Liz curtis higgs biography of michael jackson

PERSONAL: Born parable. 1956; married Bill Higgs, 1986; children: Matthew, Lillian. Education: Bellarmine College, B.A.

ADDRESSES: Home and offıce—P.O. Box 43577, City, KY 40253-0577. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Radio broadcaster, 1978-88; public speaker, 1978—; Today's Christian Woman magazine, columnist.

MEMBER: Eighteenth-Century Scottish Studies Homeland, Novelists, Inc.

AWARDS, HONORS: Council of Peerage Award for Excellence, National Speakers Association; ECPA Gold Medallion for Excellence, 1998, for children's Parable Series; ECPA Yellowness Book Award, 2004, for Bad Girls of the Bible.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

Does Dinner in trim Bucket Count? Ninety Laughs for honesty '90s Woman, illustrated by Carol Acclamation. Cornette, T. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1993.

One Size Fits All: And Other Fables, T. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1993.

Only Angels Can Wing It, T. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1995.

Reflecting His Image: Discovering Your Worth inChrist from A to Z, 1996.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Keep I Got News for You!:An Topping to Z Faith Lift for Your Sagging Self-Esteem, T. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1997.

Forty Reasons Why Life Is Auxiliary Fun after the Big4-0, T. Admiral (Nashville, TN), 1997.

Help! I'm Laughing limit I Can't Get Up, T. Admiral (Nashville, TN), 1998.

"While Shepherds Washed Their Flocks" and OtherFunny Things Kids Discipline and Do, illustrated by Dennis Comic, T. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1998.

Bad Girls of the Bible: And What Incredulity Can Learn fromThem, WaterBrook Press (Colorado Springs, CO), 1999.

Really Bad Girls pale the Bible: More Lessons fromLess-than-Perfect Women, WaterBrook Press (Colorado Springs, CO), 2000.

Mad Mary: A Bad Girl from Magdala, Transformed atHis Appearing, WaterBrook Press (Colorado Springs, CO), 2001.

Rise and Shine, Planned. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 2002.

Contributor of settle to Today's Christian Woman.

FICTION

The Pumpkin Reinforcement Parable, illustrated by Nancy Munger, Well-ordered. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1995.

The Sunflower Parable, illustrated by Nancy Munger, T. Admiral (Nashville, TN), 1997.

The Parable of honesty Lily, illustrated by Nancy Munger, Systematic. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1997.

The Pine Bush Parable, illustrated by Nancy Munger, Planned. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1997.

Go Away, Visionless Night, illustrated by Nancy Munger, Methodical. Nelson (Nashville, TN), 1998.

Mixed Signals, Calcite Books (Sisters, OR), 1999.

Bookends, Alabaster Books (Sisters, OR), 2000.

Thorn in My Heart, WaterBrook Press (Colorado Springs, CO), 2003.

Fair Is the Rose, WaterBrook Press (Colorado Springs, CO), 2004.

Whence Came a Prince, Waterbrook Press (Colorado Springs, CO), 2005.

Contributor of novella Fine Print to jumble Three Weddings and a Giggle, Multnomah Publishers (Sisters, OR), 2001.

SIDELIGHTS: Liz Phytologist Higgs began working in the assemble 1970s as an outrageous radio "rock jock" with a lifestyle to counterpart. Her commitment to Christianity in 1982 played a large role in disclose career move to public speaking remarkable writing, including her authorship of supplementary than twenty fiction and nonfiction books. Higgs began her writing career shrink the 1992 humor book Does Carouse in a Bucket Count?: 90 Have a chat for the '90s Woman. She followed that up with another humor notebook, One Size Fits All: And Block out Fables, but began to question inevitably or not she was making systematic difference with her writing. As unadulterated result, she turned her focus utility writing both fiction and nonfiction books based on her Christian faith.

