Gifting Books from Contests

Recently, I've won several contests where books were given as prizes. I expected to get a real book, hopefully, a Kindle copy. However,  instead, I received either a file or an ebook through Book Funnel. I have trouble getting pdf or word files to download so that the font is large enough to read, and I can't change the size on them. And copies through Book Funnel cannot be sent to cloud and therefore clog up my device. This is important to me because I have so many books on my Kindle that space is getting to be a problem, and it slows down my device.

I've also given books away in contests, and I always gift the reader an Amazon copy. It doesn't cost that much because I still get the royalties on the book, and it counts as a book sold. It also pleases the winner which makes them more likely to buy other books from me, especially if they enjoy their free copy. I think it's a win-win situation. So, don't be cheap when you run a contest. Just a tiny investment will pay off much better in the long run.

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 Being Thankful

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever (Psalm 107:1).

Some form of the word thankful or thanksgiving is used 102 times in the Bible. Giving thanks should be more than a once a year event or something quickly done before meals. It should be an attitude that permeates everything we do. When this happens, life becomes filled with happiness and joy. It's hard to be bitter, angry, or depressed when the heart is filled with thankfulness.

As ye have therefore received Jesus Christ the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:6-7).

And we do have much to be thankful for if we have Christ in our lives. Most of us have our daily needs met. In fact, many have much more than they need. And even if problems arise, they don't have to face them alone. He will never leave or forsake us. He stood beside Daniel in the lion's den and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, and he'll stand by you, too.

Saying, Amen: Blessing and glory wisdom and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen (Revelation 7:12).

So, let's capture the thankfulness the Bible speaks of and always give thanks to God. 

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms (Psalm 95:2).

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Time-Told Tales, Volume Two, Audible

 I am happy to announce the release of Time-Told Tales, Volume Two. It contains two classic tales set in the Middle Ages. Part One is Patricia's Prison and Part Two has Jack's Jewels. You can check them out as Kindle books on Amazon. They come after the stories in Time-Told Tales, Volume One, and feature some of the same characters.

Patricia's parents want her to marry an older duke for his title and wealth, but Charles, one of her father's knights, holds her interest. When she defies her parents, her stubborn, unpredictable father locks her away from everyone. What will happen to her and Charles now?

In Part Two, when Jack's mother tells him to leave home for good, he ends up in Fairleigh where he meets Keynan and Pearl, Patricia's brother and sister. When his special seeds land him at the earl's table, his interest in Pearl grows. But he knows very well her noble parents will never approve of a commoner for their daughter, not unless he comes up with some sort of plan.

The producer that narrated Time-Told Tales, Volume One was not available to produce Volume Two, so I found another British producer. Dominic Olcan started acting as a child and has taken part in many school productions throughout the years. He also presents and schedules speaking engagements for conferences. In addition, he produces audiobooks from his floating studio on his narrowboat in the Kennet and Avon Canals. He says he enjoys using his talent and creativity to bring the books to life. I know he did just that for Time-Told Tales, Volume Two.

 Check it out - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NWK3DT7

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Staying Power 

John, called the beloved disciple, was close to Jesus. He was one of the three Jesus called to go with Him on the mountain (likely Mount Tabor) where the transformation took place (see Matthew 17, Luke 9, or Mark 9). Those same three went with him into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray before His arrest. John was the only disciple to stay with Jesus during his trial (see John 18:15-16). He was also at Jesus' crucifixion. In fact, at the cross, Jesus told John to take care of Mary, his mother (See John 19:25-27).

John was loyal and stayed with Jesus through everything. He never denied or deserted his Lord as some of the others did. He persevered in his later life, too, undergoing some difficult situations, including being exiled on Patmos. But wherever he found himself, John lived his faith and glorified his Savior. 

Being a Christian today isn't as popular as it once was. With discrimination and persecution on the rise, it's even more crucial that Christ-followers have staying power and remain loyal. Like John, we must keep our eyes on what is really important -- our Lord and our faith. Those ensure us a heavenly eternity; things of the world do not.

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Learn from Reviews

I once heard an author say she never looked at the reviews on her books. I can't imagine. I look at mine almost daily, and I gain insight from them. I evaluate whether any criticism is valid, and how I might improve if it is. And the positive comments and high ratings serve as an encouragement to motivate me.

Sometimes, I even get marketing ideas from reviews. This happened recently. Here is what one reviewer wrote about my novel, Unexpected:  "... I loved this story! It focuses on how young girls like myself, seek love from a man when they don't feel it at home from the family. I can

completely relate to the ease to go down the wrong path. But this book speaks about grace, forgiveness, reconciliation, and trust in God's plans! It is a wonderful and entertaining story but also a very educational one. It can show young innocent women how manipulative and selfish some men can be while highlighting the kind and self-sacrificing nature of other men. I highly recommend his book for girls twelve and older."

I write for the inspirational adult market, but sometimes I inadvertently write crossover books that can go into another category. This happened with "The Farmers" trilogy (Promise, Peace, and Pardon). I've had high schools buy them for their students. And the reviewer mentioned above thinks Unexpected could also fit into the Young Adult category, as well as the adult market. I find reviews like this interesting and helpful. It shows that authors can learn and gain much from studying their reviews.

