IN THIS ISSUE
4 DEBORAH DUNSON'S TOP 10 WINTER READS FOR 2017
Grab some tea or coffee as you read Deborah Dunson's Top 10 picks.
TO THE CHARCOAL 6 INTRO BRIDE-
AUTHOR CAROLE MCDONNELL
20 COVER FEATURE: AUTHOR
JOYCE STEWART OF THE BBQ SERIES
Bridging The GAP Magazine-©2017
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Mission of Bridging The Gap Magazine: *The Mission of Bridging The Gap Magazine, is to showcase Christian Authors who are writing to glorify the Kingdom of God, while calling others from the secular realm and into the Spiritual realm to use their gifts and talents that they have been equipped to use by God. *The Theme of Bridging The Gap Magazine, is recognizing the elements of truth that leads to GODa through Add little bit ofliterature. body text Bridging The Gap Magazine’s Foundation scripture is inspired from Jeremiah chapter 30, verse two, which says: “Thus says the Lord, God of Israel: Write all the words that I have spoken to you in a book.” (Amplified Version).
*Connect with us on Facebook at: https://www.Facebook.com/GODSAUTHORSPROSPER2/ *Email us at: bridgingthegapmag2016@gmail.com
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DEBORAH DUNSON'S TOP 10 WINTER READS FOR 2017
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ADD THESE WINTER READS INTO YOUR COLLECTION
1. A Date With Death by
6. The Covering by Dana
Melinda Michelle
Pratola
2. God, Girls and Cowboys by
7. Pemberton Manor: The
Suzanne D Williams
Goodbye Girl by Becky Doughty
3. Tory by Vikki Kestell
8. Zora and Nicky: A Novel In
4. Wind Follower by Carole
Black and White
McDonnell
9. Christmas Star Sapphire by
5. Land of Flames by
Hallee Bridgeman
Cynthia P Willow
10. Good Girl Jayne by Suzanne D WilliamsÂ
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Order Your Copy Today!
The Charcoal Bride is the first of a trilogy of short novels called The Hanrisor Chronicles. The trilogy chronicles the rise to power of Hanrisor’s King Skall and the family curse –called “The Hanrisor Legacy--that troubled him and his descendants. An oath is not easily broken, and an oath made to the god of vengeance is even more difficult to break. Thus Hanrisor – and Soghan, Skall’s place of birth—are two of many nations in the Malku universe who endured war.
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The Charcoal Bride Intro WORDS BYCarole McDonnell
It was the custom of great chiefs in the extreme northern climes to offer their serving girls to visiting warriors from beyond their borders. The serving girls, who were often captured from raids in distant regions, would be called to their chief’s table while the honored guest sat at meat. Whether the household contained a mere eight or an abundant eighty, it was bound to offer all non-married women before the visitor. And for as long as he stayed, the woman was deemed that warrior’s “charcoal bride” or “native wife.” The custom was of long-standing in the scattered settlements, and at first was used as a means of procuring information or creating alliances. But over the centuries, it had become part of the land’s etiquette. Abuse of this privilege – choosing several women at once, or habitually choosing different wives upon subsequent visits-- was considered base, lascivious, and greedy. This unspoken rule was generally followed, although some barbarians in the western climes often behaved as if the servant women were a collection of varied dishes which should all be sampled. As for the chosen girl, if her suitor was honorable and well-pleased with her, she was treated with some honor – her daily tasks reduced, and other minor benefits. If she became pregnant, the child would be reared with her until its tenth birthday. Then, if the warrior wished, he would accept paternity for the child, then carry it away to his own land. There the child would learn the mores, requirements, and habits of its father’s country. Or, on rare occasions, the warrior would forfeit his own native land and settle in the country of his native wife.
