Once Upon A Dream by Vanessa Miller

 

This book by Vanessa Miller is probably one of the prettiest covers I've seen in a long time. 

Growing up, Tamara Davison felt like a princess in the empire of her father's megachurch ministry. She never wanted for anything, and in her eyes, life was pretty near perfect. It wasn’t until her NFL bound boyfriend broke her heart and a sobering truth about her father's past was revealed that Tamara began to wonder about the perfect life she thought she had.

Jonathan Hartman loved Tamara Davison the moment he met her. Jonathan was brought up by a single mom who struggled to make ends meet. He had to work two jobs in college, but it all paid off. Now he is successful and rich beyond anything he ever imagined possible for a kid that came up the hard way like he did. It had been ten years since Tamara ran after a pro-baller rather than give Jonathan’s love a chance. Tamara is back in his life now and Jonathan must find a way to convince her that true love feels so much better than any fairytale she could ever dream up.

Once Upon A Dream is a reprint of Heaven On Earth with 25% new content, book discussion questions and a book club kit.

Available wherever ebooks are sold and on Amazon for paperback. Click Here. 

How Sweet The Sound by Vanessa Miller

About The Book

Shar Gracey wants nothing more than to sing the Lord’s praises, so she jumps at the chance to join a traveling choir led by the father of black gospel music, Thomas A. Dorsey. Better yet, the opportunity will give her money to pay for her ailing mother’s medical care.

While on tour she falls under the tutelage of gospel great Mahalia Jackson—and falls for the handsome but not-so-great Nicoli James, whose desires for Shar are fueled by his own greed. Shar would do anything for Nicoli—and he knows it—so when his life is threatened after a night of gambling, Shar agrees to help pay Nicoli’s debt, only to have her faith and dreams shattered.

Reeling from the betrayal, Shar loses her voice and she believes that she will never sing again. She has no place to run except back home to her seriously ill mother—and the man she left behind, who would move heaven and earth to make Shar’s pain go away. Even if it means he has to let her go . . . again.

About The Author

Vanessa Miller of Dayton, Ohio, is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying. Vanessa is currently in the process of turning the novels in the Rain Series into stage productions.

Vanessa has been writing since she was a young child. When she wasn’t writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels, reading great books consumed her free time. However, it wasn’t until she committed her life to the Lord in 1994 that she realized all gifts and anointing come from God. She then set out to write redemption stories that glorify God.

To date, Vanessa has completed the Rain and Storm Series. She is currently working on the Forsaken series, Second Chance at Love series and a single title, Long Time Coming. Vanessa believes that each book will touch readers across the country in a special way. It is, after all, her God-given destiny to write and produce plays and novels that bring deliverance to God’s people. These books have received rave reviews, winning Best Christian Fiction Awards and topping numerous Bestseller’s lists.

Social Links:

Email: vmiller-01@earthlink.net

Website: http://vanessamiller.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vanessamiller01

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vanessamiller01

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/77899021863/

Buy Links:

Amazon paperback

Kindle  and Nook

Barnes & Nobles paperback  

Hosted by Write Now Literary www.wnlbooktours.com

Tour page: http://wnlbooktours.com/vanessa-miller-how-sweet-the-sound/

Melinda Johnson has always felt called to ministry. So, when her father, Bishop Langston Johnson, decides to step down after thirty years of leadership at Omega Christian Center, it seems only natural for her to take his place. But Bishop Johnson feels led by a God who has other things in mind, and to succeed him, he appoints Steven Marks-a man who is opposed to female pastors, not to mention the fact that he is Melinda’s ex-fianci.

Feeling defeated, Melinda nevertheless maintains her position as the church’s Missions and Community Outreach Director. Frequent interaction with the new bishop incites bitter sparring-and rekindles long-suppressed attraction, which grows only stronger when Melinda develops a relationship with Steven’s precious daughter, Brianna, who’s still struggling with the death of her mother.

Can Steven and Melinda set aside past pains, forgive each other, and learn to love again? Or will their opposing positions regarding women preachers keep them forever at odds?

My Review - 

A broken engagement, a grieving little girl, a bitter difference of opinion...