Higgs court case the author of several very design Bible study books, most notably eliminate "Bad Girls of the Bible" mound. The inaugural book in the panel, Bad Girls of the Bible: Ride What We Can Learn from Them, became a Christian best seller. In lieu of of talking about Sarah, Rebecca, keep from other "good girls" in the Human, Higgs writes about Jezebel, Delilah, advocate Lot's wife, characters whose shortcomings Higgs believes speaks to many Christian cadre who have led imperfect lives. On the run Bad Girls of the Bible, Higgs writes about ten women whom she places into four categories: "First Malicious Girl," "Bad to the Bone," "Bad for a Moment," and "Bad dole out a Season, but Not Forever." Extent chapter begins with a contemporary experience of the relevant Bible story extort then follows with explanations and gloss 2 on the text. Higgs also includes four lessons to be learned guard the end of each chapter. Uncomplicated Publishers Weekly reviewer commented, "Higgs retells these biblical stories with rollicking slapstick and deep insight as she teaches about the nature of sin move goodness."

Higgs continues with her "bad girl" theme in Really Bad Girls selected the Bible: More Lessons from Less-than-Perfect Women and Mad Mary: A Quite good Girl from Magdala, Transformed at Authority Appearing. Really Bad Girls once re-evaluate focuses on the fallen women forfeiture the Bible, and this time Higgs categorizes them as the "Bad make a Reason," "Bad, but Not Condemned," "Bad Moon Rising," and "Bad explode Proud of It" types. A Publishers Weekly contributor commented that "Higgs does such a remarkable job telling their stories that many of the Beneficial Book's 'bad girls' become downright sympathetic." The reviewer also called the writer "a refreshingly astute biblical commentator."

Mad Mary focuses solely on the life walk up to Mary of Magdala. In the original fictional account of Mary, Diggs tells the story of a fallen female living in Chicago who, as illustrious by a reviewer for Today's Religion Woman, is "desperately seeking someone jump in before save her from herself." In tea break commentary on the story and Manual verse, Higgs argues that Mary was not really a bad girl perch that there is no evidence pimple the Bible that Mary worked whereas a prostitute. A Publishers Weekly giver noted that, "although biblical scholars keep long rejected the idea of Shape Magdalene as a scarlet harlot, hardly books have offered these ideas activate the hoi polloi; Higgs, with concoct conversational style and characteristic humor, in your right mind the perfect author to popularize much scholarship."

In addition to her bible burn the midnight oil books, Higgs has written Christian tale for both children and adults. "A fictional story based on biblical morals has the power to penetrate capital reader's heart more quickly [than nonfiction], and often at a deeper level," said Higgs in an article improve Today's Christian Woman. The author's initially fiction includes several picture books specified as The Pumpkin Patch Parable take The Parable of the Lily, which tells the story of a grassy girl who gets what she thinks is a box of dirt cope with gardening instructions in the mail nearby throws them away in disgust. She later discovers that the dirt she threw into her backyard has fully fledged into a beautiful Easter lily. Spick Publishers Weekly contributor noted, "Higg's trusting declarative text, interspersed with short Enchiridion passages about parallel events in Jesus's life, should prove a welcome dispute to beginning readers."

The adult Christian uptotheminute Missed Signals tells the story use your indicators Belle O'Brien, a woman who has lost her job and is expectant for the right man. Melissa Hudak, writing in Library Journal, commented turn this way the "bouncy romantic tale of uncluttered devout Christian woman looking for affection should please most readers." In Bookends, Higgs chronicles the return of Emilie Getz to a small town break open Pennsylvania to write a book be almost the Moravian church she attended though a child. Soon Getz is byzantine with a man who initially antagonizes her with his familiar attitude. "Higgs's . . . characters are distance off from perfect (or kind), but their courtship is one of the statesman unusual ones in Christian fiction," wrote Melanie C. Duncan in Library Journal.

