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Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Happy Holidays: A Time to Give

Happy Holidays!

This is indeed the most wonderful time of the year. There's just something about a year in review. It presents so many opportunities to thank God for His many blessings. Not to say that you shouldn't do that year round, it's just that when others collectively praise God with you there's instant harmony. 

Also when the Christmas season is upon us, there's an inclination to give a little more. Ministries receive their end of the year donations, toys are collected for little girls and boys from donors who would not ordinarily receive them, and food banks distribute groceries at a higher rate than throughout the other seasons of the year.

As we give, it reminds me of what Jesus said in Matthew 25: 34-40:

34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

This prompted me to think about what an awesome gift it is to the giver knowing that we are not only extending our time, money, and service to another human being, but to the Savior Himself. 

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing," John 15:5.

In the spirit of giving, I've offered several giveaways through my mailing list and Facebook Readers & Supporters group:
  • A $25 Amazon Gift Card
  • An Edible Arrangement ($29 Retail Value)
  • A $25 Applebees Gift Card 

If you're not on the list, consider joining today by visiting my website: www.ReneeAllenMcCoy.com. But whether you're on the list or not, you can still enter this brand new giveaway for 8 Free Autographed Copies of My Books (Over a $100 Retail Value). I would offer all ten titles, but one (A Test of Faith) hasn't released yet and the other (Once Upon a Sunday) is an eBook already being offered for free through various sales channels, including Amazon

Here are the books being given away:

The Fiery Furnace series - The Kiss of Judas, Confessions, The Eleventh Hour
The True Love Novellas (2 current titles) - The Christmas Beau and Single, Saved, & Searching
In the Presence of My Enemies
Soul Ties: Breaking Up with a Past That's Killing Your Future
A Time to Praise: A Christmas Anthology

If you have all of these books, great! Either way, you can still get them and give away as an awesome gift for that avid reader in your life. To learn more about each title, visit www.ReneeAllenMcCoy.com. 

If you would like to enter the drawing, just click this link for a chance to win all 8 books! I'll notify the winner by the end of the day December 21, 2016. 

Friday, December 9, 2016

Christmas Release: A Time to Praise



September 27, 2016
FaytheWorks Publishing
FaytheFiction Imprint
Greetings,

It's been a while since I've published to this blog site, but I plan to be more active in the near future. Raising little ones is pretty time-consuming, especially when living states away from family. But nonetheless, I praise God for the experience and the lives entrusted to my care. 

Over the past year and a half, I've collaborated with several new authors and one familiar literary voice (Sonya Visor) to help develop stories dedicated to the Christmas season centered on the goodness of the Lord. My vision for this project was to present clean Christian fiction for an audience that wants just that. Nowadays, it's sometimes hard to tell if a "Christian" novel is truly a Christian story. Yes, Christians make mistakes and fall short, all humans do, but the difference is that we don't wallow in our sins and justify our behaviors … at least not the true Christians. 

I've learned that many Christians want to read stories that are real, but not dirty; edgy at times, but not nasty. There's a way to tell a great story with realistic problems and issues without profanity and explicit sex scenes. God designed sex. It's not a dirty act, but when exploited it may be viewed as such. The focus should be on exposing sin, not glorifying it. There's a difference. But I don't want to get too deep about that here. (See my non-fiction book, Soul Ties, for more detail on that topic.)

Here, I share my latest holiday release, A Time to Praise, co-authored by Sonya Visor, Camille Gipson, Lisa Antley, and Renarda Williams. In this anthology, there are five unique short stories that celebrate the love, joy, and peace of Christmas. 

Below is a little bit about each story:

Miracle From on High by Renée Allen McCoy
Four lives intersect at a crossroad, prompting each to seek God’s direction. Benjamin and Susan grapple to accept their path while Trevor and Danielle struggle to cope with theirs.

Giving You the Best of My Love by Sonya Visor
Three years ago, Chase Anderson was hauled off to jail, leaving his wife, Nicole, drowning in a lake of trouble. Despite the strong love they once shared, will they be able to overcome life changing obstacles?

His Calling and My Desire by Camille Gipson
How does a single mother fight to protect her country and her children at the same time? Ruth is torn as she leaves one battle only to face another.

Blessings in the Storm by Lisa Antley
Tonya Phillips has almost everything she could ever imagine … except a good man. In a dark moment of her life, she soon discovers “He” has always been there.

The Greatest Christmas Present Ever by Renarda Williams
As Ikedi Ataya, a black State Justice, is honored for his career, he reflects on his “Christmas gift” to a close-knit New Orleans community threatened by greedy developers. 

                                                # # #

The stories will make you laugh, cry, and identify with some of the characters. Most importantly, you'll be pleasantly reminded that not only during the holidays, but it's always a time to praise God! 

Until Next Time, 

Happy Holidays and as always, Happy Reading...

Renée