noise.” Lili nodded and pressed into her. The girls watched as two men bearing guns stalked through the trees below them. The men walked further into the forest but doubled back before they were out of sight. “If they went any further, there’s no way they’d survive.” “What do we tell Hector?” the other man asked. “That they disappeared. He’ll find them eventually, if they’re still alive. No sense risking our lives out here.” “I wouldn’t want to run into fairies. Let’s go.” Fairies? Mara didn’t want to run into those either. One of the men screamed. “Something stung me!” “Don’t be silly, man! Fairies don’t—Ahh! Wasps!” The sight of the men running out of the forest was so comical that Mara had to stifle her own laugh and cover Lili’s mouth to muffle hers. “Shh! Wait until they’re gone.” Even as she spoke, a tiny person with wings, no bigger than both of Mara’s hands, flew in front of them. A fairy! “What are you doing here, humans?” Lili’s laughter stopped with a gasp and she began to whimper. “Please,” Mara said, doing her best to keep her voice steady, “we need to hide.” “Are those men trying to find you?” Mara gulped and nodded. Would this fairy help them, or sell them back to Hector? “My wasps are teaching them a lesson. I didn’t like the look of those men.” The fairy, with arms akimbo, tilted her head to one side and squinted at the girls. “I’m not sure I like the look of you two either.” 13

Book Excerpt : Changed: A Tale of Metamorphosis By– Annabelle Garcia

Craig sat in his recliner staring at the whisky glass in his hand. The amber liquid called to him. He swirled it around before taking a drink. It burned as it went down, warming his insides for just a moment. Liquor had become his best friend in the recent weeks. He’d only been a weekend drinker for years, now he spent every night with a bottle in hand. The silence in the home was unbearable so he switched on the television with the remote. The first thing he saw on the screen was a commercial for a diner, a family sitting in a booth laughing. Tears pricked his eyes and he shut the television off. Rage filled him and he flung the heavy glass across the room. It shattered and the contents trickled down the wall. He couldn’t go on like this. If you are ready to make a change in your life, he will work with you. If you aren’t, well he won’t waste his time. The pastor’s words had haunted him over the course of the month, but he didn’t want to act on it. Now he knew it was time to take a chance. Picking up the cell phone he scrolled through the contacts. He found the one he was looking for. At least this would prove that this God business was nothing more than a scam. New Creation Ministries, that was the organization name. What a joke, he was not a new creation, he was broken beyond repair. His lips turned up in a twisted smile as the hit the send button on his phone. He’d probably drive 16

“We have meetings every night. I host meeting on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Our meeting starts at seven-thirty and last about an hour and a half. We have three meetings on Sunday for the convenience of church goers.” “Look, I’m gonna shoot straight with you, I’m not a religious person, never have been. I don’t know that I really believe in a God. I just need some help getting my family back. You are pretty much my last resort.” “Believers, and non-believers alike are welcome to the meetings. We ask only that you be respectful of all the other attenders.” “So, you don’t do the preachy stuff?” Craig brightened. Maybe this would work. “Now, I didn’t say that, I simply said believers and non-believers are welcome. I do preach from the Bible, I will pray for you and for the other attenders. I will hand out some biblical resources and I will invite you to attend church.” “Great,” he answered sarcastically. “Can we expect you tonight,” James asked. Craig looked at his watch. It was about to be seven and the meetings were held about five miles from the house. He could get it over with and enjoy the rest of the night. “Sure, I’ll give it a shot.” He finally answered. “Great, your name?” “Craig,” he answered. “We’ll be waiting for you Craig.” “Yeah, well don’t get too excited. This might just be a onetime deal.” “Or it might be a lifelong thing. You never know what God’s gonna do.” “Yeah, sure. That prankster, can’t ever tell what He’s gonna be up to.” Craig quipped bitterly then hung up before James could say anymore. What was he expecting from this meeting? Did he really think it would change anything? Well one thing was for certain, it couldn’t hurt. He sighed again and grabbed his keys. If it didn’t go well he could always hit the bars afterward. Available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Changed-Tale-Metamorphosis-Annabelle-Garcia/ dp/1530463084 17

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Author of The Sacred Scarred Joanna Alonzo 28

