> By: Stephanie S. Smith, Moody Fiction Managing Editor

As a freelance book publicist, I spend a lot of time using social media to get the word out about new titles, but I have to say: I am not a fan of Twitter.  I’m the kind of person who loves thick novels like Jane Eyre, excuses run-on sentences, and had to be taught the meaning of “succinct” by my 9th grade English teacher. So 140 character “tweets” are just not my thing.

Twitter offers a wealth of information for those who wish to seek it out, but to me it feels like an overwhelming sea of data, a roar of white noise. I also can’t help but feel like it’s a “short-cut”, a way to cut creative corners and at the same time cater to our distracted attention spans.  140 characters is just long enough to snag our interest and just short enough to amuse us but not commit us.

But this past week I discovered a project in succinctness that impressed me.  Instead of 140 characters, try six words! The Six-Word Memoir, an initiative of SMITH Magazine, challenges writers to publish their abbreviated life story on their website.  Inspired by the belief that everyone has a story and deserves a forum in which to tell it, SMITH editors created the Six-Word Memoir Project to give people that opportunity.  With a click, anyone can publish their memoir on the website.  I found myself fascinated with some of their entries…

“Never really finished anything, expect cake.” -Carletta Perkins

“I still make coffee for two.” -Zak Nelson

“Asked to quiet down, spoke louder.” -Wendy Lee

In just six words, people all over the world are telling stories with their own unique voice.  I spent half an hour reading through these memoirs and was amazed that such creativity could be condensed into so small a space.  Some are profound, some humorous, some confessional or bittersweet, but all of them possess a genre and a plot of their own as intricate as any novel. Continue reading / Leave a comment…

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Some people are in the red. Some are in the black. And some are…in the pink! 

Sharon Tubbs’ new book is a series of short stories centered on this question: “Are your sins red like scarlet, are you seeking God so that He can make them white as snow… or are you satisfied somewhere in between—living in the pink?” Through these stories, Sharon hopes to lead women “out of the pink and into God’s marvelous light.” Sharon’s book released April 1st, and you can read the first chapter here, and meet Sister Pinky herself! Also visit www.livinginthepink.com.

About the Book

Living in the Pink is a series of humorous and insightful short stories with Christian underpinnings. Through the eyes of the wise “Sister Pinky” and Believers Ministries International Church, these stories highlight issues that women grapple with but that often remain unspoken in religious circles. The characters are everyday wives, mothers, and singles. They develop and gain a spiritual perspective in dealing with romantic relationships, wayward children, jealousy, church traditions, Christian hypocrisy, and self-righteous judgment, among other themes.

Discussion questions help readers connect with the storylines and urge them to look within—and up—to reach their highest potential in life.

Continue reading / Leave a comment…