Posts Tagged ‘About Author’

5 Things About Rev. Desiré P. Grogan, Author of Revelations from the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Chapters 1-3

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Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “Five Things” series. Author Rev. Desiré P. Grogan has written a  verse-by-verse commentary on the first three chapters of the Book of Revelation titled  “Revelations from the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Chapters 1-3: A Commentary for the Believer in the Pew.”

Rev. Desiré P. Grogan is a vibrant and anointed member of the ordained clergy at the historic Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. In 1992, Rev. Grogan became the first woman to be ordained by the Shiloh congregation, through the American Baptist Churches USA, since the Church’s inception in 1863. Rev. Grogan is a native Washingtonian who received her formal Author of Revelations from the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Chapters 1-3: A Commentary for the Believer in the Peweducation from the D.C. Public Schools. She holds a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) degree from the Boston University School of Fine Arts, a Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) degree from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Library and Information Science, a Master of Divinity (M. Div.) degree from the Howard University School of Divinity, and a Master of Arts (M.A.) degree in Semitics (Hebrew, Aramaic, Ugaritic and Akkadian languages) from The Catholic University of America. Rev. Grogan serves within the Shiloh congregation and across denominational lines as preacher, teacher, and retreat facilitator. She believes her main qualification for writing Revelations from The Revelation of Jesus Christ is derived from the practical experience of having taught The Revelation in the Church setting with great success to believers who were not seminary-trained. She is a firm believer that scholarship should serve the pew, not laud it over the pew! In addition to her ministerial duties and to a diverse and lengthy career in the fields of library science and digital technology. Rev. Grogan serves with much passion and joy as Board member and Scholarship Chair of the Mamie Stanley Ash Memorial Scholarship Fund, so named for her maternal Grandmother who only achieved a third-grade education and from which a growing number of students continue to earn its scholarship to attend distinguished institutions of higher education.

 

Here are Rev. Desiré’s “five things”:

  1. Rev. Desiré has journeyed to the Holy Land and Rome on pilgrimage with her home church, Shiloh Baptist Church of Washington, D.C.
  2. Rev. Desiré is passionate about teaching Scripture and helping others to discover new layers of meaning in the Biblical text.
  3. Rev. Desiré has a love of animals and a tangible commitment to organizations and agencies that advocate for their care and preservation.
  4. Rev. Desiré has a tangible compassion for the homeless as the “Lazarus” to whom we are accountable (Luke 16:19-31).
  5. Rev. Desiré delights in preparing and eating shrimp in a variety of ways.

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For the believer in the pew, the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ needs no other introduction than that it is the most avoided Book of Scripture that few feel capable of navigating and understanding on their own. The dense amount of imagery and the horrific scenes of judgment are mind-boggling and remain a mystery for many. The purpose of this volume is to empower you – the believer in the pew – with the most accessible tool to navigate and understand this last Book of Scripture, and that tool is the Bible itself, the Bible in your hand! You see, the God Who is speaking and acting in this last Book of Scripture has been speaking and acting throughout the Biblical text (cf. Heb 1:1-2). It is God’s intent, therefore, that you understand this last Book of Scripture just as He intended for you to understand all Scripture! The Revelations in this last Book were not hidden from you but for you to discover through diligent study! Let this volume be your entrance into the awe-inspiring zone of discovering and re-discovering the majesty and the consistency of the only God Who is worthy to be trusted and obeyed, worshipped and adored!

Learn more HERE.

Five Things: Andrew Stone

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Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “Five Things” series. Author Andrew Stone wrote Son of the Father, a creative storytelling of Barabbas, the man released in the hours leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion. Here are Andrew’s Five Things:

Son of the FatherI think there must be a gene passed on within my family that encourages many of us to tell other people about Jesus. My grandfather sold Bibles door-to-door before becoming an ordained  church minister; my dad gave up a lucrative career in insurance so that he could successfully train for the ministry; my sister is an ordained minister as are both my wife and I. Meanwhile two of our children are leaders at the churches they attend.

When I was at school the only job I wanted to do was to work on a radio station. I did that for five years and during that time I asked what I believe must rate as the longest, most long-winded, verbose question ever broadcast. What the listeners wouldn’t have realised was that my interviewee was an elderly man whose dentures fell out live on air. My long question was to give him time to pick them up, dust them off and pop them back in again.

