Hello Monday

My first online interview is up today at Novel Journey. If you're interested in my particular path to publication, you'll find some answers there. Thanks to Gina Holmes for hosting me today!

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For those looking for a thought-provoking story about two cousins who handle their personal tragedies like polar opposites, you might want to take a look at Straight Up by Lisa Samson. From the publisher:

Georgia Bishop, a could-be jazz great, has thrown away her life, her marriage, and her talent for her drinking habit. Her cousin, Fairly Godfrey, is living the good life in New York but wonders if deeper meaning exists beyond the superficial world in which she finds herself.

It takes a Congo refugee, a soul food chef, a persistent husband, and one desperate night on the brink of freedom for Georgia and Fairly to realize how far they have come from their God-given purposes. When they face the most difficult choices of their lives, only the power of grace can bring them to true healing.

Julie here. This book is not for the faint of heart. My own lighter touch is reflected in the stories I write. But to stretch my writing muscles, I read a lot of genres, and Lisa has a way of exposing truths often hiding beneath a blanket of faith. She makes me think deeply, and that's a good thing.