The Nativity Story to Premiere at Vatican

Nov 10, 8:35 AM ET

A movie about Christmas by the company that produced the Oscar-winning "The Lord of the Rings" will make its world premiere at the Vatican this month.

"The Nativity Story," which opens in the United States and Italy on Dec. 1, will be screened at the Vatican's Pope Paul VI Hall on Nov. 26, Vatican officials said Friday.

It was not yet known if Pope Benedict XVI would attend the screening, said Claudia Di Giovanni, from the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Producers said in a statement that 7,000 people would be invited to the premiere, and that proceeds from the event would go toward the construction of a school in a village in Israel about 25 miles from Nazareth, the town of Jesus' childhood. The statement said that the village, Mughar, has a diverse population, including Christians and Muslims.

Mughar is one of the towns hit by rockets fired by Lebanon-based Hezbollah guerrillas over the summer.

Di Giovanni said that the screening would be preceded by a reading from the Gospels and a prayer "to give a spiritual aspect" to the event.

The movie stars Australian-born Keisha Castle-Hughes, of "Whale Rider" fame, who plays the role of Mary, and Oscar Isaac, who stars as Joseph. "The Nativity Story" is directed by Catherine Hardwicke, who did "Lords of Dogtown."

Di Giovanni said that while some made-for-TV movies have had their premieres at the Vatican, it is believed that "The Nativity Story" will be the first feature film to have its premiere there.

Note: this is not the premier I'll be attending. Lord willing, I'm heading to LA on the 28th.

~~Angie

Babe Update

Babe has an ear problem. It's nothing serious, all my mastiffs have had this at one time or another. They have flappy, floppy ears, you see, and not enough air gets up in those folds so gunky things have a tendency to grow and accumulate. Left uncleaned, the ear gunk irritates the ears, resulting in a dog that shakes her head constantly and stinks.

Yesterday morning my hubby was trying to pray with me before heading out. Babe stood beside me at the kitchen counter, and I found it hard to focus on prayer with waves of dog stink washing over me. This is pungent stuff!

So I promptly got my spray bottle of mixed vinegar and water, the perfect doggie ear cleaner. Charley doesn't like the spray bottle, but he's learned the after-spray ear rub is worth the aggravation. Babe, however, hasn't learned that, and after one squirt she was off like a rocket. I spent the rest of the morning trying to corner her in the kitchen, and every time I put my hand out to touch her ear, she ducked and even showed her teeth. She didn't snarl, but she let me know she had TEETH and she wasn't happy.

So . . . the spray bottle isn't going to work with Babe. (Who says we train dogs? They train us, truly.) So then I found one of those squishy turkey baster things you can use to clean human ears. I filled it with vinegar and water and called Babe over for a belly rub. While she was lying at my side, I squirted a little vinegar and water into her ear and proceeded to massage it in--as long as she'd lie still, which wasn't long.

By nighttime I was rewarding her for letting me touch her ears with a towel--if she'd let me do it, I'd give her a treat. That worked for a while, but now she flinches and ducks if I just move to touch her head. She looks at me like she's lost all trust in me.

Right now I think I'm going to leave her ears alone for a couple of days. I'd hope she'll forget, but I know better. Dogs have long memories.

So I have a feeling I have my work cut out for me when it comes to Babe's ears. If you have any ideas, I'd love to hear them.

~~Angie

The Perfect Purse

So SteinMart was having a sale today, and I had a card for an additional 20 percent off clearance items. (Of course, most of the things I got were not on clearance. Sigh.)

Sigh. Anyway, I got my outfit for the premier--unless I change my mind between now and then. And then, to top it off, I bought the perfect evening purse. See photo. It's tiny and cute and a splash of color on an otherwise all-black outfit, yet it's big enough for a room key, a small brush, lipstick and a camera. What more could a girl need?

What did I get? I definitely tried to remember that less is more. So I found a full skirt rather like the one in the Donna Karan photo below, except there's a little interest at the hem--a strip of velvet, I think. And then I found a sleeveless black top, scoop neck (not low), and quite simple. Then I found a wide leather belt with a LARGE round gold circle clasp. Ta da! Simple. And a black velvet wrap in case it's chilly. I have black lace shoes, I have jewelry, so I think I'm set.