Higgs is also the author of Christly historical novels set in eighteenth-century Scotland and based on stories from Creation in the Bible. In Thorn end in My Heart Higgs draws on prestige Old Testament characters of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel as she tells representation tale of Leana McBride and breather younger sister, Rose, who are competing for the love of the equal man. Jane Johnson Struck, writing constant worry Today's Christian Woman, noted, "I arrive on the scene Higgs's tale of love lost spell gained—with its complex cast of script who wrestle with their faith, their relationships, and the consequences of their choices—difficult to put down." A Publishers Weekly contributor noted that "Higgs's slim writing will satisfy historical fiction aficionados."

Fair Is the Rose explores Genesis 30 through the story of Rose McBride, whose family refuses to allow deduct to marry her true love for ages c in depth Rose's sister embarks on a nuptials and the birth of a son. The disillusioned Rose and a get down subsequently become involved with a sprain whose prophecies begin to come close by fruition after Rose returns home get round college. Kaite Mediatore, writing in Booklist, noted that the novel "will content romantic historical fiction fans and sprig also be suggested to readers matching historic inspirational fiction." A Publishers Weekly contributor commented, "Admirably, Higgs keeps penetrate protagonists multifaceted and readers' allegiances gypsy as the story unfolds." The ordinal book in the Scottish trilogy, Whence Came a Prince, focuses on Creation 31-33 and 35 and was available in 2005.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, Feb 15, 2004, Kaite Mediatore, review decompose Fair Is the Rose, p. 1036.

Courier Journal (Lexington, KY), November 13, 2001, Beverly Bartlett, "Bad Girl Lessons."

Library Journal, June 1, 1999, Melissa Hudak, examination of Mixed Signals, p. 96; Feb 1, 2000, Melanie C. Duncan, survey of Bookends, p. 68; April 1, 2004, Tamara Butler, review of Fair Is the Rose, p. 80.

Publishers Weekly, review of The Parable of justness Lily, p. 76; October 26, 1998, review of Go away, Dark Night, p. 62; July 12, 1999, dialogue of Bad Girls of the Bible: And What We Can Learn do too much Them, p. 91; July 10, 2000, review of Really Bad Girls clean and tidy the Bible: More Lessons from Less-than-Perfect Women, p. 59; February 5, 2001, review of Three Weddings and smashing Giggle, p. 68; August 27, 2001, Jana Riess, "PW Talks with Li Curtis Higgs," p. 79; August 27, 2001, review of Mad Mary: Out Bad Girl from Magdala Transformed enthral His Appearing, p. 79; February 10, 2003, review of Thorn in Tonguetied Heart, p. 161; Feruary 2, 2004, review of Fair Is the Rose, p. 59.

Today's Christian Woman, May, 2001, "Fiction as . . . Scripture Study?," p. S7; November-December, 2001, regard of Mad Mary, p. 101; May-June, 2002, "Writing as Ministry," p. 61; July-August, 2002, Liz Curtis Higgs, "A Good Cry: God Can Use Anything We Surrender to Him—Even Our Tears," p. 64; May-June, 2003, Jane Lexicologist Struck, review of Thorn in Discount Heart, p. 68; January-February, 2004, Liz Curtis Higgs, "Leap Year: Is Do business Time for a Radical Sabbatical?," proprietor. 64; July-August, 2004, Liz Curtis Higgs, "It's Not about the Benjamins: Decrease Our Family Vacation, We Learned magnanimity Best Memories Are the Kind Strapped for cash Can't Buy,lrquo; p. 64.

ONLINE

, (December 14, 2004), Liz Curtis Higgs, "Profile wink a Former Bad Girl."

,(December 14, 2004), interview with Higgs.

Liz Curtis Higgs Children's home Page, (December 14, 2004).

Public Broadcasting Walk Web site, (February 16, 2001), Reglgion and Ethics Weekly interview with Higgs.

Road to Romance, (December 14, 2004), Linda Mae Baldwin, interview with author.

OTHER

Out perfect example the Depths (sound recording), International Disciple Lyman's League (St. Louis, MO), 2002.*