Talk To Me

Lemonade Anyone!

What do you do when the world hands you lemons? You make lemonade.

Lemonade is exactly what Noel Richardson sets out to make of his life. Yet, as noble as his goal is, Noel will soon find that his attempts to apprehend all the right ingredients at the same time is not as easy as he initially thought.

Life for the teenage Noel drastically changes for him and his family after an accident leaves him deaf. His loss of hearing sets him on a course to develop skills that will help compensate for the silence he now lives in. That course will be littered with those insensitive to his communication needs.

Noel’s determination to succeed in all aspects of life is assisted by his relationship with God. As he grows in his faith, his thirst for more is not being quenched within the current ministry he is a member of. Unfulfilled with closed-captioned messages provided by television ministry, Noel's days are filled with a need for inner peace. His daily search comes to a blessed end when he discovers the love of his life and the Deaf Ministry he needs, in one place. What Noel will soon discover is that life without volume is about to be turned up.

Within the pages of Talk to Me, Pat Simmons has done an admirable job of bringing attention to the trials of the deaf as they make their way through what we consider a normal day. With memorable prose and thought-provoking passages Ms. Simmons sheds light on the necessity of vulnerability for all relationships we enter into; especially the one we must maintain with ourselves.

Dialogue With the Author

Conversations with Pat Simmons are always delightful and filled with caring for others.

When she initially revealed the subject-matter of Talk to Me, I was intrigued. Over time she revealed that she has honed her ASL (American Sign Language) skills in order to communicate with her brother-in-law who is deaf. That alone touched my heart. But, if you have ever spent any period of time with this tireless and community-minded dynamo you would understand why.

Her humble and bubbly personality easily draws people in and sets them at ease. That admirable trait finds its way into her writings as well.

Reading books give us the opportunity to momentarily step away from the stress that life offers us. Reading books from Pat Simmons allows one to step into a fictitious world blended with enough realism to evoke inner-reflection.

In addition to being a novelist Pat has worked as a news writer, a talk show host and news reporter. She is also co-publicist for Midwest Publicity. And if that isn’t enough for a woman married twenty-five years and mother of two, Pat also handles publicity for the Romantic Times Convention.

With all the hats she wears you would think she would consider slowing down. That is not a remote possibility for the recipient of the Katherine D. Jones (2008/Romance Slam Jam). Pat is hard at work on upcoming releases. Faithful readers will be treated to Not Guilty of Love in 2009. Still Guilty and Free from Guilt, the last two books in the series will follow.

There is much more I could add to this conversation, but I will stop here. To learn more about Pat Simmons visit her website at: www.patsimons.net.

Stirring The Gift

Dijorn Moss is to be applauded for his inaugural voyage into the literary world. It is refreshing to read a Christian work that truly lives up to its genre. From the first page of My Father’s House the intent of the author is evident. What is that intent? To give hope to those facing what seems to be insurmountable odds.

Young Timothy Wells has the potential to develop into a life-changing pastor. Sooner than later his gifting will be tested. Thrust into headship of Gethsemane Church, he is beset with trials that would test the faith of a seasoned Pastor. It will be the trials that the young pastor faces that will cause him to draw upon his faith and the gifts imparted into him by his mentor and ministry predecessor.

How Author Moss presents the myriad of needs for Timothy’s parishioners, his students and family will speak to readers from all walks of life. The situations are real and their reactions and consequences are believable.

Enjoyable from beginning to end, I do believe this story would have benefited from more depth given to the characters as well as deeper insight as to how each processed through their trials. All in all I would recommend this to others. I look forward to the next release from Dijorn Moss.

Dialogue With the Author

Dijorn Moss has the ability to plant seeds of hope in the bleakest situation. From the beginning of our conversation, it became evident that this soft-spoken man is a truly a complex soul.

Consistently I was impressed by his love for people and desire to please God through not only his writing, but in all that he sets his hand to. He attributes much of who he has become to God, his mother and examples set by the males in his family. Lovingly he spoke of a core principle passed down from his great-grandfather to the Moss Men – “While people are out playing that is the time to go to work.”

To work is exactly where this debut novelist has gone. While promoting his freshman release, My Father’s House he is simultaneously working on several manuscripts. In addition to this he contributes a monthly column, Food for the Soul, a work that gives voice to undiscovered inspirational talent to Tight Rope Magazine.

Dijorn Moss moves through life believing in the blessings and favor of God for now and the future. Anyone who has opportunity to converse with this man of promise most assuredly will come to understand that his lifestyle aligns with his spoken philosophy, “We all have God-given talents, gifts and dreams and the right to pursue them.”

To learn more about Dijorn Moss visit him on the web at: http://www.dijornmoss.com