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For immediate release
Phoenix writer wins Women of Faith Writing Contest – Now Available on Amazon
Phoenix, AZ – Christian writer Giselle Aguiar’s first novel, Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century, won second prize in the 2011 Women of Faith Writing Contest sponsored by Westbow Publishers (a division of Thomas Nelson).
Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century is an historical romantic adventure set in Puteoli, Italy, in AD 69, a few years after the Apostle Paul arrived there on his last trip to Rome. (Acts 28:11-14)
Claudia, 20-year-old daughter of the Roman magistrate, is invited by her cousin, Paolo, to a clandestine meeting of a Christian church. There she meets and falls in love with Anthony, the son of a local merchant, and a leader in the church.
Unbeknownst to Claudia, her father, Marcus, has betrothed her to his middle-aged assistant, Darius. Meanwhile, her aunt Aurelia returns from 30 years of service as a Vestal Virgin hoping to marry her childhood sweetheart, Darius. At Aurelia’s welcome-home party, Marcus announces the betrothal, shocking everyone including Claudia.
Betrothed to a man she doesn’t love, in love with a man her family would disapprove of, told that the gods she grew up believing in are false, Claudia learns to seek and follow God’s Will while coping with her tyrannical father’s plan for her future.
The fact-based, historical setting details the lives of Roman nobility, their pagan beliefs, their homes, culture, mythology, a Roman wedding, the baths, government, and the eruption of Vesuvius and its aftermath. It provides a look into the early Christian church – where the people met, what they did, how they converted pagans and how the early church developed. There is also a fictionalized account of the Apostle Paul’s visit.
Deo Volente! (God Willing): Love in the First Century is the first in The Christian Centuries series. Each story takes place in successive centuries, focusing on pivotal points in Christian history. “I am a seeker, on a journey, seeking a more intimate relationship with God.” Aguiar states. “As I seek, I find stories – stories that need to be told – messages of love from God directed through my words to be shared with the world.”
Deo Volente! won a full self-publishing package from Westbow Publishers and may be purchased in paperback and hardcover formats from Ms. Aguiar’s website: www.giselleaguiar.com/novel1 and now available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other outlets and also as an ebook for Kindle and Nook and other ereaders. Subscribe to the author’s email list to be informed of availability, special events and book signings. Discounts for churches and bookstores are available from WestBow Press. Visit the novel website for details.
With the extensive research Ms. Aguiar did for the novel, she has become an expert in the Roman Empire and early Christian Church History. She is preparing several presentations for various types of groups. Visit her website for details and booking information.
One dollar from the sale of each book benefits Streetlight Phoenix to help combat child rape for profit.
Ms. Aguiar is available for media interviews, and her final galleys are available for review in pdf format. Please contact Ms. Aguiar at icreate@yahoo.com.
Paperback: ISBN: 9781449718282
Hardcover: ISBN: 9781449718305
ebook: ISBN: 9781447118299
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