All those sequins were awfully tempting--trust me, the stores are awash with sequins now--but I didn't want to do the sparkly thing. I'll reserve that for the cruise ship. (VBG).

My motto, you know, is "expect the unexpected" so the unexpected element will either be this cute little purse, or maybe a net crinoline under the skirt . . . we'll have to see. Stay tuned!

~~Angie

My favorite children's books . . . and more

Someone just asked me to name my five favorite children's books in two categories. If you're Christmas shopping for a child, you might want to consider these . . . they are wonderful!

Picture books:
Nicholas Cricket by Joyce Maxner (I dare anyone to read this aloud without tapping their toes!)
Weird Parents by Audrey Wood (parents love this one as much as kids)
Joey by Jack Kent (a gentle lesson for moms, too)
Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect by Richard Schneider
Argyle by Barbara Brooks Wallace (why fame isn't all its cracked up to be)

Chapter books:
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
The Incredible Journey by Shelia Burnford

Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell

Ramona Quimby, Age 8, by Beverly Cleary

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

WIP update: 10,000 words done on the second Fairlawn book, IN LIEU OF FLOWERS. Rough drafting is a matter of sitting down and letting it spin out of you.

I spoke at a meeting of the Florida Writer's Association, St. Pete chapter, last night. What a fun group of folks! I had a great time . . . and hugs to the dad and his daughters who drove all the way from Gainesville! Write on, friends!

~~Angie

Challenge of the Year

So . . . what does one wear to a film premier in LA?

A few years ago I lost sixty pounds and was so thin that I could wear virtually anything. All those cute young fashions actually looked good on my skin-and-bones frame. But then some of those pounds crept back to their original places and now I once again look like the middle-aged mother I am.

So—what does a MAM wear to a premier?

I went to Dillards yesterday and tried on several dresses from the holiday wear department. Bad move. At one point I stared in the mirror and was instantly reminded of the headline I’d just seen on a tabloid at the grocery store. “THE BUMP IS BACK!” the headline screamed, “AND BRAD IS OVER THE MOON!”

Well—I’m not Angelina Jolie, I’m not pregnant, and my bump doesn’t come and go—well, not routinely. And in far too many dresses yesterday, it wasn’t shy about making its appearance.

(BTW, if you’re male and reading this—you may excuse yourself now. Thank you very much.)

Most of the dresses I tried on were cut too low, hemmed too short, and sewn too quickly. I found myself wishing that I lived in the 1950’s—I LOVE those full-skirted dresses Lucy and Ethel always wore when they went out on the town with Ricky and Fred. I actually have one of those (found on eBay), but it has about a 24 inch waist, and that’s just not going to happen in less than three weeks.

So—I emailed my daughter, the fashionista. Never fear, she says, I can go simple and elegant and accessorize. She says to stick with Ralph Lauren (whom I love) or Donna Karan.

I know Lauren, so I go online to check out the new Donna Karan collection. To my great relief, it’s composed of pieces I might even have in my closet. There’s no way I can BUY any of the pieces I saw (see the photo? One of those pieces sells for $1995.00, the other for $2595.00, and I have no idea which is which), but I think I can come close to replicating either this look or something similar. And I’ll be comfortable!

I was watching a Doris Day flick a few months ago with Jim Bell, Nancy Rue, and Lisa Samson . We gals were exclaiming over Doris’s small waist and her adorable hat, and we remarked that such small waists were possible because women were generally girdled until they couldn’t breathe . . . at that point Jim turned the movie off and said we needed to concentrate.

LOL! Men. They just don’t understand how important these things are . . .

So . . . if you have any ideas, I'm open. And since I used the picture, I feel duty-bound to say that YOU can shop the Donna Karan collection here .

~~Angie , now looking for the Ralph Lauren collection . . .