Page 8 Now it happened that a certain huskarl, an envoy from the king of Hanrisor, one of the northern countries, arrived at the stronghold of a thane by the name of Steen. That stronghold was one of the many small villages in the land of Soghan, and it was a gracious land of kindly folk who made their living on the sea. There had been some dispute among the fishermen from both lands and this warrior, whose name was Arvid, had been sent to settle the matter. He had succeeded but as he and his five warriors prepared to journey homeward, a great storm arose upon the seacoast. Although his own land was but a half-day’s journey away by ship and three-day’s journey by day, the squall was so fierce that they thought it best to remain on land in a thveit near the sea. And this they did, looking longingly toward their moored ship and the islands of their homeland. When the thane of that region discovered that the king’s envoys rested in tents, battered by wind and rain, he constrained them to abide in his own manor in that village. Arvid and his warriors gladly agreed, for the night was cold and chill and all knew that a restless night would be of no use if on the morrow they needed to repair the ship. As they sat at meat, Steen commanded the serving girls to be brought in. “Choose one, each of you, to warm your beds,” he offered. The custom was well-known but because of the cold and because of tiredness, the envoys had not considered it. Those who were wellmarried politely refused the offer, stating that they had warm bosoms enough when they returned home. Those badly-married also refused, knowing the arguments that would bombard them when they returned home.
Page 9 Thane Steen laughed, understanding well. It now remained for the remaining unmarried four, which included the huskarl Arvid, to choose a woman to lie with. As the women stood against the tapestried wall --some hoping, some fearing—to be chosen as a native wife, Arvid’s gaze fell upon a sad-faced young woman with graying black hair. Her skin color, too, was black. Although there were other maidens younger --and possibly happier-- than she, Arvid had found himself gazing at her as he ate his meal. “I may choose any here?” Arvid asked the thane. He pointed to the dark-skinned woman. “Is she also among the offers?” The thane laughed. “Ah, that one! She won’t lie with you. Or, you won’t lie with her. It’s all one.” “And why is that?” Arvid lifted his seal-bone cup to his lips, drank slowly as he eyed the woman’s face and arms. “Can you not see? She has no taste for this kind of play, or for the small protections and honors it might afford her. Come now, man! Choose another. There are other younger women to frolic with.” “I’ll take her, anyway.” Arvid stood up, nodded to his host and placed his whalebone knife on the table. “You need my weapons, am I right? I should leave it behind?” The choice intrigued the old thane. He sucked at his teeth. “I trust you. You don’t seem like one to abuse her. But tell me, why have you chosen her? Is it, perhaps, because she –like your mother—is from the southern lands? I had heard that your mother’s mother was from the southern continent…and had forgotten it too. But when you arrived I noticed that you are darker than your friends and remembered your nickname, The Mead Warrior. I had thought you were so named because you drank. But, watching you, I saw that you touched your cup only to begin and end your meal. Bridging The GAP
Page 10 And so I thought, perhaps he is so-called because of his honeycolored skin.” Arvid smiled. “You are as astute and as observant as they say, Steen,” he said. Steen smiled, nodded. “I am honored that one as noble as the Mead Warrior finds me astute. I will accept the praise, although astuteness is a gift that comes to all old men.” He nodded toward the woman. “So, then, why do you want her? Because she is the color of the red earth, as your ancestors were?” “Perhaps,” Arvid answered, keeping his gaze transfixed on the woman he had chosen. “My mother’s mother was indeed from the southern continent. She left that land and traveled here with my father. She was not a captive, however. It was a love-match, and long they lived together until the king took her.” He did not say what all the world already knew, that the king had killed his father. Steen nodded, clasped his hands together. “A love match is always good.” He pointed to his wife. “Almost as good as an arranged one, I think. And certainly, better than having a captive wife. Once, when I was young, there was a strangely long summer. Even when the month of salmons came, the water had not yet begun to freeze. And very hot, too hot. It was rumored that the faes and merfolk were at war and the faes had used fae magic to prevent the water from freezing. The water receded as well, revealing villages long forgotten. I remember walking about in only my tunic and marveling at how lovely the brown of the earth was.” “It must have been quite strange,” Arvid said, and from the corner of his eyes he saw one of his warriors approach the girl he wanted. Quickly, gently, a quiet command was given: Do not take that girl; she is to be mine. The warrior stepped backward and Arvid gestured to the old thane to continue.
