What Do You Believe?

I've been wondering a lot lately how some people can talk about God, faith and spirituality as if they're okay with it all but then have a problem with Scripture. How can a person truly believe in God, but not believe His Word?
Today I had to thank God so much after I read the daily devotion in Dr. Charles Stanley's In Touch magazine:

(Read - 2 Timothy 1:12-14)

All people have a belief system, whether they realize it or not. Even those who claim there is no God have faith that He does not exist. What we believe affects every area of our lives and shapes every decision we make, yet few of us take the time to really think about what we accept as true. All belief systems have a foundation. Some people base their convictions on what fits their lifestyle, reasoning and desires. However, Jesus calls His followers to adapt life to their faith in Him and the authority of His Word.
Anytime we add other philosophies or ideas to Scripture or pick and choose which parts of the Bible to believe, we create our own version of faith based on personal reasoning. God's Word is the only true and reliable foundation for belief, because it contains the recorded thoughts of an eternal, all-knowing God. All other concepts must be measured against it to determine their validity.
Knowing what the Bible says is essential for developing a sound system of beliefs founded on the truth and wisdom of God. This world will offer you a variety of philosophies which sound good but are laced with lies. A faith anchored in the Scriptures is your protection against deception.

Each time you face a problem or decision, search for the answer in Scripture. Begin your day by reading the Word and asking God to help you understand what He is saying. He loves communicating with you, and as you spend time with Him, He'll open your mind to know His thoughts.

Okay, so if you made it to this point I thank you so much for reading the entire devotion. Satan is roaming around like a roaring lion, seeing who he can devour so we really need to be careful what we believe. Please don't allow yourselves to be deceived!

Romans 10:9 (New Living Translation) For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.

If you haven't received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior and you'd like to become one of His followers, you can invite Him into your heart in your own words or use these:

Father, I confess that I have sinned. I repent of my sins and ask Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus is Your Son and that He died on the cross for my sins and that He was resurrected. By faith I accept Him as my personal Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiving me and for making me Your child. Amen.

Black Expo '09

On Saturday, October 10, 2009, I put myself out there for the first time. I was nervous at first because I didn't know what to expect but everything went well. A lot of people who were genuinely interested in Choices stopped by my table. Twenty copies were sold. I was hoping for more, of course, but I do thank God for each and every sale. Some who didn't buy a copy on Saturday did say they might go oline to buy a copy later. I hope they do because I really believe they'll enjoy the story. And there were people who stopped by my table to see what they could get for free, but that was okay. Who doesn't like free stuff? I know I do. I came prepared. I had plenty promotional pens, promotional mini flashlights, business cards and flyers and there were only a few of each left by the end of the Expo, so now many more people know about Choices.

The teenage girls who attended, well, I waved most of them over to the table. I wrote Choices for them so I just couldn't watch them walk right by. Some stopped without me having to wave them over, though. I remember one woman who brought her teenage daughter to the table. This young lady didn't seem to care a whole lot about reading and I really don't think she wanted her mother to get a book, but her mother wanted her to read more so she did buy a copy. I really believe this girl will enjoy the story and, hopefully, Choices will be the book to ignite a love of reading.

Then there was an author who said, "We have to support each other." He didn't just say the words, he backed them up and bought a copy of Choices. (I really appreciated that) He also gave me a nicely done promotional postcard. Vincent Taylor is a kind man who has a heart for young people, so I'd like to ask you to please take a moment to visit his site. You can even vote for the new book cover. I love the artwork on all of his books. And, oh yeah, Mr. Taylor was voted 2006 Teacher of the Year!

I'd like to thank everyone who stopped by booth #192, particularly the ones who showed an interest in my book (please don't forget to buy your copy :) and especially the ones who bought Choices that day. Your support is so greatly appreciated!