Guest Blogger: Robin Lee Hatcher

Robin Lee Hatcher began writing her first novel in 1981 and saw it published, with all its imperfections intact, in 1984. Fifteen years and thirty books later, she followed God's call on her heart to write Christian fiction. In October 2006, her 50th book was released. A Carol for Christmas is a story about the desires of our hearts and how God wants to change and use them for His glory.
****************
A Carol for Christmas
Robin Lee Hatcher
Zondervan
ISBN 0-310-25776-X
144 pages
$12.99 (hardcover)

Never underestimate the true spirit of Christmas.

Carol Burke was born to sing. It was the life she had always dreamed of. There was only one thing she loved more, one person for whom she would willingly sacrifice her dreams: Jonathan Burke. Married against their parents' wishes, both are determined to make a life together despite the hardships. Jonathan works hard at his father's department store, leaving Carol alone in their tiny apartment. But long hours turn into late nights, thanks to Jonathan?s insatiable desire to prove himself to his father--even at the expense of the one he loves best.


Into the midst of an increasingly empty marriage comes an unexpected chance for Carol to sing again. Is this the opportunity of a lifetime, or a time for her to let go and trust her future to God? Carol knows one thing: she longs most of all to share her first Christmas with Jonathan, creating their own memories and traditions and breathing new life into their marriage.


Then a broken promise leaves her wondering. Can anything, anyone, even God, heal her crumbling hopes? The answer comes when Carol finds herself face-to-face with the true spirit of Christmas.

***************
1) What inspired the idea for A Carol for Christmas?

Actually, this is one of those odd things that happen in publishing. I was working on Return to Me (a prodigal daughter story) when my publishing schedule got changed around. Zondervan decided they wanted that novel to come out at a different time of year, so they requested I do a Christmas novella first. Because I was already invested in the two sister protagonists in Return to Me, Elena and Roxy Burke, I decided I would enjoy telling the love story of their parents, Jonathan and Carol. I thought back to my first Christmas as a teenage bride and the struggles young couples can have as they try to meld different Christmas traditions from two separate families into something new and unique to them. That was the starting point, but as happens with all of my ideas, the characters took the story the way they wanted it to go.

2) The novel, Return to Me, is a sequel to this novella. Tell us about it.

Sure. Here is the back cover copy for Return to Me which releases in July 2007:

Ambition lured her away.
Failure brought her home.
Can grace heal her broken heart?

A lot has changed since Roxy Burke escaped small town life to become a Nashville star. Her former boyfriend Wyatt has found Christ and plans to become a minister. Her sister Elena, who comforted Wyatt when Roxy ran away, is now his fiancee. Her father Jonathan, a successful businessman, is still heartbroken over the estrangement of Roxy from the family.

Now Roxy--her inheritance from her grandmother squandered, her hopes of stardom dashed--finds her way home, not by choice but because it's her only option. Her father's love and forgiveness surprise her, but her very presence throws the contented Burke family into turmoil, filling Roxy with guilt and shame.

Elena is shocked to discover doubt and resentment in her heart about her father's easy acceptance of Roxy into the family circle. Wyatt wrestles with doubts about marrying Elena. And Roxy struggles to accept forgiveness. Isn't she more deserving of rejection? As the story of the prodigal plays out, each member of the Burke family must search for and accept God's grace.

3) Can't help noticing that both Carol and her daughter Roxy love to sing and dream of singing careers. Are you a singer?

I love music and have the heart of a great singer, but alas, not the voice. My singing borders on being a "joyful noise." I can stay on key most of the time, but perfect pitch is not one of my gifts. Still, in my car or around the house, I am usually singing along to something (contemporary Christian, worship, country, golden oldies). The louder it's cranked, the better I sound.

4) This is your 50th release. Do you have a favorite among your own books?

I have different books that are favorites for different reasons. All of my CBA novels were written because the story was important to me at the time, because I felt God wanted me to write it, so I could never pick just one.

5) You're a native Idahoan and most of your books are set there. If you had to move out of state, where would you go?

Somewhere in the west where at least one mountain range is always in view. I mourn for the mountains when I can't see them. Of course, Hawaii might be nice. I could lie on the beach and look at the mountains. Not quite the same mountains I'm used to, but I think I could acclimate.

6) What scripture verses have spoken to you lately about your writing?