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“I was afraid, too, I think,” Steen said. “And when the cold finally returned, I found I was afraid of all the life underneath the ice. Afraid, even though I longed for another such season. The abundance of life remained with me. When I became sixteen, I told my father I wished to journey to the warmer climes. I was in love with the heat and the bright sunlight. I travelled far. Past the settlements where your father’s ancestors, Leif and Erik, and their warriors settled. Past the near lands. Far, far, I went, always hugging the shore. Then, we crossed the great sea and traveled all the way to the southern continent.” He leaned back in his chair. “How strange it all was! The beautiful dark women with their braided woolly hair. The brightness of their clothing! The varieties of food! Such wonderful good food! Such things I had never seen. I made many friends there, and promised to return. But when we returned –oh, some thirty years after! -- it was only to fight and battle.”
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THE STARLIGHT DRIVE IN
BY STEPHANIE PARKE
The woman smiled at her and brushed her long dark hair off one shoulder. She was dressed in her favorite leproad print blouse and leggings and Sadie felt her heart clench as her mother smiled at her with her own cornflower blue eyes, the same eyes she shared with her own son Mitchell.
“Sure” Sadie stuttered as she froze. Time seemed to hang suspended and it was like a scene from a movie as she looked at her. She wanted to say something brilliant and cleaver. She wanted to say “see, Look at me I’m all grown up” but she didn’t. She just wanted to stay still so her mother would stay just where she was. She smiled at her and felt her heart twitch when her mother played with the straw wrapper. Her chipped fingernails plucked at the knot Sadie had tied into it. She looked up and caught Sadie’s eyes and smiled.
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THE STARLIGHT DRIVE IN
“I normally don’t do this” she said with a husky laugh “but you looked so tired and so alone up here all by yourself, I wanted to see if you were okay.” Sadie didn’t know what to say. She wanted to showcase what two bachelors degrees and an almost completed masters had gotten her but there was so much to say, so much to catch up on. Twenty years was a long time.
“I’m okay,” Sadie said softly “Just tired, I’m a teacher and I teach in Springfield and I just got home. My husband has the kids tonight so I thought I’d stop before I fell asleep at the wheel.” “That is cool” She answered back as she looked at Sadie “my daughter wants to be a teacher, she talks about nothing else.” She looked back down at the family and smiled. Sadie followed the gaze and felt her jaw drop as through a slight haze she saw them, her own family. She watched as a younger version of herself argued and fought with her older brother Aaron and her father looked on, seeming bored. He kept staring up this way, she supposed looking for her mother to come back.
Page 14 “Teaching is great,” Sadie said with a lump in her throat “I bet she’ll be great at it.” Her mother smiled, “She can do anything she wants if she tries, Sadie is very determined.” She broke off suddenly with a quizzical smile, “I’m not sure why I’m saying this, but you remind me of someone. I can’t quite put my finger on it but I feel as if I know you, Is that weird?” Sadie smiled and said “ I know what you mean, usually I don’t let strangers sit down with me, but I feel like I know you.” Her mother looked at her and smiled again. She looked worried when here eyes drifted back over Sadie. Sadie had never felt better about any look since her mother had died. “I know this is going to sound strange but I have to say this,” she said cautiously “ You need to take care of yourself too, enjoy life. I get this feeling that you work too much and have fun too little. Plus you look dead tired and that is dangerous when paired with a car in motion.” “That is what my husband always says” Sadie said with a teary laugh “Maybe he’s right? “ Her mother smiled and stood, she reached down and covered Sadie’s hand with a smile. “you can do anything too you know, you just have to want it.” “I am trying to” Sadie said sadly “That’s what my mom used to say too.” Her eyes reflected curiosity but she bit back the words “ It sounds like your mom knew what she was talking about, after all look at you, you are a teacher now, I bet she’s really proud of you” “My mom died when I was sixteen” Sadie said with tears flowing down her cheeks. “I’m so sorry” her mother said with tears of her own “I didn’t mean to upset you.” “No, really” Sadie said with a small sob grabbing her hand again “You didn’t, it has been nice to talk to you.” Her mother smiled and put her other hand on Sadies. Sadie smiled and savored the feel of her cool touch. She had missed her so much, her wisdom, her love and her guidance and sometimes she felt like she was lost in the crush of it all, she wanted more than anything to hug her and beg her to stay but she could feel the pull of time bending back.
