Colorimetry: GIVE@WAY - The Wishing Pearl by Nicole O'Dell

The Wishing Pearl
by Nicole O'Dell

Paperback, 368 pages

Published October 1st 2011 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.

Premise:

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Mansfield dreams of a land far, far away. . .A land far away from her stepfather’s abuse and torment.A land far away from her mother’s blind eye.A land far away from the haunting memories of her past.

But then reality sets in, and Olivia knows she must make the best of her dire situation—at least until her high-school graduation. But when poor choices lead Olivia to the brink of a complete breakdown and she finds herself dealing with the unexpected death of her best friend, she comes to a crossroads.Will Olivia find the path to ultimate hope and healing that her heart longs for?Or will the demons from her past prove too much to bear?

As soon as I saw The Wishing Pearl coming up on Team Novel Teen's Tour, I hopped over to Nicole O'Dell's website, which is chock-full of information on her ministry and on her books. In no time, I was full of questions. :-) I filled out the Contact Form, even though I was sure I wasn't leaving enough time for Nicole to get back to me... but she responded!! She answered my questions and graciously offered a copy of her book!! (Giveaway below!!)

With no further ado, I give you the wonderful Nicole O'Dell:

Nicole O’Dell, founder of Choose NOW Ministries is a youth culture expert, who writes and speaks to preteens, teenagers, and parents about how to prepare for life’s tough choices. She is the author of a bunch of YA books, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series and the upcoming Diamond Estates Series, 2011-2012. Non-fiction for teens includes Girl Talk, 2/1/12, which she wrote with her two daughters based on their popular blog column by the same name.

The host of Teen Talk Radio where “It's all about choices!”, Nicole dives in on topics like peer pressure, dating, purity, drugs, alcohol, modesty, popularity, decisions about the future, and many other things that might come up along the way. Over the years, Nicole has worked as a youth director, a Bible study leader for women and teens, and a counselor at a crisis pregnancy center. She lives in Illinois with her husband, Wil and her six wonderful kids--including a set of toddler triplets.

1 - How did you get the idea for The Diamond Estates?

When I was a young teen, I started making some really bad choices in response to some things that happened to me. My life spiraled out of control and I got to the point where I didn’t think I’d get it together unless I got out of my circumstances. I went to live at a residential home for girls called Teen Challenge. I lived there for about eight months and so much of what you read about Diamond Estates is how it was at Teen Challenge in many ways.

Olivia’s story is not completely my own, but her life and the lives of the girls she meets at Diamond Estates (and the ones in books two (The Embittered Ruby, 4/1/12) and three (The Shadowed Onyx, 12/1/12) are all sort of a conglomeration of all I saw and experienced.

Wow. I could tell Diamond Estates was a big idea with three different girls going there, but I did not guess it grew out of personal experience!

2 - What is it like to raise triplets?!?!

Raising triplets is very, very interesting. No day is just like the one before. They are old enough now to be all over the place and into everything. And they work together. Like velociraptors. Really. One will distract me by stuffing the toilet full of toilet paper while the other cuts her hair off like Rapunzel at the end of Tangled.

Think I'm kidding? That happened yesterday. LOL

Yikes!! That is funny. Creative of them!! (Yikes!)

3 - Tell us about "Girl Talk" and what kinds of questions you and your daughters answer!! How did that get started?

Popular blogging trio—mother, Nicole O’Dell, along with daughters, Emily and Natalie—offer trustworthy, biblically-based advice for all your ups, downs, and in-betweens. Culled from actual questions they’ve encountered on their blog site, this fabulous resource offers real-life helps for issues including relationships, character, body image, fashion, gossip, and more. You’ll find 180 questions along with answers and related scripture selections that will both encourage and challenge you in your faith walk.

The book is based on the Girl Talk column we write on my blog at www.nicoleodell.com. We wanted to give girls a place they could go with those tough questions about life. The column grew and the questions built up to the point when we, along with Barbour Publishing, decided to put 180 questions from readers and our answers into a book. But it's not just any book--the vibrant, trendy format has a scrapbook-y feel as each page is full color with graphics galore. Take a look at the trailer to get a better feel for what it looks like:

Get your Copy:

On Amazon ($7.19 for Kindle)

On Barnes & Noble

On CBD

Find & Follow:

On Goodreads
Choose Now Ministries Website

Bloggers on the Tour Monday, February 27th

read the reviews!!!