I've kept this one on my desktop for many years:

"Be strong and courageous, Robin, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged by the number of words you need to write, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to this novel is finished correctly." (1 Chronicles 28:20, Robin's Revised Version, based on the NLT)

A more recent one is this:

"But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus -- the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love." (Acts 20:24)

7) Name one thing you would change about your physical appearance and why?

I would have different hair, not thin and baby fine. I'm tired of bad hair days.

8) Since your new release is about Christmas, let's end with a Christmas question. Name your favorite holiday dessert and why.

Frosted sugar cookies. When my two daughters were little, we would take a Saturday in early December to make cookies, to eat and to give away to others. I would roll, cut, and bake. They would sit on stools at the long kitchen counter and frost. There would be one bowl of red frosting, one of green, one of blue, one of yellow, and one of white. I cut snowmen and stars and Santa Clauses and Christmas ornaments. There was frosting all over the counter by the time we were done. Oh, and all over my daughters' mouths, too. Those December Saturdays ended a long time ago, but I still remember and miss them.

Thanks for having me on your blog. May the coming holiday season be rich with love for you and your readers.

Robin

BOM: Questions and Answers

Questions and Answers:

Betsy asked: I think the parable of the Lost Sheep is everybody at some point in their life. When you write you parable stories do you find yourself in awe of everything?

I find myself in awe of everything almost every day! I love looking for metaphors and analogies--in fact, I see them everywhere. That's why parables come naturally to me, and I love using them . . . primarily because Jesus used them. They are such great teaching tools.

Regina asked: I would like to know if you have a page where I can get a list of all the books and series in order? That would be very helpful.

If you go to my web page and click on the link that says "browse books," you'll see all my titles grouped into categories. From there it's simply a matter of selecting contemporary or historical, etc., and all the books are there, lined up in order from most recent to oldest. Happy browsing!

I think that's it. My neighborhood book club has just left my house (the gals met BABE tonight--and I'm happy to say that Babe loved all of them. Before I brought Babe in, though, I passed out drool rags to each woman.)

Thanks once again for coming along with me for another book of the month. Next month: the Nativity Story!

And news flash -- looks like I'm going to be able to attend the premier in Los Angeles! How cool is that? I keep pinching myself . . .

~~Angie

BOM: The Awakening--Results and Reader Reaction

I mentioned the other day that some folks won't always "get" the message buried inside a parable. Jesus had to explain his parables to his disciples, so that's why I include discussion questions at the end of my books. Whether or not readers have a book club, I'd love for them to consider the questions and ponder the hidden truths that are very much a part of the story.

Okay--now on to the good and the bad. I could just share the positive reviews, you know, but I want you to see that I don't always hear only the "good things."

From Publisher's Weekly:

A dreamlike quality pervades this lovely tale by Hunt, the veteran author of more than 70 books. Thirty-five-year-old Aurora Norquest is left floundering after the mother she's nursed through dementia dies. Aurora rattles around her Manhattan apartment, suffering from agoraphobia and contemplating suicide. She also begins to wonder about the father she's never known, a famous horror novelist. Yet something as significant as finding her father is a long shot for Aurora, who is afraid even to walk to her apartment building's lobby. Then Philip, an economics teacher, gently pries Aurora from her cocoon and awakens her to life—and to faith. (Readers will notice the names correspond to the princess and prince in Sleeping Beauty, among other parallels.) As Aurora confronts her haunting dreams, voices (could they be from God?) and fears, she begins to discover that much about her past that she had taken for granted was untrue. The novelist father—who has everything, yet longs for the daughter he's never known— intentionally mirrors the biblical parable of the shepherd and the one lost sheep. The capable Hunt handles the mechanics of storytelling with aplomb, and the happy conclusion, while a bit rushed, should please. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From an Amazon review of UNSPOKEN:

I loved UNSPOKEN! After not even being able to finish THE AWAKENING I was afraid Angela Hunt was done with giving us wonderful refreshing stories but she has redeemed herself with Sema's story . . .

