FREE and open to the public, the 4th annual Books by the Banks: Cincinnati USA Book Festival will be held October 2, 2010 at the Duke Energy Convention Center in downtown Cincinnati from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Each year the Book Festival continues to build upon its success. Organized by the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County, the University of Cincinnati Libraries, The Mercantile Library, and Joseph-Beth Booksellers, it is the joy of reading and books that brings these partners together.

This year Cathy Liggett, Beaded Hope author, will be joining the Books by the Banks event. So, this is your perfect opportunity to pick up a book and have it signed by the author (just in time for Christmas gift giving!).

More than 100 regional and national authors will be participating in Books by the Banks. Purchase books and have them signed by the authors throughout the day. Enjoy author readings and panel discussions. Visit the K12 Kids’ Corner featuring costumed storybook characters, crafts, and other fun activities for families. There’s something for all ages.

For more information, visit: www.booksbythebanks.org

For more information about Cathy Liggett you can visit her at: www.CathyLiggettt.com

Beaded Hope author Cathy Liggett and I had the pleasure of speaking at iMPACT Church on Sunday, August 15th. We shared our personal stories of how Beaded Hope (both the organization and the book) came to be. We also had the opportunity to meet and visit the wonderful women of iMPACT.

A big “thank you” goes out to all the ladies of iMPACT for welcoming us!

Cathy Liggett’s book signing at Barnes & Noble was a wildly successful event. All of Cathy’s book sold out and the bookstore invited her back to do another signing. Check out the photos.

Beaded Hope author Cathy Liggett will hold a book signing next Saturday. You don’t want to miss the chance to get your book signed and hear a little bit of Cathy’s inspiring story.

Here are the details:

Where: Barnes & Noble Bookstore
Waterstone Boulevard off Fields Ertel
Cincinnati, OH
When: Saturday, March 27th
Time: 1:00-3:00pm

For more information you can check out Cathy’s website: www.CathyLiggett.com.

And don’t forget, Cathy is generously donating 20% of the proceeds from the sale of the book back to the Beaded Hope organization. So, grab a couple girlfriends and head out for a break, a cup of coffee and a good cause!

Recently author Cathy Liggett was asked by More to Life, the online magazine for women, to talk about her journey writing the Beaded Hope novel. Below is an excerpt from her story.

Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives
by Cathy Liggett

A few weeks ago, following some record snowstorms, I woke up one morning to hear a strange sound coming from our entryway. As I turned on the light I detected the origin of the noise right away: a mini waterfall was pouring into our dining room.

After cleaning the inside mess, my husband and I moved outside to try to fix our ice-blocked gutters. Naturally, one thing led to another. By the time we finished, I was really irritated by the inconvenience of it all. I had big plans for my morning off from work‚ and now all that time was gone!

I grumped and whined, but then‚ I felt a tug on my heart. That tug was the thought of some extraordinary women half a world away in Mamelodi, South Africa….read more

Cathy Liggett, author of Beaded Hope, and Jennifer Davis, founder of the Beaded Hope organization, recently had the opportunity to sit down with Debba Haupert ofGirlfriendology to discuss Beaded Hope, South Africa and, of course, friendships. If you didn’t get a chance to listen to this interview live on Blog Talk Radio you can still catch the podcast on the Girlfriendology website.

Thanks to Debba for being our first interview after the release of the book!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Beaded Hope Mission Trip Volunteer Authors Inspirational Novel

CINCINNATI ‚ March 4, 2010 ‚ Beaded Hope, an African non-profit organization based in Cincinnati, inspired one of its mission trip volunteers, author Cathy Liggett, to write a novel also called Beaded Hope, to be released by Tyndale House Publishers in March 2010.

The non-profit group Beaded Hope’s mission is to further the ability of South African women living with HIV/AIDS to earn income by using their age-old African beadwork craft traditions. Of all the nations in the world, South Africa has been devastated the most by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, with approximately 18 percent of the nation infected. Out of South Africa’s population, women bear the brunt of this disease. Among those ages 25-29, women are twice as likely to be infected with HIV/AIDS as men.

In addition, South Africans must meet the daily challenges of poverty. More than 60 percent of black South Africans live in poverty and half are unemployed. Beaded Hope founder, Jennifer Davis, set out to create an organization that could help fight these challenges in a number of ways: assisting the artisans of South Africa to earn income for their families by selling their handmade beaded jewelry to a worldwide market, raising African AIDS awareness as well as HIV/AIDS awareness in general, and getting the word out‚ telling the powerful and inspiring stories of people living with HIV/AIDS.

“It’s hard to imagine the impact that poverty or unemployment or a pandemic has on a community,” said Jennifer Davis. “But when you combine all three and witness first-hand what it’s like for women to live in such difficult conditions, it’s clear that you have to get involved.”

One of the people to hear those inspiring stories was novelist Cathy Liggett. After participating in a mission trip to South Africa with Beaded Hope and working with some of the women living with HIV/AIDS who craft artisan beaded jewelry, Liggett’s life and work were changed. Meeting the women made me realize that, yes, their situation is a far cry from my own,‚ states the author. ‚But aside from that, they are no different than I am. They are women who want nourishment and a sense of well-being for their families, and mothers who want a more hopeful life and future for their children.

Beaded Hope the novel follows the stories of three women who travel to South Africa on a mission trip, and discover the truly transformative and empowering nature of hope.

Author Cathy Liggett will donate a portion of the proceeds from her novel to the non-profit organization Beaded Hope.

Cathy Liggett and Jennifer Davis crossed paths quite accidentally in 2005. Eventually they became friends, bonded by a common love of Africa and a desire to make an impact on the world. In March of 2008 they traveled to South Africa together, and from that trip came Beaded Hope, the novel.

You can hear the rest of their inspiring story live on Blog Talk Radio this Friday, March 5th at 2:00pm when they are interviewed by Debba Haupert of Girlfriendology. You don’t want to miss it!

Then check back to Girlfriendology to read our guest blog post. Thanks to Debba for being a great girlfriend and showing us such great support!

Today’s Daily Inspiration on Girlfriendology.com is entitled Thoughtfully Committed and features Beaded Hope. Be sure to check out the full blog entry and Girlfriendology.

It’s official! Beaded Hope, the novel is available for purchase on March 1st. Inspired by the real stories of the real women of Beaded Hope, this novel was written by author Cathy Liggett after traveling to South Africa in March of 2008.

Cathy has done an amazing job of capturing the heart and the spirit of the women of Mamelodi as she tells the story of 3 women whose lives are changed when they travel to South Africa on a mission trip.

In addition, Cathy is generously donating 20% of the proceeds from the book back to the Beaded Hope organization so that we can continue impacting the lives of the women who inspired the novel.

Read more about the novel here.