I enjoyed Grace Unplugged. I think the audience for Grace Unplugged and Own It is more for the teen crowd, especially young ladies. If you have a young lady in your life that loves to devour books, this would be a great one for her. I have read several like the Own It book, and I think it is critical for teens and new Christians to come to terms with what they believe and why. Owning your own faith a part from your family or mentors.
About Grace Unplugged the Novel
Grace Trey is an 18 year old singer as passionate about her Christian faith as she is her phenomenal, God-given musical talent. Both traits come from her father, one hit wonder Johnny Trey who found Jesus after losing his chart success two decades ago.
When Grace encounters her own music break of a lifetime, the sudden dive into the "real world" puts her deeper beliefs to the test. Pop superstardom is just within reach but appears to require some spiritual compromise. Will Grace reject her faith, or will she own it?
Movie Release: October 4, 2013
Grace Unplugged is based on the motion picture of the same name starring AJ Michalka (Super 8) and Kevin Pollak (A Few Good Men) with performances by award-winning artists Chris Tomlin and Jamie Grace.
About Own It, Discover Your Faith in God
The movie Grace Unplugged tells the story of Grace Trey, an ideal Christian teenager who is also a phenomenal singer. But when she is pushed into the “real world” at the tender age of eighteen after getting the music break of a lifetime, her faith is put to the test.
Own It mirrors the film by asking what it means to really “own” your personal faith rather than just automatically following in the footsteps of parents, friends, or other influencers. Best-selling authors Hayley and Michael DiMarco help readers understand what to do when faith meets real world challenges.
Without solid beliefs, poor choices are likely to follow. You must take the time to really know who you are, who you are becoming, and who God made you to be. It's your personal faith . . . own it!
About the Grace Unplugged Author
Melody Carlson has sold more than five million books. A professional writer for twenty years, she recently received the Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. Melody has two grown sons and lives with her husband in the Pacific Northwest.
About the Own It Authors
Hayley DiMarco is the best-selling author of more than thirty books including Dateable, Marriable, Mean Girls, and The Woman of Mystery. She has been a featured speaker at Women of Faith, Precept National Women's Conference, and MOPS Intl. among others and has consulted on the creation and enhancement of some of the largest stadium events for teens and young women in North America.
Michael DiMarco is a skillled communicator and teacher who has authored more than a dozen bestselling books including the 2010 Christian Bookof the Year for Youth, B4UD8 (Before You Date). He and his wife, author Hayley DiMarco, have one daughter and live in Nashville, Tennessee.
Grace Unplugged
- Written by: Melody Carlson
- Publisher: B&H Books
- Paperback: 304 pages
- Release Date: September 1, 2013
- $15.99
Own It
- Written by: Hayley and Michael DiMarco
- Publisher: B&H Publishing
- Paperback: 192 pages
- Release Date: September 1, 2013
- $14.99
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Grace Unplugged, The Novel–A Review
Monday, March 11, 2013
JJ Heller Loved, a Giveaway
- Website: jjheller.com
- Facebook: JJ-Heller
- Twitter: jjheller
- Music Video: JJ Heller, Who You Are
I must have been living in a music hole under a rock – since I have not been introduced to JJ Heller until this month. I received the JJ Heller LOVED CD to review. Before I agreed, I watched the video above, Who You Are. It is one of my favorite songs on the CD, and one that keeps playing when I walk about or swipe a dish. “I don’t know what you’re doing, but I know who you are”. It has been a theme in my personal life the last few months for sure.
JJ Heller has a quite quirky style. Maybe the female Christian version of Jack Johnson or Owl City? Her style is quite unique and her videos are fun, simple, enjoyable to watch.
I need music to lift my spirit, direct my thoughts, and to help with exercise. Before I review a CD I like to bring it through those paces. I started with the CD playing at home during the morning. The music is light and quiet. Not distracting to other conversations. The first time through, other than “Who You Are” the lyrics did not pull at my attention.
Next I put the CD on my Amazon Cloud Player and downloaded the songs to our iPods and MP3 player. (I use a cheapo MP3 Player on the water.) Washing dishes and doing chores, I let it take over my thoughts during the mundane of the day. This is when my thoughts can turn to the what if’s, the need to’s, the don’t wannas – and I depend on music and memory verses to pull out. I enjoyed focusing on the lyrics. Some are quite raw, yet full of encouragement. “The pain is real, you can’t erase it, sooner or later you have to face it down”. “If I can talk, then I will sing for you, if I can walk, then I will dance for you, as long as I can Breathe, My heart will beat for you”.
I didn’t get to paddle with this CD, but I did get a nice long beach walk. I found myself hitting replay on “Stay”. When you can’t feel a thing, after too many stings, when you forget about grace, the world is a lonely place.” She encourages us to open our eyes, let in the light, and stay. I listened to the simple lyrics several times, and they just spoke to me. “Create in Me” was another one that got the re-play. Before I knew it, I was at the Inn at Spanish Head and moving back to the parking lot. It kept my feet moving and my thoughts lifted up.
JJ Heller’s LOVED comes out on March 12th – I recommend this for a purchase!
About JJ Heller's LOVED
When JJ Heller and her husband/co-writer, Dave, began writing for their sixth studio album LOVED, life looked a few shades darker, more painful and confusing than it had during the work on their work of the recent past. Over the past few years, the duo steered much of their material toward the whimsical and simple joys of life, love and new parenthood. But, when confronted by illness, death and broken marriages within their community, the Hellers chose to stay true to the weight of their season of life when crafting lyrics this time around.
"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.