Page 15 “It’s been nice to talk to you too” her mother said quietly, her touch fading along with her smile “I know I would be proud if my daughter turned out like you.” Sadie tried to hold on, it had been so long but the moment shifted and she was gone. Sadie covered her mouth to stem the flow of sobs, not wanting to look like an idiot in the middle of the crowded restaurant. She sat back in her seat and wiped her eyes with a tissue. The waitress brought her food and sat it down in front of her. “Are you okay? You fell asleep right after you got here and I didn’t want to wake you until your food came. The waitress looked worried and Sadie could imagine why, she probably looked like a crazy person. She smiled and assured her that she was okay, just tired. After some brief chatter the waitress moved away. She saw her standing talking with the other server at the checkout desk. They kept peeking her way so Sadie ducked her head and focused on her food. She hardly wanted any of it though as her thoughts swirled around and around. She wasn’t sure if her mother had really been there or if she’d dreamed it. No matter what she felt lighter and more alive than she had felt after a long day at work in quite a while. She smiled as she wiped away the last of her tears and paid the waitress. As she headed home she couldn’t help but smile because she knew that God had given her a great gift, he’d given her one more moment with her mom. In the middle of a hectic world that was a small miracle in itself.
THE 10 COMMANDMENTS FOR SINGLE LADIES IN THE CHURCH by Clarissa Rhinehart
Ta Shawna A. Williams is a powerful Woman of God, who is on a mission to please the Lord with how she lives her life! Williams, who is the Author of the book "The 10 Commandments For Single Ladies In The Church," is a woman who can be described as being focused, bold and a sold-out servant of the Lord. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, she has a clear view of what she wants from life and as being a single woman of God, she is waiting on God's BEST for her life! She wrote her book to encourage women that it is worth the wait to WAIT on God for your mate. 16
Williams has seen the results of those who could not wait on the Lord and she refuses to move without being in God's WILL. She wrote her book in 30 days, when a Prophet told her that it was very necessary for her to do so. Many people have gotten delivered from reading her book and she is planning on leaving a legacy of deliverance for people to be their true selves as they come into the reality of who they are within Christ. She says that one should never bargain with the Spirit of Compromises, because God only wants you to have HIS BEST and when you wait on Him, that is what He will give you. BRIDGING THE GAP
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Page 18 E-mail: staceygreene47@gmail.com Website: www.strongerthanbroken.com
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STRONGER THAN BROKEN Calling All couples! Stacey Greene, "Author of Stronger Than Broken – One Couple’s Decision to Move Through an Affair," is looking for couples to share stories about couples who have survived one or more traumatic events, stayed together and grew from the experience. These stories can include infertility, addiction, change in a health status, infidelity, change in a financial status, issues with pornography etc….
“When I wrote Stronger Than Broken, I did it for my own healing. But when people started coming out of the woodwork with their own stories, I knew I had to share their accounts of victory over tragedy in an effort to help and maybe even save marriages across the globe.”