And another Amazon review:

The Awakening is a truly astounding work of art. . . I am reluctant to even write a review on this book as I feel completely handicapped in relating how much Angela Hunt means to me. Since becoming a Christian I became both lost and found; found in Christ, but lost in the world. Everything I had once loved, the literature, the art, movies, it all now lacked that God-spark and spirit. . . . .

In The Awakening we have Aurora, the significance of the name not lost, trapped by lies built up as stakes supposedly to keep her safe. I related deeply to this woman who connects to the world through books, and is somewhat wary of the human heart. She is in want of nothing, rich, intelligent, attractive, but she is disconnected from the world, from her heart and from her soul and her mind is becoming unseamed as it knows she needs the truth to survive, but is Aurora strong enough to let the truth enter her world? Gently a neighbor helps Aurora see the light, the light of truth, of God, of her own being and she lifts those stakes of lies and realizes she is not alone, she is not helpless. I would recommend this book to anyone as a testimony to the power of Christ . . .

Angie here again: Wow. Letters like that make all the work worthwhile.

Seriously--I hope the last two reviews illustrate something I've learned--you can pour your heart into a book, pray over it, polish it, and offer it to the world. Some people won't be able to get through it, and others will praise it to the skies.

But you know what? While I'm grateful for the latter kind of letter/review, I know that it really isn't my pen that's working. It's the Spirit of God. The same Spirit that called Aurora to wakefulness works through the printed page to touch readers. When that miracle happens, it isn't due to me . . . it's the Spirit's work. I do my part and try to remain faithful to my calling and craft, but it's God who works the true miracles.

Tomorrow: your questions, if you have any. Leave them in the comments and I'll answer them tomorrow!

P.S. If you've been following the Haggard affair (sorry for the choice of words), Brandilyn Collins has an interesting perspective featured in her blog today. Click on her name in my blogroll to the right.

Thanks for coming along on another BOM journey!

~~Angie

BOM: The Editing

Once again, I'm hard-pressed to remember the editing, but I do remember a few things. Obviously, as I mentioned before, T.J. Maxx vanished. (Too bad--I love that store.)

When I handed in the book, I wrote it in first/third POV, all present tense. My editor didn't like that, so I changed it to all first person. Because it can be confusing for a reader to read a new chapter in another character's head, I planted little clues in subheads:

Any chapter which began "Apartment 15A" was Aurora's

"Apartment 15B" was Philips (the Boy) and

"Apartment 15C" was Clara's.

I don't know that many readers caught the hints, but they were there.

Lisa Bergren, who was hired as freelance editor, suggested that I enhance the scenes where Aurora struggles to go down the stairs, a new step each day. A great suggestion.

I do remember one exchange Lisa and I had--at one point, Aurora describes herself as "middle aged" and she's thirty-five. Lisa, who is about that same age, protested that she hadn't reached middle age yet! I replied that man is granted "three score and ten," and thirty-five is exactly the half-way point. If that's not middle-age, I don't know what is!

Now that I'm nearing two score and nine, I think thirty-five is terribly young. Even though it IS exactly "middle age." I'm hoping, however, to make it to ninety-six. (VBG)

Tomorrow: The results and reader reaction

~~Angie

Bom: The Writing

I'm in Dover, DE today (Saturday)--speaking at the Dover Book Festival at noon. If you're anywhere in the area, please stop by!

Writing The Awakening was not without its challenges. I wanted the book to be horrific--it's the closest thing to a horror novel I've ever written, yet I don't think I even came close to Stephen King terrain. (VBG) Aurora has some pretty vivid nightmares, and I intended them to be God-sent, because God is not only love, but he is terrifying to those who don't know him and have never encountered his holy majesty (I think his holiness is pretty terrifying, actually, even to those of us who believe.)

The story exists on two levels--a novelist father yearns to know his daughter, just as God yearns to love his creatures. The novelist encodes messages to his daughter that will break through the web of lies that surrounds her just as God reveals his glory, majesty, and love in nature, in kindness, in the things we call "common grace." The rain that falls on the just and the unjust; the kindness men can show to one another apart from God--these things stem from common grace.

Aurora is struggling to break free of her fears, but she is also being summoned on many levels. God/the father tries to reach her through many avenues, but she rejects them until they become terrifyingly real.