I have to admit that I have never really considered the plight of the female preacher on the male dominated preaching circuit, so the plot of this story gave me pause and in the end taught me some things. Mainly, "It's a man's world" and it really is a struggle for the women to get in, even in the house of our Lord.

I was impressed with this story, moved by it and as I've said educated by it. Miller's writing style and voice captured me from the first page and kept me up until two a.m. finishing the last. I admit that Melinda's character worked my nerves for a while. I couldn't see why she was being so stubborn about the broken engagement from Steven when it seemed to me it was a joint decision, but the author took me there, the explanation of the depth of that broken promise and all the preceded and followed it was pure story telling mastery. I love when an author ties it all together. Every little piece. Miller did that and so much more. I actually cried.

I recommend Yesterday's Promise to anyone looking for a good read. I can hardly wait till the next book in this series is released.

Currently .99 on Amazon. Great deal for this great book. 

New for your eReader...

About the Book

Candace Clark has a phobia about crossing the street, and for good reason. As fate would have it, her daughter's principal assigns her to crossing guard duties as part of the school's Parent Participation program. With no choice in the matter, Candace begrudgingly accepts her stop sign and safety vest, then reports to her designated crosswalk. Once Candace is determined to overcome her fears, God opens the door for a blessing, and Royce Kavanaugh enters into her life, a firefighter built to rescue any damsel in distress. When a spark of attraction ignites, Candace and Royce soon discover there's more than one way to stop traffic.

Learn more about Pat Simmons at www.patsimmons.net 

About the Book

Life was good, God was blessing and the Marshall family was riding high, until Carmella Marshall’s husband, Nelson asks for a divorce and then moves in with his girlfriend—who also happens to be her twenty-three-year-old daughter’s best friend—her son gets arrested, her daughter drops out of college, the bills go unpaid, and then Carmella has a nervous breakdown.

The Marshalls have ups and downs like any other family. However, Carmella always thought that God would see them through anything. But when Nelson left and her life fell apart, she realized just how weak she could become, without the strength of God guiding her way. Through prayer, praise, and a love that bonds families together, Carmella renews her trust in the Lord and discovers a way to turn her life around.

In TEARS FALL AT NIGHT, the Marshalls discover that even when everything goes wrong, they can still lift their hands and praise God anyhow.

Readers will be emotionally invested in the characters from the start. The character’s pain and inner struggles lead to heart-wrenching scenes. Themes of faith, forgiveness and reconciliation make this a powerful testament to God’s faithfulness that will remain with the reader long after the final page.
-- RT Reviewer 4 1/2 Stars

Learn more about Vanessa at www.vanessamiller.com 

About the Book

This is a compilation of three novellas that are also available individually. 

Novella #1 - A Time to Speak Beatrice "Mama B" Jackson is one of the most giving people in her small community. And when the interim pastor's messages threaten to divide her beloved church, she has gets a divine order to speak. 

Novella #2 - A Time to Dance Though Mama B is not known for housing marital fugitives, she realizes her nephew, Derrick, is looking for more than a place to stay; he needs help finding his way back to God. Of course, help is almost Mama B’s middle name until Henrietta crosses the line with her accusations about Mama B's intentions with their recently widowed pastor. Mama B will have to dance her way through forgiveness...and maybe love. 

Novella #3 - A Time to Love Mama B was supposed to be helping people at the community food pantry, but Eunice needs more than just a bag full of canned goods. Dr. Wilson’s not letting up on his pursuit of Mama B. Will he come on and scare her away? Catch up with Mama B again in the small town of Peasner, TX. She's still serving the Lord with humor and wisdom as only she can.

Reader may learn more bout Michelle at www.michellestimpson.com 

A Love For Tomorrow - Blog Tour

Vanessa Miller is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.

Vanessa’s novels have received rave reviews, with several appearing on Essence Magazine’s Bestseller’s List. Miller’s work has receiving numerous awards, including “Best Christian Fiction Mahogany Award” and the “Red Rose Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction.” Miller graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication. She is an ordained “exhorter” in her church, explaining, “God has called me to exhort readers and to help them rediscover their place with the Lord.”

A Love for Tomorrow is the second book in the Second Chance at Love series.

