This month Jill chats with Christian chick-lit author Marilynn Griffith. This bundle of energy is mom to a tribe, wife to a deacon and proof that God gives second chances. While best known for her colorful novels about friendship, family and faith, Marilynn is also a speaker and nonfiction writer. Her nonfiction has been included in CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE CHRISTIAN WOMAN’S SOUL and several other devotionals and magazines. Currently, Marilynn is editor of the SISTAHFAITH:BELIEVING BEYOND SHAME anthology and founder of Faithchick.com, a blog for faith fiction readers.

She is the author of six novels dealing with issues such as teen pregnancy, AIDS, abstinence, stress relief, single parenting and marriage. Her recent fiction titles include TANGERINE and IF THE SHOE FITS. Marilynn has served as Vice President and Publicity Officer of American Christian Fiction Writers. She speaks to youth, women and writers about believing beyond boundaries and daring to reach dreams. Marilynn lives in Florida with her husband and seven children whom she taught at home for seven years.

Listen in and learn how she accomplishes all of this!

Listen to CWO Radio this month, as Jill Hart chats with author, Kay Strom. Kay loves to write, and she loves to share what she writes about. Guess you’d call her a natural-born communicator! Author of 34 books and numerous magazine articles, Kay’s work has appeared in many compilations, book clubs, and around the world in many languages. She has recently completed the scripts for two movies and is hard at work on a historical biography and a historical novel trilogy.

In addition to her writing, Kay is an articulate, personable, and dynamic speaker, sought after for keynote presentations and special events around the country.

Award-winning author Shelley Adina wrote her first teen novel when she was 13. It was rejected by the literary publisher to whom she sent it, but he did say she knew how to tell a story. That was enough to keep her going through the rest of her adolescence, a career, a move to another country, a B.A. in Literature, an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction, and countless manuscript pages.

Shelley is a world traveler and pop culture junkie with an incurable addiction to designer handbags. She knows the value of a relationship with a gracious God and loving friends, and writes books about fun and faith–with a side of glamour. Between books, Shelley loves traveling, playing the piano and Celtic harp, watching movies, and making period costumes.

With lines like “I’m finding that God is blessing me with messy faces in divine places,” Darlene Schacht has the uncanny ability to warm hearts–captivating them with an inspirational focus.

Perhaps it’s her writing talent laced with design skill and determination that has placed Darlene at the hub of this rapidly growing online ministry for women that celebrated its one year anniversary in March. Christian Women Online has brought about a new wave in the ability to reach out to people both to share faith and to minister to them. CWO answers the question Can the Internet really be used to save souls? With a loud and clear Yes!

This mother of four also inspires women through her book The Mom Complex ~ Discover the Woman God Designed You To Be. Sharing stories from her past to her present, this devotional is sprinkled with humor and inspiration that is both human and faith focused. Russ Eldredge said it best when he wrote, “Far too many people think that in order to be religious, you can’t be too human, and in order to be truly human, you can’t be all that religious. The Mom Complex strikes a wonderful balance between the two.”

Jill Hart interviewed Darlene in March at CWAHM to talk about CWO, her book, and CWO’s parent company, Art Bookbindery. We have that interview here for you today…

This month I had the pleasure of chatting with Margaret McSweeney. Margaret is the author the beautiful gift book, A Mother’s Heart Knows. She is also the founder of ‘Pearl Girls’:

With His love and grace, God covered the unexpected pain in my life of becoming an adult orphan and transformed this pain into a pearl. We are all Pearl Girls™.  Each of us has been touched by God’s gift of love and grace, and it’s a gift that I want to share with others.  That’s why I am launching Pearl Girls™.

Actually, my very first gift from my parents was a pearl. The gift of my name. Margaret means “precious pearl.” So perhaps this is what I was always supposed to do. My heart’s prayer is that Pearl Girls™ will be a blessing to others–to the women who contribute their literary talent to the Pearl Girls™ projects; to the readers who are inspired and comforted by the life experiences shared through these projects and to the women and children who will benefit from the proceeds given by Pearl Girls™ to various charities.

