Here’s an interesting article about Mat from John J. Moser and The Morning Call out of Allentown, PA.

From the people that have been working on her album and their previous involvement on other albums, I’ve got some high expectations of her debut release.

Produced by Shaun Shankel (Destiny’s Child, Kimberly Locke), Doubledutch-Robert Marvin and Josiah Bell (tobyMac, Mat Kearney), as well as others to be announced, Mandisa’s national debut is scheduled for release this May and will feature songs that reflect her personal journey, struggles, success as well as her contagious joy and passionate heart.

Let’s see, I always liked Kimberly Locke, and I love tobyMac and Mat Kearney as well. Perhaps more interesting though is the book that Mandisa is releasing along with the album in May.

In her upcoming book, IdolEyes (Tyndale House), on shelves June 1, Mandisa gives an in-depth view into her journey on the No.1 reality show in America. Co-authored with Angela Hunt, Mandisa shares how both difficult and triumphant events put her faith to the test. Speaking openly and honestly about her life-long battle with food addiction, Mandisa shows how it has affected her personally, and how the now famous, derogatory remarks made by judge Simon Cowell on live television have provided her with the opportunity to become a positive role model for millions of women who are struggling to live up to popular culture’s image of the “ideal woman.” Mandisa offers women the hope that they can be beautiful at any size, and that healthy self-esteem and personal beauty come only when they accept themselves as a unique and much-loved woman of God’s creation.

Read more about Mandisa and what she’s been up to since her time as a finalist on American Idol Season 5 on the CCM Magazine website in their article, AMERICAN IDOL alum MANDISA to release debut album, book

If you haven’t signed up for the Hear It First newsletter yet, you really should. Free Christian music showing up regularly in your Inbox is a good thing. You can choose from WMA or M4A format depending on whether or not your a Windows or Mac type.

I’ve gotten behind in keeping up with all of my e-mail and had three from Hear It First that I hadn’t downloaded the songs yet. I opened each one and followed the provided link and was still able to grab some free music. In fact, I’ve started grabbing a copy in both WMA and M4A format so I can have one on my computer and one for my Ipod as well.

Here’s the FREE music I picked up just tonight:

• Krystal Meyers – “Collide”
• Skillet – “Comatose”
• Mat Kearney – “Chicago” (I love this artist!)
• Jars of Clay – “Good Monsters”