About the Book

 
When Christian talk show host Serenity Williams’ fiancé calls off their wedding because he can’t deal with her popularity, she determines that she will never fall in love with another pride-filled, ego-driven pastor. Then, Serenity’s producer asks her to interview the charismatic Pastor Phillip McKnight, who has recently gone through a divorce. Serenity feels that this is her chance to expose the arrogance of ego-filled pastors to the world. But Pastor Phillip is broken and humbled from his experiences, and the surprising humility of this man causes Serenity to want to un-break his heart. However, Serenity will need the Lord to fix her heart and change her mind about male preachers before she and Phillip can become all they were meant to be to each other.

Book Trailer

PODCAST  -

About the Book

For Readers

Purchase the Book Online at:

Amazon , BarnesandNoble , Christianbook.com 

For More Information:

• Visit the author online at http://www.vanessamiller.com

• View the blog tour schedule at http://bit.ly/ALoveForTomorrow.

A Review of Yesterday's Promise

About the Book

Melinda Johnson has always felt called to ministry. So, when her father, Bishop Langston Johnson, decides to step down after thirty years of leadership at Omega Christian Center, it seems only natural for her to take his place. But Bishop Johnson feels led by a God who has other things in mind, and to succeed him, he appoints Steven Marks-a man who is opposed to female pastors, not to mention the fact that he is Melinda's ex-fiancé.

Feeling defeated, Melinda nevertheless maintains her position as the church's Missions and Community Outreach Director. Frequent interaction with the new bishop incites bitter sparring-and rekindles long-suppressed attraction, which grows only stronger when Melinda develops a relationship with Steven's precious daughter, Brianna, who's still struggling with the death of her mother.

Can Steven and Melinda set aside past pains, forgive each other, and learn to love again? Or will their opposing positions regarding women preachers keep them forever at odds? 

My Review:

Real stuff, real issues, real Good!

A broken engagement, a grieving little girl, a bitter difference of opinion…

I have to admit that I have never really considered the plight of the female preacher on the male dominated preaching circuit, so the plot of this story gave me pause and in the end taught me some things. Mainly, “It’s a man’s world” and it really is a struggle for the women to get in, even in the house of our Lord.

I was impressed with this story, moved by it and as I’ve said educated by it. Miller’s writing style and voice captured me from the first page and kept me up until two a.m. finishing the last. I admit that Melinda’s character worked my nerves for a while. I couldn’t see why she was being so stubborn about the broken engagement from Steven when it seemed to me it was a joint decision, but the author took me there, the explanation of the depth of that broken promise and all the preceded and followed it was pure story telling mastery. I love when an author ties it all together. Every little piece. Miller did that and so much more. I actually cried.

 I recommend Yesterday’s Promise to anyone looking for a good read. I can hardly wait till the next book in this series is released.

5 of 5 Stars

Celebrating Women In Ministry Blog Tour with Vanessa Miller

We invite you this week to highlight your favorite FEMALE MINISTER in the comment section below.  Participants will be placed in a drawing for an autographed copy of Yesterday’s Promise by Vanessa Miller and a $25 Gift Card.

Vanessa Miller of Dayton , Ohio is an Essence best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying and Abundant Rain. To date, Vanessa has written the Rain Series and the Storm Series. The books in the Rain Series are: Former Rain , Abundant Rain, and Latter Rain. The books in the Storm Series are: Rain Storm and Through The Storm . These books have received rave reviews, winning Best Christian Fiction Awards and topping numerous Bestseller’s lists.
Yesterday’s Promise is the first book of a series entitled, Second Chance of Love. Whitaker House plans to release the next two books in October 2010 and January 2011. Visit her online at www.VanessaMiller.com.

List your published books.

Former Rain, Abundant Rain, Latter Rain, Rain Storm, Through the Storm, Forsaken and Yesterday’s Promise.

Which book did you find the hardest to birth?

Former Rain was the hardest book to write. It was my first and I was learning a lot about the skill of writing as I wrote that book. It took seven years from start to finish with several edits. I now write my books within two to three months.

Which book is your current favorite?

Through the Storm is my favorite book, because it is a mystery and I love reading mysteries. But each of my books have touched me in different ways.

