Vanessa pens a column May I Have a "Word" With You? that appears weekly in The Birmingham Times.
Vanessa resides in Irondale (home of the Whistle Stop Cafe and Fried Green Tomatoes), a community just outside of Birmingham, Alabama.
Redeeming Waters
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Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Kensington; 1 edition (July 26, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 075825962X
ISBN-13: 978-0758259622
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
Must a young woman choose between her commitment to her marriage'and to God?
Brianna was ten years old when she first met twenty-five year old David R.
Shepherd, a devout and gifted gospel recording artist who would ultimately
become world renowned megastar, King d.Avid. He left an impression on
Brianna she would never forget. And they were destined to meet again'
Brianna's best friend, Alana Norwood, hasn't had the best encounters with
men, but she's always been a good friend to Brianna, no matter what
situation the two may find themselves in. But despite their bond, the next
time Brianna encounters King, she's a lonely young wife seeking solace in
religious studies. While Alana's quest for fame has her living a life that
seems to be going nowhere fast, King's companionship offers Brianna the deep
emotional connection she longs for. But when both a tragedy and a blessing
enters Brianna's life, she finds herself wrestling with questions of faith,
fidelity, forgiveness, and the sovereignty of God'like never before.
"Griggs address[es] the challenges of living by Biblical rules with homespun
humor. Fans will be pleased.' -Publishers Weekly
Ray
of Hope
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Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Dafina (December 28, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758259603
ISBN-13: 978-0758259608
Grandmother Ma Ray, a churchgoing woman with a mysterious past, steers her
two reckless granddaughters away from trouble with her smarts, savvy--and
the Word of God. . .
Troublesome teen sisters Sahara and Crystal Nichols are acting up, and their
risqu' behavior is more than their mother Lenora can handle. Enter the
girls' 75-year-old churchgoing grandmother, Ma Ray, who agrees to take
charge of the young women. She's determined to turn their lives around--and
knows more about being a bad girl than either sister bargained for. . .
Sahara and Crystal don't realize what they're up against when it comes to Ma
Ray, but when they learn of their grandmother's former rebel antics, which
were wild enough to rival their own, they begin to appreciate her
present-day passion for leading a more productive life--via family, love,
and faith. . . [A Stand-Alone Novel]
"Vanessa's rich stories of faith in action always hit the writing
trifecta--they make you laugh, cry, and yearn for more." --Angela
Benson, National Bestselling Author.
The
Truth Is The Light
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Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Dafina (May 25, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758232241
Faith Alexandria Morrell, the oldest of a mysterious trio of sisters, lives a troubled life and guards a horrifying secret. Yet few, least of all her new church family, would believe this always-impeccably-dressed woman is so utterly lost. But what lies beneath the surface of Faith's carefully constructed veneer could completely destroy her.
Needing help, Faith and her sisters, Hope and Charity, join Followers of Jesus Faith Worship Center. This new mega church, led by the dreadlock-wearing, Holy Ghost-filled Pastor George Landris, just may offer the solace she needs. But Faith soon discovers that all is not well in her new church home: Pastor Landris's marriage is on the rocks and he's struggling to finance the church building; Thomas, the pastor's deadbeat brother, is diagnosed as bipolar; and Johnnie Mae, the pastor's wife, is facing some tough choices regarding her ailing mother's care. How can Faith and her sisters find comfort here when so many are wrestling with their own issues? And when one sister suffers a crushing collapse, prayer may be the only way to unravel the mystery shadowing Faith and her sisters'the blessed trinity.
Superb writing, mystery, and suspense are the hallmarks of Vanessa Davis Griggs's thrilling new work. With style, she offers an incisive and affecting look at the inner-workings of mega churches, conveying the power of faith as only she can.
Goodness and Mercy
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Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Dafina (December 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758232233
ISBN-13: 978-0758232236
Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
Gabrielle Mercedes has dreamed of being a dancer since she was a little girl. But when her life takes a very different turn, it's not the future she'd envisioned for herself. Feeling a void she can't fill, she finds the salvation she's been seeking in church and decides to start anew. Learning that her church has a dance ministry, she's thrilled to have her first love back in her life. Then she meets handsome and the professionally accomplished Zachary Wayne Morgan, and finally everything seems to be falling into place--until a past secret threatens to tear it all apart, and her newfound faith is put to the ultimate test...
Practicing
What You Preach
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Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Dafina; 1 edition (June 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758232225
ISBN-13: 978-0758232229
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
The wedding between Angela Gabriel and Brent Underwood promises to be the Birmingham event of the year--and aspiring event planner Melissa Anderson has been working feverishly to make it happen. During this hectic time, she even agrees to go out on a date with a most unlikely prospect: Marcus Peeples. When it came to Marcus, it definitely wasn't love at first sight. But after a lovely evening together of Bible study at Followers of Jesus Faith Worship Center, Melissa has a change of heart. She learns that Marcus is divorced, a fact she can't reconcile with scripture even though she knows he's a good man and father. But when Marcus's diva ex-wife decides she wants him back, Melissa soon discovers love, divorce, and faith have quite a bit in common.
If
Memory Serves
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Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Dafina (October 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758217366
ISBN-13: 978-0758217363
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
Told her daughter had died at birth, ninety-year-old Sarah Fleming has spent the past three-and-a-half years searching for Memory. Sarah has been warned repeatedly by Memory's daughter and granddaughter not to trust the ever-conning Memory no matter how much she may claim she has changed.
