Contact: Angie Brillhart
Brillhart Publicity, sabrillhart@gmail.com
Paxton, IL – Nicole O’Dell, author of over a dozen books and popular host of Teen Talk Radio, celebrates the birth of Choose NOW Ministries with the release of the free eBook 101 Ways to Be a Courageous Teen. Releasing on www.nicoleodell.com or www.choose-now.com on November 11, 2011, this free book demonstrates that O’Dell believes teenagers inherently want to live a courageous life.
“With all the buzz directed toward men and women about the movie “Courageous”, I wanted to encourage teenagers to also take a stand for what’s right,” says O’Dell. “I want teens to know that the choices they make not only affect them now but can affect how “courageous” they are later as parents and adults. They’re the next generation of “Courageous” men and women.”
Divided into topics like friendship, dating, evangelism, worship, Internet, and family, this accessible, quick-reference eBook offers teens an at-your-fingertips tool to do something courageous for Christ every single day. By implementing these 101 courageous moments into their everyday lives, teens will uncover strength they didn’t even know they had.
The inspiration for 101 Ways to be a Courageous Teen came from a recent episode of her Teen Talk Radio show where O’Dell spoke with Jim McBride, Executive Pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church and one of the four Executive producers of Sherwood Pictures and the movie “Courageous.” An advocate for “calling out the man or woman in teens” and passionate about teens living courageous lives, Jim McBride and his son Tommy McBride, shared just how that’s done in the McBride home on the podcast of the interview, which can be found at www.choicesradio.com.
“I believe in teenagers—that they have a deep desire to live large and make a difference,” says O’Dell. “I believe they want to be empowered to stand up for Christ and shine brightly into the world around them, but need tools to move forward with purpose. 101 Ways to Be a Courageous Teen is God’s message, not mine. I want nothing more than to get this information and these tools into the hands of teenagers, so I can sit back in awe to watch them use it. This eBook is my gift to them.”
About Choose Now Ministries: Choose NOW Ministries, founded by Nicole O’Dell, includes all aspects of O’Dell’s speaking, writing, and radio ministries and is dedicated to battling peer pressure, helping teens face the tough issues of today, and encouraging the commitment to good decisions. O’Dell wants teens to realize that today’s choices have lasting impact on their tomorrows. Moms, dads, and youth leaders are often hesitant to bring up tough issues with teens and pre-teens, hoping that skirting around the taboo subjects may keep kids innocent from the issues of sin. Teens themselves often have general commitments to doing the right thing, but just aren’t quite sure what will happen in the heat of the moment, when the peer pressure hits. Choose Now Ministries is all about helping teens commit to good choices far in advance of the peer pressure and helping parents tackle hot button issues with their kids long before they actually come up. The ministry offers helpful tools in the forms of books, blog columns, advice posts, informational articles, audio and video posts, polls and quizzes, and Nicole O’Dell as a conference and event speaker. Find out more at www.choose-now.com.
About Nicole O’Dell: The founder of Choose NOW ministries, youth culture expert and author Nicole O’Dell is also the host of Teen Talk Radio at www.choicesradio.com, where she talks with teens and special guests about the real issues young people face today. The author of several YA books, including the popular Scenarios for Girls interactive fiction series; The Wishing Pearl, book one in her new Diamond Estates fiction series; and the nonfiction Girl Talk, which was written with her two daughters and based on their popular blog column by the same name. Choose NOW Ministries with Nicole O’Dell, including her writing and radio ministries, focuses on helping teens make good choices and bridging the gap in parent/teen communication. O’Dell also loves getting out among teens and parents when speaking at youth groups and conferences. Over the years, Nicole has worked as a youth director, a Bible study leader for women and teens, and a counselor at a crisis pregnancy center. Her writing also includes devotionals and Bible studies for women of all ages. Nicole O’Dell and her husband, Wil, have six children ranging from 19 down to the most recent additions: triplets, born in August 2008. Learn more about Nicole, her books, and Choose NOW ministries by visiting www.nicoleodell.com, which has sections for both parents and teens.
“I write and speak about how to prepare for life’s touch choices. It’s the memory of my own teen years that birthed a passion in me to reach out to teens muddling through the confusion and pressure that life throws at them,” says O’Dell.
For more information on Nicole’s books or to book Nicole for a speaking event or interview, visit www.nicoleodell.com or contact Angie Brillhart at sabrillhart@gmail.com. Podcasts of Teen Talk Radio, including can be found at www.choicesradio.com or on iTunes.