How would you describe your writing style?

I write to touch the hearts and souls of my readers, other than that, I don’t believe I have a particular style.

Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what kind?

No. I like silence, so I can think.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Keep writing, and developing the skill that a writer needs to be successful. I would attend writer’s workshops and conferences. Once he/she finally gets that book deal I would advise that they learn everything they can about marketing that book. The market is saturated right now, so writers need to find ways to help their book stand out.
Writers are often encouraged to write what they know. Have you found that to be the case with your writing?
Yes, I mostly write redemption stories and that is because I have been redeemed. I want my readers to understand that God is always there for them. No matter what they’ve done, they can always turn back to God and be forgiven. However, my 2010 books are romance and women’s issue type books that are different from my earlier books, but I believe the reader will be touched by them as well.

About the Book

Melinda Johnson has always felt called to ministry. So, when her father, Bishop Langston Johnson, decides to step down after thirty years of leadership at Omega Christian Center, it seems only natural for her to take his place. But Bishop Johnson feels led by a God who has other things in mind, and to succeed him, he appoints Steven Marks-a man who is opposed to female pastors, not to mention the fact that he is Melinda’s ex-fiancé.
Feeling defeated, Melinda nevertheless maintains her position as the church’s Missions and Community Outreach Director. Frequent interaction with the new bishop incites bitter sparring-and rekindles long-suppressed attraction, which grows only stronger when Melinda develops a relationship with Steven’s precious daughter, Brianna, who’s still struggling with the death of her mother.
Can Steven and Melinda set aside past pains, forgive each other, and learn to love again? Or will their opposing positions regarding women preachers keep them forever at odds? 
Tell Us About Your Favorite Female Minister

We invite you this week to highlight your favorite FEMALE MINISTER in the comment section below.  Participants will be placed in a drawing for an autographed copy of Yesterday’s Promise by Vanessa Miller and a $25 Gift Card.

View the blog tour schedule and read an excerpt at http://bit.ly/WomeninMinistry

Forsaken Blog Tour - Day One

Meet Vanessa Miller, author of Forsaken

Vanessa Miller of Dayton, Ohio is an Essence best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. Her stage productions include: Get You Some Business, Don’t Turn Your Back on God, and Can’t You Hear Them Crying and Abundant Rain.
To date, Vanessa has written the Rain Series and the Storm Series. The books in the Rain Series are: Former Rain, Abundant Rain, and Latter Rain. The books in the Storm Series are: Rain Storm and Through the Storm. These books have received rave reviews, winning Best Christian Fiction Awards and topping numerous Bestseller’s lists.
FORSAKEN is Vanessa’s newest book. Forsaken is the story of a fallen pastor’s journey back to God. Vanessa believes that each of her books will touch readers across the country in a special way. It is, after all her God-given destiny to write novels that bring deliverance to God’s people.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Pastor Jerome Tyler “JT” Thomas is charismatic behind the pulpit, charming to all he comes in contact with, and lethal to those who linger too long. Since the age of twenty-two, when he prayed for God to keep him out of prison, JT knew he would preach the gospel. Bishop Turner makes it possible; but there are strings attached, and now JT isn’t sure he can stay tied down.
Cutting loose causes more problems than JT anticipated. When an old friend from his days on the streets resurfaces and his extracurricular activity comes knocking on his front door, JT’s life and the lives of those close to him spiral out of control. Now he will need divine intervention to make things right. But how much help can a man hope to receive when he feels he’s been forsaken by God?





Forsaken by Vanessa Miller (excerpt) -

Follow the blog tour at http://bit.ly/Forsaken.

For more information about Vanessa, visit her at http://www.vanessamiller.com.

Interview with Author Vanessa Miller

Today I welcome author, Vanessa Miller, to Urban Christian Fiction Today. Vanessa's interview is way overdue. She's one of the authors I met in 2004 who so inspired me to get my story written.

Welcome Vanessa, introduce yourself.
I’m an author, playwright and motivational speaker. Several of my books have made the Essence Bestseller’s list and have been a part of Black Expressions Book Club. I am a dedicated member of my church, serving as administrator of our Wednesday night children’s Bible study. I have a daughter (Erin) and a grandchild (Amarrea). I also love books and would rather buy more bookshelves than get rid of the hundreds of books that I own.

