Review of Unsigned Hype

Debut Author from World of Hip-Hop
Delivers Story that Brings the Urban Young-Adult Experience to Life

Synopsis of the novel -

Tory Tyson may only be in high school, but he knows what he wants out of life--a successful music career. And he's not going to learn about all that at school. So when school lets out next month he's not going back. He's finally ready to stop spinning old records at parties and start laying down his own beats--and the Unsigned Hype music contest is the perfect place to launch his career. But will he be able to handle the fame and fortune he seeks?

A review of the novel -

I had my 17 year old son, Aaron, read and review this book. Here's what he had to say:

"This is a great story about a young man taking the right steps in life to become successful. This kid named Tory Tyson, "Terror Tory", has an incredible, God-given talent to create and produce music that inspires everyone to come together and enjoy life. While on his journey to stardom he goes through the good and bad things that come with being popular and famous. He still strives to do things the right way through the good and bad. Author, Booker T. Mattison's plot was great. Everything flowed smoothly and transistioned well. The characters were well thought out and perfect for this story. This story will inspire all young people. It shows that even though you grew up in a bad neighborhood and around negative people, that you can still overcome the overwhelming odds and obstacles in life and be successful and do good things with your life." ...Aaron McKnight

I'm going to make him a writer out of him yet. :o)

Aaron enjoyed the book. He read it in two days which is always a good sign, so this is a highly recommended one for the young set.

About the author -

Booker T. Mattison is a writer and filmmaker who wrote the screenplay for and directed the film adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston’s “The Gilded Six Bits,” which aired on Showtime. His films have been screened at the Smithsonian Institute, the Library of Congress, the Directors Guild of America, and Harvard University. He has also written and directed music videos for Grammy-nominated the Cross Movement, as well as other Christian rap and R&B artists. His music videos have aired on BET, MTV Europe, the Gospel Music Channel, and TBN. Mattison lives in Newburg, New York, with his wife and four children. This is his first novel.

Visit him at http://bookertmattison.com/ and Facebook

Nikki Carter's A So For Real Novels

Fifteen-year-old Gia Stokes knows exactly what she needs to make her life fantabulous:

Get her mother Gwendolyn to let her relax her hair

Find a boy to ask her out

Get on the Hi-Steppers dance squad

Gia doesn't have the hair or the clothes, but she's got the moves and the attitude to make her sophomore year at Longfellow High unforgettable. But not everyone agrees, so Gia decides it's time for a makeover. With her stylish new look, she scores a date with hottie football player, Romeo, snags a spot on the Hi-Steppers dance squad, and makes a ton of new friends. Gia's on top of the world?until things go horribly wrong. Now Gia feels like all she has left is her mom and her faith. That's not going to stop Gia, she's just got to convince the Hi-Steppers and everyone else at school, to follow her lead and step to her beat.

Gia and the Longfellow High gang are back in full effect! Ricky – Gia’s BFF and almost-crush - is now the starting quarterback of the Longfellow Spartans. Along with that comes not one but two crushes from Hi-Stepper Valerie and Gia’s cousin Hope, leaving Gia scrambling as the middle man. Valerie’s on a mission to win the Homecoming Queen title and will stop at nothing to get her crown. In the middle of all the drama, Gia now has to contend with a new stepfather and sticky-fingered stepsister. Will Ricky choose Hope or Valerie? Or will Ricky and Gia get past their fear of the crush unknown and lay it all on the line? You’ll have to read and find out!


It Is What It Is coming June 30th. Click here to pre-order.

Bluford Series for male "tweens"- Grades 6 to 8

Someone asked me about books for males in that tween age. I don't know of anything in Christian fiction, but I do know about the Bluford Series. I purchased the first 13 for my son years ago. Lots of educators use these books in the classroom, and they really are good values based literature. There are 15 books in the series and get this? If you order from the publisher's website it's only $1 per book. I'm not kidding. $15 plus minimal shipping.

Here's a little about the series:

The Bluford Series is a collection of FIFTEEN young adult novels that focus on the lives of a group of high school students and their families. The series draws its name from the school which many of the characters attend: Bluford High, named after Guion "Guy" Bluford, America's first black astronaut.

Set in contemporary urban America, each novel addresses complex topics relevant to the lives of today's students: family, friendship, trust, isolation, violence, and peer pressure, to name a few.
In addition, the books feature male and female characters and include elements from many literary genres, such as mystery, suspense, romance, and a touch of the supernatural. In other words, the Bluford Series offers something for almost every reader.


Check it out by clicking here.