Who is Joanna Alonzo? Joanna Alonzo is a walking paradox. She is a beautiful, albeit messy, mixture of thought and emotion, expressed in the form of hopefully readable – and relatable – stories. She is a kingdom kid, who looks forward to being a writer and storyteller even when she reaches heaven. She is passionate about the unreached, about those who have yet to know the Love she found in the arms of the Almighty. She is intrigued by the world and its people, who day by day, continue to convince her that God is the greatest Storyteller of all. Find out more about her and her work at www.joannaalonzo.com Book Excerpt from the book: The Scared Scarred: Modern Day Christian Twist on Beauty & the Beast “Are you always this stubborn?” She wrinkled her nose in thought. "No, actually." She chuckled. "I'm usually not like this. Maybe I'm just trying to ease my own tension. Or maybe it's just you. You bring out the stubborn in me."

"How on earth am I doing that?" “I’m not really sure. You just… do.” She glanced at him before walking a few paces in silence. “What changed your mind?” “About what?” “About me staying? You were so angry earlier. Still a bit shaken here…” You should be. She wasn’t supposed to be strolling along a secluded estate with a creature like him, but she was. How could she be so stupid? How could she be so brave? “I don’t know why I changed my mind.” “That can’t be true.” “I can’t tell you even if I wanted to, Calysta.” “At least tell me why you were so angry. Tell me something, Brendan.” He stopped walking. He couldn’t stand hearing her say his name. How could he tell her how much pain it caused him, how much it reminded him of everything that was taken from him? “I wish you’d just call me Beast.”

(Continue on page 31) 29

He started walking again. She didn’t seem to mind. She seemed happy to keep in stride with him. He was beginning to get comfortable with having her around, but then she hooked her arm over his elbow. Her hand grazed the part of his arm that he just clawed through earlier. He growled. She jumped at the sound, and then noticed his blood on her fingers. “It’s nothing,” he said.

Her piercing eyes narrowed at him, before she gently took his arm to take a look at the wound there. Her expression changed from concern to pain. He thought she was about to cry. He wouldn’t have been able to stand it, so he withdrew his arm away from her. “It’s nothing,” he repeated. “It’s not nothing. Did you do that?” He didn’t have to say anything for her to know the answer. Calysta showed him her arm. At first, he couldn’t see what she was showing him, but when she traced her fingers over her light skin, he saw them. They were light, almost completely healed. Scars. Calysta Daniels’ scars.

Q&A 1. When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer? I’ve always held the desire in my heart growing up, but it seemed to me like an im practical profession to pursue, so I didn’t really seriously pursue it as a viable career until my twenties. I knew for sure, however, that I wanted to become a writer after working with a team of artists to create a coffee table book that explored and celebrated our identity and destiny as Filipinos. After being part of that project, I knew without a doubt, that a writer was what I wanted to be.

2. What is the first thing you wrote? Hmm… Looking back as far as I can, I remember writing a poem for my dad who was always away on international mission trips when I was seven years old. I re member it being really forced and not quite a piece of art, but my dad liked it still, so… hey, mission accomplished. 3. How is kingdom writing different from secular writing? Kingdom writing, just like secular writing, should be realistic. It should be some thing people can relate to. It should be about real life issues. BUT the difference lies in Who is being glorified by the work. Kingdom writing, unlike secular writing, is an act of worship towards the Original Artist. No matter what the story is, no matter how it is written, or whatever the issues addressed, God is at the center of kingdom writing, and through the work, He is glorified. 4. Is there one of your books that you would love to be made into a movie? If so which one and why? I’ve only released one book, but I have one in the works that I’d really love to be turned into a movie. One major reason is I’d love to see a movie interpretation of the worlds created in the book, plus I do believe that the story is something a wide audience can enjoy, without it being overtly religious or preachy. 5. Who are some of your favorite authors? There are so many! But I’d have to say that reading my first Francine Rivers book – A Voice in the Wind – was really a life-altering moment for me. It showed me a whole new perspective of what Christian fiction could be and gave me a sort of model for what kind of author I wanted to be like. Apart from her, I would read anything written by C.S. Lewis, Gene Edwards and Mark Buchanan. The four of them would definitely be my top favorite authors.