Nearly all of the significant things that have happened in my life have happened because my parents brought me up to be a Christian. For example, my first job on the radio was on the Christian Sunday morning breakfast show, the two magazines I have edited have both been Christian publications and, of course, the first book I’ve had published is a Christian novel. Most importantly of all, I met my wife, Alison, after I was invited to an event at her church.Son of the Father

Alison and I waited 25 years to go on honeymoon. When we first got married we couldn’t afford to go away and by the time we could afford to have holidays we had three children! But after 25 years of marriage the boys were all old enough to leave behind and so Alison and I celebrated our silver wedding anniversary and had our honeymoon at exactly the same time on one of the Canary Islands.

Apart from the importance of faith and family, the other significant issue my family have passed on to me is football (as an Englishman that would be soccer, not American). While one of my sons works for a London Premier League football club, it is the love of our home-town football team, Brighton and Hove Albion, that has been ingrained within the DNA of many generations of the Stone family. We all follow the Seagulls, as the side is affectionately known, although if we’ve just lost our last match it’s probably not the best time to call round for coffee!

Learn more about Son of the Father by visiting HERE and Andrew by visiting www.facebook.com/author.andrewstone.

Five Things about Jarm Del Boccio of “The Heart Changer”

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Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “Five Things” series. Author Jarm Del Boccio wrote The Heart Changer, a historical biblical middle grade fiction. Here are Jarm’s Five Things:

 

I love to travel, and am passionate about visiting new places. My motto is: never visit the same location twice. Well—I’ve disregarded my own rule a few times, but otherwise, I stick to it as best I can. I’m slowly checking off destinations on my bucket list, and have journeyed to six of seven continents. I’ll let you decide which one I have yet to step foot on . . .

I was accidentally hit in the head with a baseball bat and sported black and blue eyes for eight grade graduation. A well-meaning elderly man thought I had applied my makeup incorrectly. The ironic thing is—I am not a sports fan!

 

When I was a junior in high school my first job was — no joke — in a Chinese laundromat.
The Heart Changer

My secret desire? To get caught up in a flash mob singing a tune from a favorite musical.
When I was in elementary school, I begged my Mom for a baby alligator from Florida, trying to convince her we could keep it in our bathtub. She gently asked me what I would do once it grew to full-size. I pondered the question for a minute or two, and reluctantly backed down.
Learn more about The Heart Changer by visiting HERE and Jarm by visiting www.jarmdelboccio.com.

Five Things About Daphne Self of “The Case of the Missing Firehouse Dog”

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Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “Five Things” series. Author Daphne Self wrote entertaining The Case of the Missing Firehouse Dog, which has subtle hints of important life lessons to be learned for young children. Here are Daphne’s “five things”:

The Case of the Missing Firehouse DogThroughout my childhood I wanted to be an astronaut. When I was about 3 or 4, my father took me to the theater to see Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Perched on his shoulder I was swept into my first movie theater experience. From that time forward I watched anything space related. I read Disney’s The Black Hole in second grade. That led to more books about space. When the Challenger exploded, in 1986 I wrote NASA inquiring about o-rings and asked for a space shuttle schematic. I didn’t receive a schematic, but they sent me a detailed diagram (and apparently they wondered how a 12 year old knew about the o-rings). I learned and studied the universe . . . until that fateful day I learned I was terrified of flying and petrified of the cold vacuum of space.

Instead of pursuing an astronaut career, I decided that I would become my other dream—an author. And yes, I still keep up to date on all things space related.

Years ago I drove for the first time down the side of a mountain. After my children and I experienced personal trauma, I thought a road trip was in order. We needed an adventure, time together, and time to heal. What better way than to see new places? Idaho was our destination. After 3 days of travel, we arrived at Pocatello, ID. The next day took us to the mountains outside of St. Regis, Montana on our roundabout way to Coeur d’Alene, ID. We’ve never seen snow like that before. White and shades of gray colored everything as I drove our Tahoe down a steep decline on a mountain road. Snow had begun to blow to almost white-out conditions. I passed vehicle after vehicle in a SUV that wasn’t a 4×4. I clung to curves and be-bopped along the road wondering why people were white knuckling the steering wheel. I didn’t realize until later how serious the weather condition was. Never again will I drive down a mountain in a blizzard.