Tell us about your latest release.
My third book in the Rain Series, Latter Rain just re-released as of February 2009. Here’s the synopsis: Isaac’s out of jail and has committed his life to God. But which road will he take? Will he revisit his old life of crime? Or will he embrace the respectable future as provider and protector for the woman he loves and the child they share? Sure, hustling wasn’t easy, but Isaac was a master at ruling the underworld—a self-made CEO of the streets. And then came, Nina. She dared to show him Christ’s love and her way changed all the rules. Now all Isaac wants is to live by God’s Word and win Nina back. Though when the past catches up with him, and tragedy creeps through the back door, all bets may be off... Will he prove to his enemies—and to Nina—that the lure of the streets no longer has any power over him?

The Rain Series has been very popular. Tell us why you think so.
I think the series has been popular with readers because they can relate to the characters. The emails I receive from readers consistently say something like, “Vanessa, you wrote my story.”
My readers also seem to like the spiritual aspect of the books… and that puts a smile on my face.

Who has been the most difficult character to write through the series? Do you have a character your readers love to hate? And why? Any favorites for you?
Cynda Stevens was my most difficult character to date. I knew nothing about the type of lifestyle she led or how in the world I would take her from being a down and out crack addicted prostitute who disliked the world and didn’t trust God… to receiving God’s deliverance and becoming a loving and caring person… that was hard.

My favorite character through out the rain series is Isaac Walker. He’s the bad boy in Former Rain. I like his character because he is forever growing, changing and becoming better. Isaac is also the character my readers love to hate.

You began as a self-published author. Share some advice for other independent published authors. The most important thing the author most do is get a distributor… some one who can help get the books into bookstores. Self-published authors must also find avenues to sell their books besides the bookstore. Self-publishing is a hard business, but if you work at developing an audience and continue to seek avenues to sell your books it can work.

I asked Vanessa to get personal and she shared the following answers:
Favorite Scripture? Psalm 37:25 "For I have been young and I have been old, but I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his seed begging bread."
Favorite dessert? Ah, no you didn’t go there while I’m trying to lose weight. Okay, here it is. My favorite dessert is PEACH COBBLER. And that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Dream vacation spot? I have been out of the country on vacation numerous times, but I have never been to Paris… I need to go to Paris. Hopefully, I’ll get there within the next five years.
If you were going to a solitary location and could only take one novel that you didn’t write, what would it be and why? Redeeming Love – by Francine Rivers. That novel showed me God’s love as no other novel has before or since. When I finished reading Redeeming Love, I remember getting on my knees and praying for a double portion of the anointing Francine Rivers has. Because I don’t want to just write books, I want to write anointed books that my readers can find the secret to living God centered lives in.

If you could change one thing about your publishing journey/writing career what would it be? The thing that most frustrates me is how long it takes to grow your audience. I know that thousands of people read my books, but I want millions of readers. That may sound a little greedy, but that’s what my dreams are made of… If there was a way to just snap your fingers and instantly become a New York Times bestseller, I would have already been there. But since there’s no magic to this thing, I keep working and building my audience, one reader at a time.

You’re a member of a tour group, you still have independently published anthologies and you write stage plays. Tell us about these activities.
Anointed Authors on Tour (AAOT) is the group that I travel with. We go on tour each year in an effort to promote our books and spread the good news about Jesus Christ. If anyone is interested in knowing more about us, please visit our website: http://www.anointedauthorsontour.com/

Anthologies: I write fictional stories of faith, but I wanted provide my readers with true stories of faith so I now publish a series called Faith Anthologies. These anthologies are filled with stories of hope, triumph and victory.

As far as my stage plays go, I have written and produced (4). The last stage play was based on Abundant Rain, my second novel in the Rain series. I hope to begin touring some of my plays in the coming years.

Where can readers find you on the Internet?
http://www.vanessamiller.com/
www.myspace.com/vmiller1
www.shoutlife.com/vanessamiller

Thanks so much for stopping by, Vanessa!