Author Puts an End to Generations of Domestic Abuse, Alcoholism

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Pictures in Glass FramesShawn R. Jones Inspires, Revives and Encourages with New Book

For immediate release: Destruction and pain can travel from generation to generation. Just look at the statistics: boys who witnessed their parents’ domestic violence are twice as likely to abuse their own wives; the child of an alcoholic is 4 to 9 times more likely to develop the same problem, according to the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. Author Shawn R. Jones knows family trees can carry tragedy in their roots. “I have a lineage that is misshapen by domestic abuse and addiction,” explains Jones, a New Jersey native. “But it stops with me.”

In her new devotional Pictures in Glass Frames Jones reveals situations in which her family has been challenged and restored, guiding readers to move beyond their own tarnished history into a transformation with God. Jones’ was born to a poor 17-year-old who tried unsuccessfully to miscarry. “Over four decades ago, God decided that I should live. He had a plan for me even though I was ‘unplanned,’” explains Jones, “and he definitely has a plan for you.” From the shattered glass of tragedy to restoring the photos of your faith, readers will be revived and inspired by Pictures in Glass Frames.

Shawn R. Jones grew up in New Jersey, where she resides with her husband and two children. She is a graduate of Rutgers University, where she began her professional writing career. Her work as appeared multiple times Essence magazine and the New Women’s Voices Series. She currently worships at the Resurrection Center in Delaware under the leadership of Dr. S. Todd Townsend and Dr. Cleo V. Townsend.

Published by Ambassador International, Pictures in Glass Frames is will be widely available at retailers in early 2012. Visit www.ShawnRJones.com for more information. To set up an interview with Shawn contact publicist Alison Storm at [email protected].

 

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New Cookbook Invites Readers on Culinary Journey from Northern Ireland to the American South

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Shamrock and Peach Cover Ireland-Native Judith McLoughlin Creates New Fusion

For immediate release: Judith McLoughlin is looking at southern cuisine through Irish eyes. Her new cookbook, The Shamrock and Peach: A Culinary Journey from the North of Ireland to the American South, (Ambassador International; November 2011; $29.99/hardcover) combines fresh produce of the South with age-old Irish techniques to create a new fusion that melds the best of both worlds: Georgia pecans in a traditionally Irish trout dish; peaches with an Ulster favorite, rhubarb; or whiskey flavors with Georgia-grown chicken.

Judith’s romance with hospitality and food began around the County Down dinner table of her grandmother. It was a time when the dinner table was the heart of a home, the life of the family.  She still maintains a passion for farm-fresh, natural food, a love sparked in Ulster where the roaming hormone-free livestock eat lush green grass, fed by the rain-soaked Irish climate. She’s lived in Georgia for more than a decade, an area just as agriculturally rich as her homeland.

The Shamrock and Peach hits shelves in November, but Judith already shares her fusion regularly through cooking classes and demonstrations in the Atlanta area. She also exclusively imports and sells some of her favorite Irish products through her business, The Ulster Kitchen. Judith loves speaking on topics including:

  • How she developed this unique fusion.
  • The influence of Irish cooking in American kitchens.
  • The culinary history of the Titanic.

One of the desserts served on the Titanic, which was built in Belfast near Judith’s home, is featured in The Shamrock and Peach. April 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the Titanic’s fateful maiden voyage.

This fresh take on southern cuisine will impress palates at dinner tables here and across the pond. Learn more at www.shamrockandpeach.com or email Alison Storm at [email protected] to connect with Judith.

 

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Author Jessica Mast Cargiver Story Featured

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Jessica Mast & Her Late Husband Jimmy

Jessica Mast & Her Late Husband Jimmy

Author of the book The Call of a CaregiverJessica Mast is featured in Roll Mobility. She is highlighted as the monthly caregiver story for this popular website. Read the full article here.

Author Tica Tallent Featured in Newspaper

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Tica Tallent, fashion expert and author of the book What is Beautiful is featured in an article by the Anderson Independent Mail. You can read the full article here.

South Carolina Doctor Reveals One Patient’s Profound Impact in New Book

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From Raindrops to an Ocean Oncologist Dr. Kashyap Patel shares how a pastor’s wife awakened his faith

For immediate release: Nationally renowned oncologist Dr. Kashyap Patel, MD has treated thousands of patients over the years, but none quite like Anne Sanford. Despite having had a number of patients who fought cancer with grace and bravery, in Anne he found such a remarkable spirit that it affected his own outlook on medicine and his religious views.

Once a Hindu, a near death experience prompted Dr. Patel to investigate what gave some patients genuine acceptance of suffering. After delving into his meticulous patient journals, he found his answer in Anne, the wife of a large Presbyterian Church pastor in Rock Hill, South Carolina, whose astonishing faith during virulent leukemia awakened his own faith. “I found her story so touching that with the blessing of Anne’s family, I decided to share it with the entire world so that all could feel the wonder Anne inspired in those around her,” explains Dr. Patel.

Dr. Shelton Sanford, Anne’s husband, pastors Westminster Presbyterian Church, a position he’s held for 25 years. “In the providence of God, she was called to suffer with an aggressive form of leukemia,” says Dr. Sandford. “Upon Anne’s diagnosis, her greatest desire was to be a faithful witness to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Anne’s witness has continued long after her death as is evident by the content of this book.”