Deep water and high cliffs scare me. I may not show it. I probably never hint at it; but I cannot stand on a cliff. It is a sad thing to say, but I swoon. I have no head for heights. The idea of standing on the walkway at the Grand Canyon terrifies me! I cannot ever peer out a full length window in a high-rise without being on the verge of collapse. As for deep water, I am talking about ocean deep or Kentucky Lake deep. After witnessing a gargantuan arise from the depths of Kentucky Lake, I’ve determined that I truly don’t know what is beneath me—ready to bite my legs off. Some monster lies in the deep and sees me as a plump, chewy morsel to feast upon.

I’m a Star Trek fan aka Trekkie and a sci-fi geek. As I mentioned above, the first movie I can remember was Star Trek. This led to Star Wars, and not just the movies, but the books in both franchises. Not to mention when I was little each afternoon my sister and I would race to the TV to watch Tom Baker portray Dr. Who. By the way, he’s my favorite Doctor, with Peter Capaldi my second favorite, and David Tennant rounds out my third. Soon Firefly, Halo, Gears of War, and a host of others joined in my obsession. Sci-fi movies and books filled my mind with wonder. As for my favorite Star Trek captain: Jean-Luc Picard. My favorite series: Star Trek Voyager. My favorite Star Trek character: Data. I do admit that I enjoyed Star Trek’s alternate reality reboot, although it seemed too cinematically fast-paced. The Case of the Missing Firehouse Dog

I’ve never traveled outside the USA. I’ve seen many authors share photos and memories of their travels to other countries. I have to admit that it caused envy to rise within me (of course through God’s grace that envy was short-lived). It’s been a dream to see more of the world, to experience more beyond the borders of the USA. Since I’ve never had the means to do so, I live my travels through books: travel guides, history books, books from the countries, photos, etc. If I have to choose, I only have a small list: Scotland, the land of my ancestors; Japan, a fascinating culture; Australia, I have a friend who lives there; and Paris, France, because I want to see if the city of romance lives up to its name. I may also throw Northern Ireland in there, too. And then there is the ultimate adventure: Antarctica, which is definitely more of a dream.

Learn more about Daphne Self and The Case of the Missing Firehouse Dog by visiting www.authordaphneself.blogspot.com.

Five Things About Heather Norman Smith of “Grace & Lavender”

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Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “Five Things” series. Author Heather Norman Smith wrote heartwarming Grace & Lavender, her debut southern fiction which encourages fostering and adoption, a cause near to her heart. Here are Heather’s “five things”:

Heather Norman SmithAlong with writing, I love music. I’ve sung in church most of my life—as a soloist, with the choir, and with different groups—and I love music that honors God, especially the old hymns. And I enjoy writing songs. Also, I own the same alto saxophone that I first learned to play in the sixth grade, but now I only play it every once-in-a-while.

I’ve attended the same church since I was two years old. My father started pastoring there. He’s still the pastor and now my husband is the youth pastor. I’m thankful for a foundation of faith in my life and for a loving church family.

Throughout my teens and into early adulthood, I was obsessed with Gone With The Wind and collected lots of movie-related items. I read the book in eighth grade, then saw the movie for the first time when I was probably fifteen. My husband and I honeymooned in Atlanta back in 2006, where we visited the Margaret Mitchell House & Museum.

One of the greatest dreams of my life was fulfilled when I became a mother. I am blessed with two daughters and a son, and my husband and I hope to expand our family through foster care/adoption in the future.Heather Norman Smith

As a child I dreamed about traveling the world but, so far, I haven’t made it west of the Mississippi. I believe there’s still time for grand adventures down the road, but I’ve decided I’m content and that my home state of North Carolina is the best place in the world to be. I enjoy writing stories set in different parts of the state, to showcase the beauty of the region and its people.

Learn more about Heather Norman Smith and Grace & Lavender by visiting www.heathernormansmith.com.