Prerequisites for sharing a story · Be married at least 15 years. · Be willing to have you and your spouse interviewed and be okay with this story being in print. Know that if you are concerned, I can change the names. · Be aware that there is no financial compensation for sharing your story but you will receive a physical copy of the book sent directly to your home when it is released.
STRONGER THAN BROKEN CLARISSA RHINEHART
Author Stacey Greene is someone who is very energetic, and one who is loyal to fault, that sometimes her loyalty can get in the way. Her upbringing was one that she describes was quite fantastic and while her mother was a Baptist and her father a United Methodist, she married a man who was Catholic! Greene's book, "Stronger Than Broken," was birthed from a situation when her husband admitted to his affair that he was having with someone else, as the news was released on their 25th wedding anniversary of their vow renewal.
"IF JESUS COULD FORGIVE, SO CAN WE!"
What Greene decided to do with
prevention and strengthening
her book, was to take a personal
classes to maintain and sustain
situation and to put it into a
marriages. She believes that others
fictionalized novel.
need to look at what Jesus did for
This book is a tool for her healing
us as he represented what TRUE
and a catalyst for forgiveness.
FORGIVENESS really is! For when
She is a firm believer that many
she looked back over the life of
times we are putting band-aids on
Christ, Greene knew that if Jesus
an accident that should not have
could forgive, so could she, for she
happened, when we need ongoing
was STRONGER THAN BROKEN!
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AUTHOR JOYCE STEWART AUT HOR
By- Deborah Dunson
OF
T HE
BBQ
SER IES
Q & A
WITH AUTHOR JOYCE STEWART
How would you describe yourself? I would describe myself as extremely spiritual. I don’t use the word religious because it has a different connotation. I would say that I’m very passionate and the other thing I would say is that I’m extremely creative. Who or what inspires you to write? It is so funny, because I never knew I could write. At the early beginnings of my life, I never really knew what my gift was except for the fact when I was younger, I love to sing. I did not realize I could write until my late 30's or mid 30's, I should say; and that started off in poetry which was very surprising to me because I never even like poetry or even read poetry.
It was not that I did not like it so much, it's just that it did not really pull my interest! But that is were God started to begin to develop the writing skills. I did not go to school for it or anything like that. Then prophetically, there were prophets coming and telling me that I needed to write a book. I had no idea what God was talking about because I didn’t even want to do a book. I like to read books but I didn’t want to do writing. What I found out as I kept talking to God about it, what was type of books He wanted me to write.
I don’t think I’m as versed in the bible to be an authentic writer for non-fiction and I knew I had an extremely high imagination and I said what I would do, was to take my imagination and put it where I’m more focus at. I was focused in relationships and why they work and don’t work; whether they were Christian or non-Christian. I try to utilize what was in my head, my imagination and what I knew from the Word of God. I used it in a way that was not preachy, but it could teach. And that's what inspired me to be a writer. Since our theme is LOVE, LOST and MARRIAGE, what is your perspective on the theme? Page 21
When I heard that theme Love, Lost and Marriage, what it made me think about, is that we are all looking for love in one format or another. Love to me is the epitome of feeling and being able to give love in whatever capacity that motivates you. So when I think about love, I think about the need for love; the need to give love. And when I think about Lost, I I think sometimes we lose ourselves in trying to obtain love that we think we need, that sometimes it is not true love, because it is always the opposite; the polar effect of something that is not authentic. Love really can be lust, not in the terms of the physical way of perverting, but lust can be what you think you need verses really what you truly need.
So I think about relationships that you lost that you thought you really needed because you thought you were in love. And then when you think about Marriage, the whole premise of marriage is to walk in love with someone, not just here but eternally. I think a lot of times people tend to choose with their intellect rather than with their spirit. We choose with our soul; not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but we don’t choose within the spirit realm.