According to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, more than 43,000 people developed leukemia in 2010 and, like Anne, it’s a battle many do not win. Raindrops to an Ocean: The Amazing Last Days of Anne Sanford (Ambassador International; October 2011; $12.99/softcover) explains the profound, eternal impact a pastor’s wife had on her doctor.

Learn more about the author at www.kashyappatel.net. To arrange an interview with Dr. Patel or Anne Sanford’s husband, Dr. Sanford please contact publicist Alison Storm at [email protected].

 

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New Book Reveals Secrets of a Personal Shopper

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What is Beautiful CoverAuthor Tica Tallent Shares Decades of Experience in Fashion Industry

For immediate release: Friends say Coco Chanel must have been speaking about Tica Tallent when she said a girl must be two things… classy and fabulous. Tallent, a former model, spent 15 years working as a personal shopper, helping women of all shapes and sizes dress their best. Her new book What is Beautiful: Secrets From a Personal Shopper reveals simple tips for dressing confidently including:

  • Finding the perfect haircut
  • Using scarves as a versatile accessory
  • Understanding which colors work best for you
  • Making the most out of your fashion budget

Self-esteem has become a national crisis, especially among young women. A recent survey found that seven in ten girls feel they do not measure up in some way—including how they look. “My hope is that my book will be an inspiration for all women,” says Tallent, a resident of Anderson, South Carolina. “I want women to know we are all beautiful because we are made in God’s image.”

Tallent speaks regularly at various women’s groups and church functions. She has several upcoming events scheduled including signings at the Anderson County Women’s Club Fashion Show on September 28 from noon-2pm, Greenville’s Millie Lewis Modeling Agency on September 29 from 2-5pm, and the Merle Norman Cosmetic Studio in Anderson on October 1 from 10am-1pm. She’ll also be at the Anderson Mall Belk store on October 4 from 11am-3pm and Belk at Haywood Mall on November 1 from 11am-3pm.

Tica and her husband live in Anderson, South Carolina. Published by Ambassador International, What is Beautiful: Secrets From a Personal Shopper, $12.99, is set for a mid-September 2011 release. Learn more at www.TicaTallent.com.

 

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Upstate Donkey Gains Fame With New Children’s Book

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Christmas Donkey CoverAuthor Donna Thornton and Illustrator Lynne Pryor Both Live in Upstate of South Carolina

For immediate release: Druplet the donkey, named after a tiny bump of juice on a raspberry, had big ambitions. Druplet may have been a donkey, but she dreamed of being a strong, gallant prize horse like the ones she saw in a nearby pasture. Like many of us, Druplet felt she was not good enough just as God made her. But as Christmas approached, Druplet was needed for a very special assignment that only she could fulfill. Through that assignment Druplet learned the story of the first Christmas, gaining a new understanding how he was uniquely created by God.

Druplet isn’t just a character in the newly released book, The Christmas Donkey (Ambassador International; September 2011; $14.99, hardcover) —she’s a real donkey living on an Upstate raspberry farm with a family that loves her just the way she is. Author Donna Thornton grew to love children’s books while reading to her sons Robert and Stephen, but after they moved on to more mature stories, Donna started to write them. “I hope The Christmas Donkey is welcomed into many homes this holiday season,” says Donna. “It’s a unique delivery of the great story of all time—Christ’s birth.”

Illustrator Lynne Prior worked on the pieces for The Christmas Donkey while she battled breast cancer. “These illustrations became very therapeutic and provided much comfort and laughter for me during a difficult time in life,” explains Lynne, who received a BFA in Studio Art from Columbia College.

The Christmas Donkey is available online through Amazon.com, Ambassador-Interntional.com and many other retailers. For interview requests please contact publicist Alison Storm via email at [email protected].

 

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Devastating Car Crash, Encounter with a Drunk Doctor and House Fire Among Woman’s Most Powerful Life Moments

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lauries-storyAuthor Laurie Elmore Thompson Reveals “Adversity Effect” in New Book

For immediate release: Laurie Elmore Thompson should be in a wheelchair—in fact, she should be dead. At 14 a drunk driver smashed into the car Laurie was riding in, throwing her from the vehicle and into a wheelchair. Laurie dipped into depression, devastated by the idea of a future filled with struggle. Eventually Laurie found triumph through the Lord, but that didn’t mean the end to adversity.

An encounter with a drunk doctor, a major house fire and other key events have brought Laurie even closer to the Lord as she demonstrated Phil. 4:13, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”  “Adversity is a part of everybody’s life. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, I want to be positive and see things through God’s perspective,” explains Thompson. “We just need to turn over those difficulties in life and rejoice in them because we don’t have to go through them alone.”

Now she’s taking that message to the world in a new book, Laurie’s Story: Discovering Joy in Adversity. “It’s a book everyone can relate to because we all deal with difficult things in life,” says the Anderson, South Carolina resident. Thompson hopes to encourage others through Laurie’s Story, by explaining a concept she calls “The Adversity Effect.” “I believe it’s the tough times in life that challenge us,” she says. “We can allow difficult trials to be a conduit for growth.” Published by Ambassador International, the book will be available online and in stores by mid-September. Learn more at www.lauriethompsonministries.com.

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