Wednesday, March 30, 2011

In the Spirit of Opening Day—Baseball! (Giveaway Details at End)





The Unknown Baseball Player
Author: Marvin P. Ferguson
Publisher: Parker Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-882286-01-0
Softcover: 283 pages
Price: $14.99


Marvin P. Ferguson's novel The Unknown Baseball Player tells of an underprivileged farm boy, named Orville, who grows up through some challenging times. He loves the game of baseball and ends up playing ball for a national team named the Redlegs.

The Unknown Baseball Player is a coming-of-age story for youth and adults alike. Baseball may be the canvas on which this story is painted, but various life-themes resonate in living color, such as learning to thrive despite trials. Orville works hard on the farm, since his father died when he was young. He’s often picked-on by other kids as well as physically and emotionally abused by “Unck,” the patriarch of the family.

Orville’s new position on the pro baseball team gives him a fresh focus in life, if he can handle the trash talk by the coach and other players. Will he ever be good enough to succeed at baseball—good enough to succeed at life?


Boys on the Gold Coast
Author: Marvin P. Ferguson
Publisher: Parker Publishing
ISBN-10: 1882286006
ISBN-13: 978-1882286003
Softcover: 247 pages
Price: $9.95


Boys On The Gold Coast tells of a group of mismatched boys who come together for the love of the game. These boys have a lot to prove to the community, and a retired janitor named “Pop” helps them pull together. They might not have the best baseball supplies, but they learn to pursue their dreams even when times are tough, by scrapping together what little they do have and learning to make it work. You’ll enjoy reading the antics and mishaps that occur along the way to living their dreams—playing against the Chicago Cubs.

About Marvin Ferguson:

It was a busy city in the 1940s. A popular slogan was, “if you can't get a job in Chicago, you can't get a job anywhere.” Many people came from all over the country seeking work. This is the city where Marvin Ferguson was born and raised.

His father died when he was two years old. His immigrant mother toiled all her life as a self-employed seamstress to care for Marvin and his twin sister.

Marvin’s entire life has been a learning experience. When he was six years old a car hit him. After two weeks in a coma, a two-month hospital stay, this once gifted student struggled through the rest of his school years.

He didn't enjoy most of the pleasures his friends did while in high school. He often worked thirty hours a week doing odd jobs so there wasn't much time for socializing.

Following high school graduation his introduction into the real world was a janitor's job, covering for an uncle who had a heart attack. Filling coal bends, burning garbage, cleaning halls, and more, he learned about life the hard way. Through trial and error he eventually received a B.A. Degree in Business Administration from North Park University in Chicago, Illinois.

The boy who grew up on the Gold Coast, a nickname for a Chicago neighborhood, is a die-hard Cub fan. Other favorite teams are the St. Louis Cardinals, Milwaukee Brewers, and Detroit Tigers.

When time permitted, he gathered with friends on a corner lot to play baseball. In blue jeans, sport shirts, and gym shoes, smacking a tattered baseball around with a splintered bat was fun.

Later, through reruns of The Waltons, John Boy inspired Marvin to become a writer. He has written three books with a fourth in the making.

Also find Marvin on facebook and twitter

GIVEAWAY! Leave a comment to be entered in a drawing to win these two books. We'll select a winner on April 14th.

Friday, March 11, 2011

SONG: Still by Hillsong (to go with my Rest Assured year)

I'm praying for my brother in Japan, his family and in-laws and all the others affected by these earthquakes and tsunamis. This song is so comforting in times like this. May it wrap around you like one of Granny's quilts today and reassure you. Remember my phrase for the year? Never more needful than times like this. REST ASSURED.


Still—Hillsong

Thursday, March 10, 2011