Just as Memory attempts to convince everyone that she truly is saved now, the faithful woman responsible for reuniting her with her past finds herself suffering with troubles of her own. When Johnnie Mae experiences complications with her pregnancy, Pastor Landris learns he may have to make an impossible choice--one that will amount to true spiritual warfare. Meanwhile, Johnnie Mae's friend, Charity, finally comes face to to face with the painful truth and damaging secret of her own past.
For all those involved, secrets have done nothing but tear them apart and destroy their families. And--for Memory and Charity especially--only hope and the power of faith can mend these shattered, fractured lives...
Strongholds
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Paperback: 274 pages
Publisher: Dafina (May 1, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 075821734X
ISBN-13: 978-0758217349
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
From a married couple's twin additions to gambling and gluttony, to a female member's adulterous affair, a computer expert's obsession with cyber-porn and a therapist's workaholism, the Pastor's church family is about to open the proverbial floodgates. And that's just the beginning. There's also the woman whose battle with mental illness hides a buried trauma, and the religious devotee who's so busy fearing the devil she's forgotten what faith is really about. The plot only thickens when the Pastor's wife lightens his load by helping him counsel--and finds herself at the center of a decades-long deception.
Insightful, witty, and always poignant, Vanessa Davis Griggs delivers another compelling novel, taking readers behind the scenes of mega-churches to show the amazing power that redemption and faith can have on people's lives.
Blessed
Trinity
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Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Dafina (May 1, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758217323
ISBN-13: 978-0758217325
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1 inches
Faith Alexandria Morrell, the oldest of a mysterious trio of sisters, lives a troubled life and guards a horrifying secret. Yet few, least of all her new church family, would believe this always-impeccably-dressed woman is so utterly lost. But what lies beneath the surface of Faith's carefully constructed veneer could completely destroy her.
Needing help, Faith and her sisters, Hope and Charity, join Followers of Jesus Faith Worship Center. This new mega church, led by the dreadlock-wearing, Holy Ghost-filled Pastor George Landris, just may offer the solace she needs. But Faith soon discovers that all is not well in her new church home: Pastor Landris's marriage may not be as solid as everyone thinks and he's struggling to finance the church building; Thomas, the pastor's deadbeat brother, is diagnosed as bipolar; and Johnnie Mae, the pastor's wife, is facing some tough choices regarding her ailing mother's care. How can Faith and her sisters find comfort here when so many are wrestling with their own issues? And when one sister suffers a crushing collapse, prayer may be the only way to unravel the mystery shadowing Faith and her sisters--the blessed trinity.
Wings
of Grace
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Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Kimani Press (February 1, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1583144684
ISBN-13: 978-1583144688
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
In Vanessa Davis Griggs' eagerly anticipated sequel to Promises Beyond Jordan, Pastor George Landris is back, but this time he's sharing the spotlight with a family of strong-willed, true-to-life women who must struggle to overcome wounded spirits and severed ties. Richly populated with complex, unforgettable characters, Wings of Grace is a fresh and engaging novel, Griggs' finest to date.
Because Lena Patterson never enjoyed a fulfilling relationship with her mother, she is determined to break the cycle and be there one-hundred percent for her now-pregnant daughter, Theresa. Raised by her strong and loving grandmother, Lena looks forward to playing a central role in her own grandchild's life. Then an older woman shows up on Theresa's doorstep looking for Lena. Lena is dubious, convinced that the woman is just looking to get her hands on an heirloom necklace. As painful memories from the distant past re-emerge, the ties that bind a mother to her daughter seem primed to endure a wrenching test.
Meanwhile, wedding bells are fast approaching for Pastor Landris and his fianc'e, writer Johnnie Mae Taylor. But circumstances are taking shape that threatens to place Landris's pastorship, and his life, in grave jeopardy. Johnnie Mae, for her part, has embarked on a journey of her own. Performing research for an upcoming book, she crosses paths with Sarah Fleming, an old woman whose story will expose a range of startling truths and, ultimately, reshape the nature of Johnnie Mae's faith.
Promises
Beyond Jordan
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Paperback: 278 pages
Publisher: Kimani Press (February 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1583144676
ISBN-13: 978-1583144671
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
Vanessa Davis Griggs forges new territory in inspirational fiction with a novel about promises made and trust shattered... about the secrets that can tear families apart, and the power of faith to heal ourselves and those we love...
Charismatic pastor George Landris is preparing for his upcoming wedding to
Theresa Jordan when he gets news that will reverberate through many lives.
His cherished friend Johnnie Mae Taylor has been involved in a car accident,
and her husband and young child are fighting for survival, in need of all
the prayers they can get.
Theresa has her own dilemmas to contend with. Seeing her fiance rushing to
another woman's side increases Theresa's doubts about George's commitment to
her. She knows that George has always loved Johnnie Mae, even if their
relationship is platonic, but his devotion and concern puts a serious strain
on their upcoming nuptials.
An unforeseen tragedy and a shocking revelation reopen painful scars--and
create fresh wounds that could change four lives. As accusations fly and
rumors spread through the church and community, Pastor George Landris vows
to remain strong and hold tight to his spiritual beliefs. It will take hope,
courage, and unswerving faith to help everyone find their way back again...
The
Rose of Jericho
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Paperback: 303 pages
Publisher: Free to Soar (May 1, 2000)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0967300312
ISBN-13: 978-0967300313
Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1 inches
The Rose of Jericho: Intense, compelling, revealing, thought-provoking, heartwarming, funny, true-to-life, and yes, it does tell it like it is...and was. They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but go ahead--judge this book!
Official Website
http://www.vanessadavisgriggs.com
President Obama: More Than Meets the Eyes
by Vanessa Davis Griggs
http://aalbc.com/reviews/obama_more_than_meetd.html