When I teach writing, I often talk about the need for an ACTIVE protagonist--you want a character who will DO something and not just sit around. That's why Aurora was a challenge--she couldn't do anything BUT sit around. So I had to give her concrete goals--baby steps, as it were, so she could strive to simply leave the apartment and get on with her life. A protagonist also needs high stakes, and Aurora's is the highest--early on, it becomes clear that she will take her own life if she doesn't succeed. She's had enough of living in solitude and fear.

I was working on my theology degree while I was writing this book, and the one truth I wanted to illustrate was that no one comes to God unless the Spirit calls him first. I wanted to show that calling--that determined, relentless pursuit of the hound of heaven, the Father who summons us into the family. The calling of God is not always a gentle affair. It can have risks, and it can be terrifying. Aurora found it so.

Tomorrow: The editing

~~Angie

BOM: The Research

The Awakening required research in a couple of new areas: first, New York City. Fortunately, I'd been there recently. Second, I had to research agoraphobia, which is usually defined as "fear of open spaces." But a person truly suffering from agoraphobia can experience panic in any unfamiliar place, and over time, his or her world grows smaller and smaller. I read books on the disorder, but it wasn't until I talked to Patsy Clairmont, who used to suffer from agoraphobia, that I got a real handle on the personality traits Aurora would need. I got more useable information in a ten-minute talk with Patsy than I did through reading a couple of books.

I also had a character who was an economist, so I had to do a bit of research on that. Fortunately, a New York Times article on the guy who originated "freakonomics" fit that bill and gave me just what I needed.

I had to research New York apartments. I found a lovely book with original floor plans from New York apartment buildings, and placed Aurora and friends in the exact plans of an old Manhattan building. That was fun.

I also had to think about the Christian content. Even though I intended The Awakening to be a parable--an earthly story with a heavenly meaning--I knew some readers would do well to get through the story, let alone dig for the deeper meaning. (Parables are like onions--and some folks only want to pull off the peel.) So I made one character, the next door neighbor, a Christian. It's a little overt Christian content, but not too much. The real spiritual meaning lies beneath the surface . . . by design.

Tomorrow: the writing

~~Angie

BOM: How the Idea Germinated

The Awakening sprang from T.J. Maxx, actually. Or at T. J. Maxx.

I was in the dressing room, trying on an outfit, and I suddenly wondered what would happen if I happened to hear the voice of God. Audibly. Really. Like a burning bush experience, but in T.J. Maxx.

Would people think I was nuts? Would I want to tell people at all, or would I keep the experience to myself? A sane person probably would--then I remembered that old John Denver movie with George Burns playing God. I don't remember much about it, but I do recall that the message God wanted spread around was something like "be nice to each other."

Well . . . okay. But if God was really going to speak, don't you think he'd say something of more import than "be nice?"

So then I realized that this message or whatever would have to mean something to the individual. And it'd help if the individual was a little unbalanced in some way, so that hearing a voice out of the blue wouldn't strike her as a reason to race to the psychiatrist's office.

What if she couldn't race to the psychiatrist's office? What if she were homebound? I could make her an agoraphobe . . . but how could a person live like that for a long period of time and not seek help? Maybe she'd been homebound because she was caring for an ailing parent. She'd have to live in a place where it's possible to get anything one needs via delivery, so that almost immediately limits the book to New York City, where you can get groceries, food, wares, delivered straight to your door. You could live as a hermit amid the millions of Manhattan and few people would even notice.

Okay . . . so what would God tell this woman, and why would he need to tell her? And because most of my stories are parables, how does this situation mirror a spiritual situation?

Those were the thoughts that shaped the book. And in the end, mainly due to my editor (who wasn't sure most people would know what a T.J. Maxx was), the department store completely disappeared. I was left with Aurora Norquest, age 35, living in the top floor of a Manhattan apartment building, where she has spent the last ten years caring for her dying mother. The mother dies, and Aurora is finally free to live her life . . . if she can find the courage to leave the apartment. But she's been kept prisoner there by more than her fears. She's also been trapped by a web of lies.