Susan May Warren is a multi-published, award-winning author with Tyndale House and Steeple Hill. Her latest release is titled, Wiser Than Serpents. About two years ago, God laid on her heart the horror of the human trafficking problem, and after reading a magazine article by Sara Groves, she began to research IJM (International Justice Mission) with a desire to help. Coincidentally, she was also writing a book at that time, a suspense/ romance novel set in Taiwan about a woman whose sister is trafficked. The heroine goes undercover to try and free her. The book, Wiser than Serpents, comes out with Steeple Hill this month, and in the front, the author’s note section, she wrote about IJM, with information about how to get involved. She will also be donating 15% of the proceeds of this book to IJM.

There’s never a dull moment in the Y’Barbo household! From hockey and cheer mom to publicist to bestselling author, Kathleen Y’Barbo somehow manages to do it all—and do it well. While wearing her publicist’s hat, Kathleen has secured interviews with radio, television, and print media for clients at NavPress, Hatchette, Integrity, Barbour Publishing, and Broadman & Holman, to name a few. She also brings her own unique blend of Southern charm and witty prose to the more than 350,000 award-winning novels and novellas currently in print. Her novels have been nominated for American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2006; and 2007 will see the release of her 25th book. In everything she does, whether seeking media attention for her clients at Glass Road Public Relations or penning her next novel, Kathleen’s love of the Lord and her penchant for demanding the best in herself shines through.

Kathleen is a tenth-generation Texan and a mother of three grown sons and a teenage daughter. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and an award-winning novelist of Christian fiction whose first published work jumped onto the Christian Booksellers Association bestseller list in its first month of release. Kathleen is a former treasurer for the American Christian Fiction Writers, and is a member of the Author’s Guild, Inspirational Writers Alive, Words for the Journey Christian Writers Guild, and the Fellowship of Christian Authors. In addition, she is a sought-after speaker, and her kids think she’s a pretty cool mom, too—most of the time, anyway.

This month Jill talks with award-winning singer/songwriter Bree Noble. Bree’s powerful vocals and commanding stage presence have won over audiences at large venues such as Saddleback Church and Dodger Stadium and intimate venues like small town churches and coffeehouses.

Although her vocals are always compelling, her greatest asset is her songwriting. Bree is a songwriter who doesn’t sugar-coat the Christian life or water down the issues Christians face. With influences like Nichole Nordeman, Sara Grvoes and Ginny Owens, her musical style is both mainstream and eclectic. Her lyrics are bold in their revelation of her own faults and struggles and how she has faced them with God’s guidance. Bree has a different perspective to convey–one of not just a woman of faith, but of an individual who has learned to overcome great adversity; she has glaucoma and has been legally blind since birth.

Join me as I chat with author Tricia Goyer about her newest on-fiction book, Generation NeXt Marriage: The Couple’s Guide To Keeping It Together. I loved Tricia’s Generation NeXt Parenting and have been waiting not-so-patiently for her book on marriage to be released. It’s finally here! Tricia’s writing style is open, honest and refreshing. She’s not afraid to use examples from her own life or to let her readers in on the lessons God has taught her over the years.

All the books she’s written and accolades and awards she’s received pale in comparison to Tricia’s
greatest joy: her family.

Tricia is married to the love of her life, John, and they have three great kids whom she homeschools. They make their home in Northwest Montana with their dogs, Lilly and Jake.

In addition to writing, Tricia enjoys sharing Jesus’ love through volunteering as a mentor for teenage moms in her community. She also leads children’s church every week with the rest of her family.

Visit TriciaGoyer.com

Listen in as Jill chats with Lynn Bower Walker about her book, Queen of the Castle: 52 Weeks of Encouragement for the Uninspired, Domestically Challenged or Just Plain Tired Homemaker. The book is full of funny tips, practical information and great homemaking ideas. Walker isn’t afraid to share her foibles which makes the book a fun read.

Lynn Bowen Walker is a Stanford graduate who was trained as a journalist, but who chose instead to dedicate herself to raising a family and building a strong home. A homemaker now for 23 years, Lynn wrote much of this book while in the car waiting for her children to finish practices. In addition to making a mean chocolate chip cookie and having written for many magazines, including Today’s Christian Woman and Glamour, she has contributed to several books and is raising two sons with her husband, Mark.