We don’t look at the totality of not just the now marriage but what is it going to look like 10 years from now. We don’t even have a plan, nor do we set up our three year plan, our one year plan, or our five year plan and what we would like to see our lives to look like. Many don’t do that for marriage. They just look at the now. So I think that is where love is lost and I think that if you are going to think about marriage, you got to have an image of what this relationship is going to look like in 10 years and plan that. How are your books different from other Christian Romance Novels out here? What sets your books a part?
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I will say that I have not actually read them, I have read passages. When I started this journey on writing Christian romance I did not even know it existed. The reading that I was into was nonfiction, in others word I want everything that was going to help me to my assignment and life purpose. Now because I did not know I was a writer I was just looking into doing things that would propel me into counseling, because that was my passion at the time. Because it was my passion when I look at other Christian writers I started to look at the top sellers. They were different than I was and I said God I want something that is going to make me who I am and not try be what they are.
And I saw that there were some Christian Romance that was historical romance, suspense romance, Christian romance that was on the cusp, to me like being a drama, it was like a lot of church drama. So for me that was not me; and there were other things mixed in with the Christian Romance type stuff. Those were the 3 main things that I saw and what I said to myself was, matter of fact I had already started writing different things but I would only write a little bit.
. Because I like love letters, I took something like a one pager and I said I’m going to start here and I’m going to write this. It was kind of like to me, what made it unique for me that it did not look like something else I saw on TV, it did not look like Tyler Perry, it did not look like some of the show Scandal. I did not know where to go but I knew one thing that was authentic to me was that I believed in true love and I believe that relationships could last and I did not know what to call that. I knew that was my goal but what can I write that was realistic enough to be true but did not damage the integrity of Christian hood, that was my goal.
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What do you like about your Characters Monica and Shawn? What I love about Monica, is that she is not presumptuous. She is a real woman. Even if she was not saved, she would be a good woman.If you take away the fact that she knows God, it just adds to her depth. She is just a real woman. She is not out to get anything that does not belong to her. She is not Coveter. She is not a jealous woman, but she has some insecurities like we all do, but it is nothing uncommon. You can see her as your friend. You can identify with her because she will show you behind the scenes, what we all maybe thinking of or dealing with to a certain degree. What I like about Shawn, is that he
of women like those strong tough alpha men. But what I love about Shawn, is that he not so tough, that he doesn't have any vulnerability and that is continuous through his character. His ability to be strong and be vulnerable in the same breath, is really tough to pull off. Shawn is that guy that every woman wants but what I love about Shawn, is that he knows who he wants.
If you could change anything within the world of literature, what would it be? The hope that true authentic love does exist, because I think that this world has a lot of hopelessness. There is this fluff about love where it is all fairy tallish and there is the harder edge where real love does not exist and I will take what I can get. So in the middle or center of that, there is a truth, a balance and I think that literature has to demonstrate that. When you have a gift that gives like that, whether it’s through music or through art work, you have to demonstrate the greatest and highest truth because that's what we are called to do as human beings. Page 24
How would you define SOULMATES and why is it important to be with someone whom God has for you? Where I stand, is that God created it; that is a controversial subject and I’m a very controversial person. In the beginning, He said that you became a living soul. In Adam, if we really look at the dynamics of the teaching of who Adam was, Adam already had Eve on the inside of him. He is the only man that actually had woman or being inside of him. At the end of the day, God laid him down and did the first surgery, spiritually and all the rest of the things and took Eve out of Adam.
So now why does that mean that there are soulmates? Because inside of you, is who you are and nothing should be able to come out of you that does not fit you. So she was part of him and he recognized that to the point where nobody had to tell him that this was his wife. God allow him to name her. He named her because he knew who she was and that’s why the man should look for the wife because he should be able to identify his own soulmate.. He should know what came out of him and he should understand and recognize to the point where he should be able to say that it is not her!