This novel is extremely metaphorical, and so I started thinking in terms of Sleeping Beauty . . . hence Aurora Rose and Prince Philip. And even the wicked queen. (BG)

Tomorrow: The research

~~Angie

Book of the Month: The Awakening

Thanks for your many suggestions about which title to do for November's BOM. I put all of your suggestions on the calendar, but since I couldn't do all of them in November, I settled on The Awakening for this month. It was originally published in 2004 by WestBow, and it's still in print.

Recovering from the isolation of caring for her recently deceased mother, Aurora Norquest begins to experience bewildering dreams. As she seeks to understand the voices that fill her sleeping hours, she learns that her mother has hidden a secret . . . a truth that could change Aurora’s present and set a new course for her future.

Aurora is aided in her understanding by Philip Cannon, the neighbor who shows more than a friendly interest. With love as his ally, Philip helps her discern between truth and falsehood, the voice of guilt and the voice of love.

Christy-award winning author Angela Hunt delivers another parable for readers who enjoy being caught by surprise and delving a little deeper into life’s challenging issues. Read and be awakened . . . as you listen for echoes of a still, small voice.

Cindy Swanson wrote a very complete review of The Awakening that you can read here: http://www.crossspot.net/cindyswanson/Awakening.shtml.

Tomorrow: how the idea germinated

~~Angie

Booklist Names Top Ten Christian Novels of 2006

Top 10 Christian Novels: 2006. Mort, John (author).

FEATURE. First published October 1, 2006 (Booklist).

Terrorists seem to have gone underground in this year's Christian fiction, and apocalyptic novels haven't made much of a comeback since the Left Behind series. Instead, there was the Dan Brown effect, producing several Mary Magdalene stories, and there were some fine literary novels from veteran Vinita Hampton Wright and a winning newcomer, Beth Webb Hart. The novels covered here were reviewed between October 2005 and September 2006.

Dickson, Athol. River Rising. 2006. Bethany, $17.99 (0-7643-0162-X).
A mysterious black man named Hale Poser arrives in the little bayou town of Pilotville, where he demonstrates his powers as a healer and his gift for making peace.Dickson retells the Gospel story with a nice feel for Cajun ways and his trademark gothic flair.

Gabhart, Ann H. The Scent of Lilacs. Revell, paper, $12.99 (0-8007-3080-1).
Thirteen-year-old Jocie Brooke explores her family's secrets in this wise, universal tale of growing up in a small Kentucky town, featuring Jocie's senile, Bible-quoting aunt; her wandering mother; and her father, a sad "interim" pastor.

Hart, Beth Webb. Grace at Low Tide. 2005. WestBow, paper, $13.99 (1-5955-4026-1).
Rather like Mick in The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter, DeVeaux DeLoach is a precocious southern girl full of wisdom and charm. Hard times hit her family, and they move to the South Carolina coast, where DeVeaux reaches young womanhood.

Hart, Beth Webb. Adelaide Piper. 2006. WestBow, paper, $13.99 (1-59554-027-X).
Hart's second novel, about a promising high-school girl who is date-raped, keeps up the pace set by Grace at Low Tide.

Hunt, Angela. Uncharted. 2006. WestBow, $19.99 (0-8499-4484-8).
Leaning on the TV show Lost, Hunt shipwrecks six old friends who have lost their youthful ideals. The seemingly familiar plot takes a menacing twist when it becomes clear that the island on which the friends have washed up is, literally, hell.

Mackel, Kathryn. The Hidden. 2006. WestBow, paper, $13.99 (1-59554-037-7).
Escaping a wrenching emotional scene at her family's ranch, Susan races across the highlands on a spirited stallion and is thrown into a deep chasm, where she discovers an odd, androgynous young man. Is he an angel? A demon?

McGowan, Kathleen. The Expected One. 2006. Simon & Schuster/Touchstone, $25.95 (0-7432-9942-6). McGowan postulates that Mary Magdalene wasn't just married to Jesus, she was also married to John the Baptist. She had a child with John, two with Jesus, and the two bloodlines have engaged in a clandestine feud for centuries. It's all about to surface with the appearance of "the expected one."