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 Lose All Control

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him (Colossians 2:6).

The most important thing we can do as a Christian is to surrender to the Lordship and leadership of Christ. But this isn't easy for us to do. We like to be in control. This was Lucifer's problem when he led a revolt in heaven. It was Adam and Eve's problem when they listened to the serpent's lies and disobeyed God. It was Sarah and Abraham's problem when they took matters into their own hands and Ishmael was born of Hagar. This list goes on and on.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me (John 15:4).

It's still a problem today, but surrendering should be one of the first steps in becoming a Christian. We must first surrender to Christ and truly make him Lord of our lives before we can bear fruit. What we do isn't nearly as important as "abiding" in Christ. Working for Christ will be a natural outcome of abiding in Him and letting Him take control. Yet, almost all our Bible studies, Sunday School lessons, and sermons are about doing the right thing or not doing the wrong thing. Again, this will come more easily when we abide in Christ.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:10).

In his book, Sifted, Rick Lawrence writes: "What makes God happy --intensely happy? Well, when we abide in Him like a grafted-in branch, intimately and profounded connected to Him and therefore involved in whatever He's doing." And you know what? That's what makes us truly happy, too -- ecstatically joyful!

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 Examining the Details

Details are crucial to a story, but few people talk about getting them right. They can either make a story come to life or break it into fragmented pieces that have readers shaking their heads. Adding details is a balancing act. Too many and it bogs the story down,  making it slow to sludge through and boring. Too few and the story becomes vague with little substance.

I recently read at least half a dozen books (some by well-known authors) that had way too many details. For one of them, I wrote, "This is a wonderful main story, but there's too much extraneous material that has little to do with moving the story forward and makes parts of it boring" in the review.

In at least one of them (and probably more), the author appeared to be trying to stretch the story out to make a longer book by adding lots of details. But it made her book much less interesting and enjoyable. A string of adjectives before a noun does not make for good writing. 

When it comes to details, writers should say as much as possible with as few words as possible, giving a clear visual image. Details should be woven into the story and not expounded on in narratives. Never write pages of description. I have an aversion to books weighed down with descriptions, and I often wonder if I include enough of them in my writing. Therefore, I am always surprised when reviewers praise my books for the details that allow them to visualize the setting and feel as if they were there. I hope that means I'm getting the details right.

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Peter's Firsts

The Apostle Peter has often been a favorite of Bible scholars. I think many can identify with the outspoken man whose heart was in the right place but still made his blunders. Being bold and impulsive, Peter has a long list of firsts.  He was - - -

• the first follower of Jesus
• the  first to name Jesus as the Messiah
• the first to receive a new name from Jesus
• the first (other than Jesus) to walk on water
• the first to violently defend Jesus when he pulls out his sword in the Garden of Gethsemane
• the first disciple to walk into Jesus' empty tomb
• the first to get to Jesus in the shores of the Sea of Tiberias after the resurrection
• the first to preach about Jesus in the public square
• the first to lead the new Church of believers in Christ

Peter was brought low by his denial of Jesus at His trial. It humbled the disciple and made him a better servant of the Lord. Jesus forgave him, and he had to forgive himself. He'd been bold when he was with Jesus but faltered when away from Him. However, he would be bold for Christ again as he led the Church and spread the gospel message. We should do likewise.

(Firsts are taken from Sifted by Rick Lawrence)

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Promoting Your Books

Most authors struggle with promoting and marketing their books. More often than not, it takes time and patience to grow your fan base and sales. The recent pandemic has reduced the opportunities for book signings and other direct marketing events. This makes it doubly important to create other promotional and marketing strategies.

I started with a couple of ways to use social media, but over time, I've broadened my scope. You don't have to do this totally alone. There're networks and groups already established that can help you. Tap into them. For example, there're many Facebook groups that hold regularly scheduled book celebrations. Some of them are themed, such as new releases or Western books, but you should be able to find groups where your books fit. Join them, contact the administrator, and participate in the events. You can have your posts with your bio, your book information, some fun questions or activities, and perhaps a giveaway already prepared to post. Stay on the page as much as possible on the day of the event to answer questions, make comments, and interact with readers.

Don't forget blogs, either. Some authors and authors' groups regularly have guest bloggers. I have become associated with some wonderful, well-known authors and have written a blog to be posted on their site. This is another great way to get new readers, and it doesn't take as much time as committing to a day's event.

There are also radio broadcasts and podcasts that regularly feature authors. I have done several of these and have always enjoyed them more than I initially thought I would.  You can often find invitations from these online, too, especially on some of the pages for authors' groups on Facebook. You might also contact your local radio station or even a television station that has a program featuring local stories.

As I become more involved and comfortable with marketing, new avenues are always opening. Recently, a fan contacted me and wanted to do a conference call with her book club. I talked with them for about 30 minutes on the phone and enjoyed every minute of it. I would like to pursue more of these because speaking with book clubs has always proved successful for me.

Explore the possibilities. Began small and expand on it. Seize every opportunity you can that comes your way and fits your writing. They are out there when you start looking and not hard to find. And most of all, have fun with it. Promoting and marketing shouldn't be a burden but an adventure and a joy.

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