Effects of Domestic Violence on Children and Teenagers

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, so I'd like to share this article I came across today... I was the extremely introverted child and I was also very shy. I always thought introvert and shy were the same until I read another article. Anyway, the shyness is still there but I'm not as painfully shy as I used to be and I am still an introvert.
I'm not real good in social settings, never have been. Back in the day when I hung out with other girls, going to parties or whatever, I did my best to fit in but I was never comfortable on the inside. I am trying to work on my social skills. I have to admit that Choices (my way of reaching out to young people) has helped me with this because I'm being forced to talk to people so someone else will know about my book. Each time I leave the house I put promotional pens and business cards in my pocketbook and then whenever I see a woman or teenage girl who looks approachable (friendly face) I ask if I can give her a pen and/or a card. Oh, if the teenage girl is with her parent(s) I ask their permission.
So, I'm learning to open my mouth more even if I'm nervous about speaking up. My hairdresser told me once that God's trying to get me out of my comfort zone. Well, I can't say the zone I've had myself in for so many years is all that comfortable, but change would be good.

Choices: Young Adult Fiction for Mature Readers. Haven't read it?

Choices is an intense, emotional read - mostly because of the domestic violence scenes. I didn't like writing them but that's the world Shauntice lives in; the world I lived in growing up. I didn't like writing the acquaintance rape scene either, but there is a lesson there. So, if you like intense, emotional, oh, and fast-paced... if you like stories that evoke just about every emotion (I laughed, got angry and even cried at times as I wrote it), Choices will satisfy.
If you're a parent who isn't quite sure how to talk to your teen about sex, Choices could spark that much needed conversation. And if you're a teen looking for a book with believable characters you can relate to or you'd just like to see how Shauntice, Angel, LaKeeta, Bridgette and Hope deal with the whole 'boyfriend/sex thing', then Choices is a good book to read. I do believe you will be entertained, even uplifted at times, and you will also learn something. In fact, there are messages for both parents and teens, however, the most important message I wanted to send to teenage girls is this: When you mess up (and we all do) it's never too late to begin again.
As a Christian, I could not write a story that did not include the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Shauntice, LaKeeta, Bridgette & Hope are Christians), but with some of the content in Choices I didn't think I should label it Christian Fiction. Still, others have tagged it Christian Fiction. (Feel free to check out the APOOO BookClub review on Amazon) So if you are a reader who enjoys Christian Fiction (the genre I most prefer, by the way) and you don't have a problem reading a book that steps 'outside the box' of what some people believe Christian Fiction should be, then I believe you will enjoy my book. Just so you know, if you haven't figured it out already: This is not a goody-goody story, it is in no way preachy, and, yes, some of the teen characters engage in sex just like teenagers do in the real world; whether non-Christian or Christian. I leave the consensual sex to the reader's imagination but, sadly, the acquaintance rape is vivid because I figured teenage girls who read this book wouldn't get the particular message I wanted to send unless they felt this character's pain.
This is young adult fiction for mature readers. I received an email from an adult reader a while back who described it something like this: It's not a teen book, it's an adult book about teens. I'm thinking it was a pretty deep read for her. So if you like 'deep' teen fiction, then this is a book you should read .
Choices has also been tagged as Urban Fiction (I'm thinking because the story takes place in the city of York, PA) so if you enjoy that genre you may want to give my debut novel a try.
If you've read Choices, thanks very much. And if you'd like to email me to let me know what you thought of the story -what you liked or didn't like, who you liked or didn't like, who you could identify with, which part of the story you liked best, what you learned from it, your favorite character -I'd be glad to hear from you.
If you haven't read my book, I'd like to invite you to stop by my website where you can learn a bit more about the story and even enjoy a few music videos - http://www.kapribooks.com/. If you decide to purchase a copy of Choices once you have more information, your support will be greatly appreciated!

High School Student's Blog

Please take a moment to visit this young lady's YA book blog. Ari is supporting me and I'd like to do what I can to support her: http://blackteensread2.blogspot.com/

Pleasantly Surprised

Choices was featured on Thea's BC Book Review Talk Show on Sunday, August 23, on Live 365! I didn't even know until I checked my email today and, let me tell you, it was a nice surprise. Thanks so very much, Thea. Your support is greatly appreciated!

I've Been Encouraged!

Every now and then I google Choices by Katrina L. Burchett to see what shows up. This evening I was pleasantly surprised when I found my debut novel listed as a 2009 Summer Read in the August/September issue of a digital magazine. Thanks so much for the support Goddess Magazine!