AWARD-WINNING HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS AND PRODUCER ROMA DOWNEY ENDORSES NEW BOOK BY PAULA K. PARKER

Sisters of Lazarus: Beauty Unveiled Offers An Intriguing Glimpse Into the Lives of Some of the New Testament's Most Intriguing Characters: Martha, Mary and Lazarus.

Author Paula K. Parker is set to release her new book, Sister of Lazarus: Beauty Unveiled.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 8, 2013) - Award-winning actress and producer Roma Downey, best known for her Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated role on the long-running TV series Touched By An Angel, and as the executive producer of the television miniseries The Bible, has endorsed the latest biblical novel by author Paula K. Parker. Sisters of Lazarus: Beauty Unveiled, set to be released September 2 by U.K. publisher Authentic Media, examines the story of two of the Bible's most famous sisters, Martha and Mary. The book will be distributed in the U.S. by Capitol Christian Distribution.

"Sisters of Lazarus is a fun and meaningful read, offering the best of what biblical fiction provides--a tale built around beloved scriptural figures. But Paula Parker goes deeper than just creating an entertaining story featuring Mary and Martha. She explores the eternal question of what it means to be truly beautiful," says Downey, whose critically-acclaimed mini-series The Bible, the top-selling TV mini-series on DVD of all time, recently aired on the History Channel.

In Parker's novel, Martha and Mary, the two sisters of Lazarus, couldn't be more different. Martha, the elder, is plain and self-conscious; Mary, the younger, is beautiful and vain. One sees her value only in serving, while the other believes her outward appearance is her only asset. Their worlds are turned upside down when Lazarus offers hospitality to an intriguing new teacher named Jesus.

Parker invites her readers in, allowing them to feel like a fellow guest sharing the sisters' wonder at meeting Jesus for the first time and experiencing His transforming power, demonstrated by one of the most astonishing miracles ever recorded--raising their brother, Lazarus, from the dead.

More than simply a re-telling of a familiar Bible story, Sisters of Lazarus: Beauty Unveiled explores what it means to be a woman of God, and how the true value of a woman does not lie in her outward appearance or her skills, accomplishments, possessions or intellect.

"In Sisters of Lazarus: Beauty Unveiled, Paula K. Parker pens a riveting story of love, longing and faith," says Bonnie Keen, author and recording artist with the Dove Award-winning vocal trio, First Call. "Parker's novel bears the profoundly satisfying mark of her gift as a playwright. She combines masterful story-telling with well-crafted dialogue. The result is a cast of Biblical characters fresh and human and real."

"Through the eyes of Lazarus, Mary and Martha, the reader eagerly connects with three siblings from a normal, dysfunctional family. Gone are the dusty, unapproachable characters of Sunday school," Keen says. "Set in Bethany, 2000 years ago, Parker breaks the time barrier with her brilliant use of cultural detail. The veil lifts, and we are brought face to face with flesh-and-blood people who jump off the pages and into our 21st century world. We resonate with their struggles, dreams, delights, disappointments, and in the unpredictable ways God continually touches the human heart. Thank you Paula, for giving a poweul new voice to another ageless story."

For more information about Sisters of Lazarus: Beauty Unveiled or Parker, visit PaulaKParker.com.

About Paula K. Parker:

Paula K. Parker is an internationally-acclaimed author and playwright. She is a contributor to the New York Times bestseller, Becoming (Thomas Nelson), and co-authored the two-volume Ancient Mysteries Retold series (Authentic Media U.K.) with New York Times bestselling author G.P. Taylor. Her stage adaptations of Jane Austen's beloved novels, Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility, have been performed on stages across the United States. For more information about Paula K. Parker visit PaulaKParker.com.