SheReads.org

Heart of the Matter is excited to introduce a new and exciting Christian book club that says goodbye to humdrum, predictable fiction.   Please welcome Marybeth Whalen as she tells us more about She Reads!

Can you tell us more about She Reads?
She Reads is the result of two friends who read Christian fiction voraciously deciding to share their discoveries with others on a larger scale, and partnering with an international women’s ministry (Proverbs 31 Ministries) to do so.

Many people think that Christian fiction is lame– bad writing, trite plots, etc. For a long time it has held that stigma.

But Christian fiction is changing.

It is our goal to help spread the word about the great writers and stories that are being told. Stories about real people facing real challenges. Stories that don’t end with the main characters getting saved and a rousing chorus of Kumbaya. Stories that push the envelope at times and make you wonder, “Is this a Christian book? Because this isn’t like any Christian book I’ve ever read.” Stories that, above all, show human beings who are struggling to live a Christian life or to make peace with God. Stories that are well told by skilled writers.

We want to connect you, the reader, with stories that will stir your heart, lead you to make changes– either in the way you live or the way you see things– and point you to Christ.

Jesus knew that stories were wonderful ways to communicate Truth. The writers of these books know this as well and do it with excellence.

What kind of books can we expect to see on the reading lists?
We select 3 books a season. Our fall selections are Daisy Chain by Mary DeMuth, Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner, and eye of the god by Ariel Allison. These three different books all meet the criteria we created at the outset. Because this club is not set up by any one publisher we have the freedom to go to any Christian publisher to find our selections… and we do. We are reading, reading, reading right now to find our spring and summer selections. We have already chosen our winter ones but I can’t tell you what those are yet! We will be making our announcement towards the beginning of November but I can promise you that you are in for a treat with these books!

Do you host giveaways?
Yes! We just had a wonderful giveaway in conjunction with Susan Meissner’s book Shape Of Mercy. Waterbrook gave away a beautiful journal and pen set, along with several sets of two of Susan’s books. The publishers are very excited to partner with us and come up with increasingly clever giveaways. We plan to host a very cool giveaway around Christmas where we are giving away a copy of all the fall and winter selections. The winner can decide whether to give the copies away as gifts or keep them for herself! We also have a very cool tie-in coming up at Christmas with one of our selections that isn’t about winning but about giving ourselves. We are super excited about what we have planned!

On a daily basis, She Reads is run by Marybeth Whalen (Director) and Ariel Lawhon (Asst Director).

If someone wants to participate then what must they do?
Our goal for She Reads is for it to function in two ways: 1) as a place an individual can go get recommendations for great books to read and to connect with the authors who wrote them and other readers who enjoyed them and 2) as a place where book clubs that are already out there can get connected with an umbrella organization that provides suggestions for books, activities they can do, discussion questions, and a point of contact with the author. We are working towards accomplishing these goals and are learning and tweaking as we go.

Right now, the best way to get connected is to sign up for our seasonal newsletter and to subscribe to our blog, which is updated several times a week. You can also become a fan on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter. That way, as we make changes and create new facets to She Reads, you will know about it.  There is a navigation bar at the top which will take you to different parts of the site.

I hope that you will all get involved with She Reads. Even if you have never been a fiction reader, this is a great way to start. We so appreciate all of you who have shown your support of this brand new venture by becoming a fan on Facebook, following our blog, subscribing to our newsletter, and following us on Twitter. There is also a button you can grab to put on your own blog and help send women to us.

We are so excited to grow this thing and create a place where you can trust the books we recommend and meet other women who love to read and love to share the power of a great story.

Tags: Ariel Allison, Ariel Lawhon, Christian Fiction, Daisy Chain, Eye of the God, fiction, Mary DeMuth, Marybeth Whalen, Proverbs 31 Ministries, Shape of Mercy, She Reads, Susan Meissner

Related posts:

1. Write at Home: Featuring Ariel Allison Lawhon Welcome to Write At Home, a monthly feature here at HOTM. Marybeth Whalen will be...
2. Used Book Sale I’m excited to bring forth what I think is a great idea and I...
3. Write at Home: Tricia Goyer Welcome to Write At Home, a monthly feature here at HOTM. Marybeth Whalen will be...
4. Write at Home: Leanna Ellis Welcome to Write At Home, a monthly feature here at HOTM. Marybeth Whalen will be...