Books For Our Male Teens

Stephanie Perry Moore penned a captivating series for our young men. Last year my 17 year old read each new release of this series in one day flat. This is the kid I used to bribe or threaten to read, so they had to be good. The series includes five books that focus on a young man named Perry Skky, Jr. Here's a little about the first book:

Prime Choice

Torn between his desire for sex and his desire to please God, Perry Skky Jr. needs some guidance—before he lets down both himself and the Lord…

It’s Perry’s senior year—and he has every reason to feel good about himself. One of the most popular kids in his class, he’s not only the best football player in the state, he’s also acing every one of his AP classes. College recruiters are beating down his door to sign him. He even has such a good thing with his girlfriend, Tori, that he finally feels ready to take their relationship to the next level.

There’s only one problem. Tori isn’t ready. Her Christian beliefs tell her she needs to save herself. And with plenty of girls to choose from, Perry is tempted to break up with Tori and start spending time with someone who is ready for something more. The choice is his: to do what feels good—or to do right by God.

Learn more about the series at Stephanie's website by clicking here.

Interview with author, Jacquelin Thomas

Today, I welcome author, Jacquelin Thomas, to Urban Christian Fiction Today. Any of you who read Christian Fiction probably know who Jacquelin is. Having stepped out on faith to write the novels the Lord called her to write even though she had a very successful career established in mainstream romance, Jacquelin is one of the early pioneers in this genre. I can still remember reading Jacquelin's first Christian fiction novel, Singsation and crying. Then almost eight years later, reading her novel, Redemption and being moved to tears again. She's way over due as a guest on this blog. For those who aren't familiar with her work, you've been missing out, but as you know, it's never too late to discover a great author. Today we're going to talk about Jacquelin's young adult fiction.

Welcome, Jacquelin. Introduce yourself to my readers.
Hi, I’m Jacquelin Thomas and I am published in romance, women’s fiction and young adult. I have over thirty books in print and have enjoyed a successful career that’s lasted 12 years. The highlight of my career has been seeing one of my books adapted into a television movie and being nominated for a 2008 NAACP Image Award.

Tell us about the Divine Series.
The series features Divine Matthews Hardison, the teenage daughter of two celebrity parents and sheds light on what it’s like to be a Hollywood princess who has been transplanted to a small town in Georgia, surrounded by ‘normal’ teens and away from the media spotlight. It is in Temple, GA that Divine learns some of life’s greatest lessons.

The books deal with real issues such as Internet dangers, teen domestic violence, teen pregnancy, virtual marriages and challenges faced by blended families.

Jacquelin, you've written four books about Divine. Tell us what makes this character standout from amongst her peers? Divine is a typical teenager, although she comes with a hefty trust fund. She’s a total fashionista and diva, but is fiercely loyal when it comes to family and friends. She’s not perfect and gets in trouble from time to time, but Divine is pretty good about learning from her mistakes.

Learning from their mistakes is something all parents desire for the children. Tell me what have you enjoyed most about interacting with young adults as a result of these books? I’ve always interacted with young adults in one form or the other. I enjoy their zest for life and their honesty refreshing. I’ve found that most teens just want a listening ear, but without judgment.

Share a special email or comment you received from a reader that touched your heart. I love the letters from teens who write to tell me that they are members of the Big ‘V’ Club just like Divine or that they read my books and that they’ve helped them make better decisions.

What’s next for Divine?
Readers have asked for stories about some of Divine’s friends, so coming this month is the first book in the Divine & Friends series: It’s A Curl Thing, which features Rhyann. Divine, Mimi & Alyssa will all put in appearances.

Rhyann Hamilton could not be more jazzed for her sophomore prom. The big event is one day away, and getting prepped is a family affair: thanks to her aunt's designing magic, she's got a dreamy Valentino look-alike gown, and her sister Tameka's doing her hair. But something goes terribly wrong -- and Rhyann's hair color is a total disaster! An emergency trip to a luxury salon saves the day, but how will Rhyann pay for the high-priced appointment? Thanks to the kindhearted owner, working at the salon becomes more than just a way to pay a debt -- for Rhyann is about to discover how beautiful things can happen when your heart is open, and how one bad hair day can be a blessing in disguise.

Sounds "divine", Jacquelin. How can readers learn more about the books on the Internet? They can visit my website: http://www.jacquelinthomas.com/ or http://www.simplydivinebooks.com/
I’m also on MySpace & Facebook.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Jacquelin. I look forward to having you back when your next women's fiction title The Ideal Wife is released in October.