6. What genre of Christian fiction do you write? I think I skew more towards the fantasy genre, with a good dose of romance involved. Right now, the book I’ve released and the ones that are in the works all have fantasy elements to it. I also lean more towards New Adult perspectives. 7. What is your current WIP? I have two right now – a modern-day Christian twist on Sleeping Beauty and the first book in a fantasy series I’ve had in my heart for years. 8. Give us a brief synopsis of your current WIP? The Sleeping Beauty twist is entitled The Royal Rebel and it deals with issues on authority and submission and draws a lot from my experiences as a pastor’s/ missionary’s kid. It’s going to feature a lot of what happens inside the church and how we have the tendency to shoot our wounded – sad as that is. The fantasy book is… well, I keep mum on that for now. 9. What advice would you give writers who want to write Christian fiction? Write from the heart. As He refines your heart, allow Him to refine your writing too. Let every word be worship unto Him. Let your craft be something that you’d be willing to lay before Him, knowing that it was done with excellence for the glory of a God Who is excellent. 10. If there is one thing you can change about the publishing industry what would it be? A hard question to answer! I know there are a lot of things that I wish were different. I guess I would change how cutthroat and unwelcoming it seems to be. I feel like a lot of writers can sometimes feel like they’ve failed even before they started. I wish it weren’t so. I dream of one day starting a publishing company that recognizes talent and cultivates it even at its early stages. I dream of a publishing industry that allows dreamers who are willing to do the work that this can be done.

11. When you hear Bridging The GAP Magazine what do you think of? Deborah Dunson. Haha! I think of connection and community. I think of hope. I think of endless possibilities. 12. What do you think is going to take for different nationalities to come together in Christian literature? Courage, unity and honesty. We need the courage to let our unique voices be heard in a world that may not be used to hearing it. We need unity in terms of lifting one an other up instead of tearing each other down. We need honesty in terms of being able t to say what needs to be said (hopefully, in private and with love) in order to help each other improve in our craft. 13. Name an author you would love to write something with. I’ve collaborated with other authors before, and this can be quite tricky. Any author who I can click with creatively would be awesome. I’m very much open to collaboration as long as their flexibility and communication on both sides. Also, it has to be fun on both ends. It can’t feel like work. 14. Give us three words that describe you as a person? Real. Paradox. Introvert. 15. What does it mean to you to bloom in the dark? How does it tie in with your current WIP? Most plants need light in order to bloom, but I’ve been to caves and seen plants blossom inside. Against all odds. For a rose to bloom in complete darkness, that needs a God Who can do the impossible. That’s a central theme I love exploring in all of my writing. Beauty in brokenness. Strength in weakness. It’s so true of my own walk with Christ and I hope to write characters who reflect that also. 16.How do you write through the pain of your struggles? Pain can be made useful when we turn them into art. Writing allows me to make sense of my own pain, allows me to process them through the lens of characters that hold a piece of who I am, but who are not me entirely. Writing can be quite cathartic for me. 34

CORRECTIONS FROM LAST ISSUE; Volume 2, Issue 1, 2017: Names spellings that were incorrect: Spelling of Author name Evie Rhodes Name spellings that were incorrect: Spelling of Author name A nn Marie Bryan & we omitted the interview of Author Annabelle Garcia by accident-

Interview with Author Annabelle Garcia 1. When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer? I suppose on some level I’ve always wanted to do it. From the time I started to read, I wanted to be

able to tell stories like the ones I was reading 2. What is the first thing you wrote? I’m sure I wrote plenty of things when I was a child, but I really can’t remember them at this point, but I do remember writing a short story for English class when I was in the tenth grade. That was the very first draft of Danger in the Night from Meet Me at

the Cross. 3. Is there one of your books that you would love to be made into a movie? If so which one and why?

At this point that is easy. Wings of Eagles would be my choice. It has, in my opinion, the strongest message of God’s Love to the sinner. 4. What advice would you give writers who want to write Christian fiction?

Don’t make compromises, remember who you serve. 5. What do you think it is going to take for different nationalities to come together in Christian literature? A move of God and the ability to see beyond “color” . You see, when I write, unless I give a character a “race specific” last name, I let the reader see what they like in the character. I want people to see themselves in my books. Whether they are Latino, white, black, green, or pink. 35

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