Rourke, Mary. Two Women of Galilee. 2006. MIRA, $21.95 (0-7783-2374-9).
Joanna, a Jewish woman, is married to Chuza, Herod's chief steward. After falling ill, she appeals to her cousin, Mary, mother of Jesus, for an introduction to her son. Jesus heals Joanna, but then her loyalties are torn. Should she compromises her husband by following Jesus?

Thrasher, Travis. Admission. 2006. Moody, paper, $12.99 (0-8027-8024-1).
When a young woman goes missing, Jake Williams is employed by her parents to track her down. Jake's quest returns him to college haunts and brings back painful memories, prompting a spiritual inquiry as he confronts old sins and a woman he once loved but let down badly.

Wright, Vinita Hampton. Dwelling Places. 2006. HarperSanFrancisco, $23.95 (0-06-079080-6). Mack Barnes knows that family farms are extinct, but he cannot bear to lose his land. Wright's quiet, lyrical prose captures an Iowa farm town with precision and compassion, and celebrates how one resilient family manages to hang on and even triumph.

(I'm so thrilled to be among such august company! ) See the complete list here: http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=1761235 )

~~Angie

I love these silly things . . . How Scary Are you?

I don't know why I can't resist these quizes, but I can't.

And the first two people to report back with their "scary score" will get a hot-off-the-press copy of THE NATIVITY STORY! Just leave your name in the comments with your email addy so I can get your address.

I'm not scary? And shoot, I checked the "big, barking dog" answer . . .

~~Angie

You Are Not Scary

Everyone loves you. Isn't that sweet?

How Scary Are You?

Boo hiss on the automatic shower cleaner

I wait all year for the chance to post this doggie trick-or-treat picture!

A few months ago I raved about the automatic shower cleaner--I saw it advertised in one of those magazines that travels on every flight, so I ordered one and hung it up.

As soon as we go through our last bottle, I'm tossing it out. First--I just read in Consumer Reports that they did an official test. Not only does it not clean well by itself, in some cases it left a shower in worse condition than before. It does leave the walls sticky. It puts little bumpy dots on glass that I can see, and it leaves the tile streaked.

That's strikes one and two. Strike three is the fact that one of my friends was changing the bottle and splashed the stuff onto her skin, suffering serious burns. To be fair, I've splashed myself, too, but my skin must be like saddle leather, because it didn't hurt me. Still, if you have sensitive skin . . .

So, you read it here. Save your money and stick to the old fashioned scrubbing of the shower. It's not as much fun as watching the little thingamajig whirl around, but it's more effective. And cheaper.

(Come to think of it, I can't think of anything I've ever ordered from the Skymall catalog that actually worked. The bra baby? No. The water leak detector? Not good. The shower cleaner? No.)

Next time I'm on a plane, I should read a book instead.

~~Angie

The Nativity Story Production and Design

Can you tell that I am jazzed about this film? Here's a clip that tells about the care they took to make sure the film has an authentic historical feel. This is the last clip I'll be posting for a while, but tomorrow I'll give you a link where you can watch all of them or paste the code into your own blog.

Okay--I've deleted the clips (because they can't all play at once), but if you'd like to see any of them again OR if you'd like to insert them into your own blog, you can see them and get code here: http://www.nativityresources.com/video.html.

Enjoy!

~~Angie

The Nativity Story Director

I'd also like you to meet Catherine Hardwicke, director of THE NATIVITY STORY.

Meet Mike Rich

I'd like to introduce you to Mike Rich, the screenwriter who wrote the screenplay for THE NATIVITY STORY. My novelization came AFTER his screenplay, and his work formed the basis for my novel.

Here's a video clip where you can "meet" Mike, who also wrote Finding Forrester, Radio, and The Rookie:

The Official Nativity Story Trailer

It occurred to me earlier today that I may have to delete previous video clips before posting a ew ne because Blogger wants to play all the videos on a page simultaneously. So be sure to check every day this week to see a different clip!

Here it is: the official trailer for The Nativity Story movie, which opens Dec. 1: (I had to remove it because of the simultaneous feature, but you can view it at http://www.thenativitystory.com.)

~~Angie