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He should have enough identity within himself to be able to recognize what belongs to him that is a soulmate. We can always be with this one or that one but there are some mechanics inside of us that don’t allow us to go the long term unless we just contrive it. Why do I think that soulmate exist? Is it because we are soul before we recognize we are spiritual assets? So he called her woman because he said it is a woe if I don’t do her right. Because she part of my man.
That is a good question. The person I would like to collaborate with is not in my genre, but it is because of her spiritual depth. I would have to say Cindy Trimm even though we are not in the same genre. Simply because there is a kindred spirit there in terms of the mechanics of her spiritually. The other part of me that I like to call two- sideness of myself or the main side which is love and war. Because she know about war and I know about love and they intertwine together.
Is there any Author you would love to collaborate with and if so, why?
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Connect with Author Joyce Stewart @
https://www.facebook.com/theluvbusiness Page 27
Crystal Epps: Author of If Sex Wasn't A Sin: Exposing the Lies of the Enemy BY CLARISSA
RHINEHART
Crystal Epps is a someone who is fun, adventurous, and full of spontaneity. Epps carries a spirit that is very authentic and honest to the core. Her book, "If Sex Wasn't A Sin: Exposing the Lies of the Enemy, "is a book that came about while she was writing a book named Travail, when her daughter was killed in a car accident on May 27, 2017. Epps, who was molested by her mom's boyfriend, found herself looking for love through SEX. She wrote this book in 30 days. She believes that SEX is a topic that is looked upon as being nasty because the perception within the church arena keeps the topic at times, under the rug, while the world freely talks about it out in the open. Epps wants to expose the TRUTH behind the
ORDER YOUR COPY @ AMAZON.COM
wickedness of our greatest opponent; SATAN and she is on a mission to do just that! She told the Lord that she wanted to go into the Gates of Hell and to snatch people out the fire! Epps knows that God has called her for such greatness and she is on a mission to live that greatness out with her purpose according to Jeremiah 29:11.
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BRIDGING THE GAP
A DATE WITH DEATH
WINTER 2017
A DATE WITH DEATH BY AUTHOR MELINDA MICHELLE Chapter Seven
nearest her desk. Dr. Richards was a
Tallahassee, Florida
slender woman with curves. Her skin, the
Dylan found himself waiting in the lobby of
color of butterscotch, glowed. She had a
Dr. Sheridan Richards, a Christian
pretty face with a defined beauty mark on
psychologist. He was nervous and suddenly
the left side of her chin. Her hair lay in soft
wishing he’d taken Keisha up on her offer to join him. In his mind, the two and half hour car ride from Jacksonville would give him time to think and clear his head space.
lAn older woman came over from the reception area and said, “Dr. Richards will see you now.” Dylan stood up and followed the older woman with the sassy gray hair that was cropped short. She opened the door to the last office in the long hallway. Dr. Sheridan Richards stood up and walked over to them. “Thanks mom,” she said. The older woman nodded and closed the door behind her. Sheridan extended her hand towards Dylan. He took it giving her a firm shake while admiring hers. “Why don’t you have a seat, Mr. Smith.” Dylan looked around the comfortable space. There was a plush, deep orange sofa and an equally plush brown chair with orange accent pillows. A dark glass desk was by the window. He noticed all the doctor’s degrees, awards and accolades on the wall
curls on her shoulder. He immediately felt comfortable and began to relax. Sheridan took a seat. “Thank you for coming all this way. I pray that during this session there’s breakthrough for you.” Dylan nodded. “I know you’re probably nervous, since this is your first time experiencing therapy, but it’s going to be okay. I want you to know that after our consultation, I began to pray and fast for you as I do whenever God leads me to do so. I know that God is in this room with us today and I know in His presence there’s something just for you.” Dylan felt the conviction in her words. “You’re more than welcome to talk about whatever your heart’s desire, but please know that’s not the reason God sent you here...(Look for the rest of this excerpt in our next issue or PURCHASE at Amazon NOW! You will not be DISAPPOINTED!) PAGE 29 |