A Heaping Helping of Spirit

Marianne Evans

Recently my publisher, Pelican Book Group, launched a most encouraging Christmas campaign via Twitter, and I can’t wait to share it with you.  Editor in Chief Nicola Martinez encouraged PBG authors to share uplifting quotes, post them, re-tweet them, and give a boost to those who are struggling during this emotionally charged and very busy season.

While I prayed for discernment, while I scoured the Internet and Bible for hope-filled quotes, I considered what an enormous mission field we face at the moment. Our world, at the surface level, seems so devoid of Christ’s light and hope. I strive to make it part of my job as a Christian writer, as a missionary and disciple, to let modern culture know that God’s love and joy endures, that Christ lives and breathes in the actions of each one of us. All the same, I become overwhelmed. I cry out in a desert and wish for calm, peace, a ramp-up of simple joy. Even though I know the truth of Christ’s providence, I find it easy to become lost in the stress and bustle of the holidays. It’s then that I pull back, focus within, and try hard 

to remember who I belong to, and what exactly it is I’m celebrating…and honoring. Christmas isn’t just about a birth. It’s a promise. A bridge. It’s redemption and the purest love mankind will ever know resting in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes.

 I hope this social media exchange provides meaning and light in the face of darkness. Do you crave a heaping helping of Spirit? Log on to Twitter and check out #NeverGiveUp and #HaveFaith.

If you face challenges that leave you struggling this Christmas season, always remember—in the words of Matthew West—“You are a child of the One True King.”

‘I have set the Lord continually before me;

He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.’

~ Psalm 16:8 ~

 Click to Tweet!

Do you crave a heaping helping of Spirit this Christmas?

In the rush and bustle of the season, remember: You’re a child of the One True King

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Jackson Merritt's first night in London has concluded with an unexpected bang. Acting on instinct, he steps into the midst of an attempted theft that leads him into the life, and heart of Vanessa Colby.
 
A personal shopper at the world-famous Harrods, Vanessa wants only to savor the start of the Christmas season. She's not looking for love, but after being rescued from harm by Jackson, she finds herself falling fast and hard for the handsome American who heads North American operations for her family's IT firm. 
 
But a woman from Jackson’s past shows up in London as well—and if she can’t win him back, she’s bent on destroying his career, and any future happiness with Vanessa.
 
As truths play out, as emotions are faced and reconciled, Jackson and Vanessa must confront the ideas of reformation, forgiveness, and finding a way to love…even in the darkest circumstances.

Pelican Book Group ~ Amazon ~ B&N ~ Christianbook

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Marianne Evans is a multi-award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create. Devotion, earned the Bookseller’s Best Award as well as the Heart of Excellence Award. She also earned wins for Best Romance of 2012 from the Christian Small Publisher's Association and the Selah award for best Novella of 2013. Happily married and the mother of two, Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan who is active in a number of a number of Romance Writers of America chapters, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President. Connect with her at www.marianneevans.com

When God Makes Your Hobby Your Job by Jodie Bailey

Jodie Bailey

Do you think of writing as something creative or therapeutic to do when you have the time? Or do you view it as a calling and a job? Jodie Bailey shares what happened when God confronted her on the place he wanted writing to have in her life.  ~ Dawn

When God Makes Your Hobby Your Job

I was reading a friend’s blog yesterday. She was actually my daughter’s kindergarten teacher, and we bonded, though I’m pretty sure her high school memories lean more toward the Backstreet Boys than New Kids on the Block. You hear what I’m saying?  (Hint: I’m old.) 

At any rate, we share a bit when it comes to writing. See, I spent my whole life writing for fun until, one day, God whacked me over the head and said, “I gave you a gift.  What exactly do you plan to do with it?” Hm. Good question. 

She’s facing the same thing. I can remember her, YEARS ago, saying to me, “I’m not a writer.” And yet… she kept putting words on paper. I’d have told you the same thing. “I’m not a writer. I just like telling stories.” So deep in denial was I that, when God told me to make this a career, I tried to write Bible studies. I struggled for a year until a friend said, “I was praying for you, and God said to write about a real person.” I immediately thought, “God wants me to write about Eleanor Roosevelt?” (Why I thought her by default, I have no idea. Just goes to show how my brain works. It should scare you.)  Then I realized He wanted me to tell my faith story… through someone else. The instant I turned to my first love of fiction and started forming a character, the words that hadn’t come for an entire year flowed. Two books in under six months.

And then I got an agent. And this became work. Guess what? Writing for fun is not the same as writing for work. It’s not the same at ALL. Writing for fun is an outlet. Writing for work can make you cry. Like, real tears. 

The truth is, there are days when I pout and whine and try to bargain with God. “I’ll feed rabid alligators if you’ll let me out of writing this book.” (That’s my default ugly job.) But He tells me no. And those days happen less frequently as I follow His lead.  I have found that when I start my day asking Him to guide my fingers on the keyboard, it goes a whole lot better than when I try to go it alone. 

But here’s the thing…  When God makes your hobby your job, well, you’d better find another hobby so you have something to do for fun.

Oh, writing is fun. I love it. It’s the core of who I am, and to stop doing it would be to deny myself. But realize… when God calls you, Satan sometimes tries to answer. You will meet resistance, even from yourself. But that’s okay. That’s when you know you’re right where you’re supposed to be, doing what God called you to do. Then, even on those days when the words are a chore, you walk away fulfilled and yes, maybe even shedding happy tears.

 

Quilted by Christmas

Quilted by Christmas

When Taryn’s grandmother faces a medical crisis, she asks Taryn to sew an heirloom quilt for her cousin’s wedding.  Taryn is forced to accept the help of Justin Callahan, the man she once loved.  The problem is, Taryn still loves him, but she has a secret that will drive him away forever.

Jodie Bailey writes novels about freedom and the heroes who fight for it. Her novels include Freefall and Crossfire, from Love Inspired Suspense, as well as Quilted by Christmas, from Abingdon Press. Her devotions have appeared in Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home and Sweet Freedom with a Slice of Peach Cobbler. She is convinced a camping trip to the beach with her family, a good cup of coffee, and a great book can cure all ills. Jodie lives in North Carolina with her husband, her daughter, and two dogs.

To learn more and connect with Jodie, please visit www.jodiebailey.com

 

What Are You Going To Read In 2015? by Terri Weldon

I adore Christmas books. So while I’m reading Christmas stories and trying to find time to work in a few uninterrupted hours to write, my To Be Read (TBR) shelf is growing. I have some wonderful books on that shelf. Books I’m already making plans to read. Periodically I look longingly towards one and tell myself to hold off until January.

What about you? Do you have a TBR shelf? What book are you looking most forward to reading? I’ll confess, I can’t pick just one! There are too many good ones and more great titles are releasing after the first of the year. I’ll never catch up. But that’s OK, if I thought I’d run out of great books to read, I’d freak! Trust me, not a pretty sight.

The desire and ability to read is an awesome gift from the Lord. Non-readers may not understand that, but if you’re reading this blog I know you do. Don’t forget, Jesus told stories in the form of parables all the time. God is an author.

Is His book on your TBR shelf for 2015? If it isn’t, I encourage you to give it a place of preeminence. If it is, make sure it is the first book you reach for every day. After all, God wrote the greatest story ever told.

Each year I like to read a version of The Bible In A Year. I’ve read numerous translations and layouts over the years. In 2015 I plan on reading the New Living Translation Chronological Bible.

If you’ve never read a chronological version of the Bible I encourage you to do so. It is eye opening to see what prophets go with what kings and what Psalms, if any, are from the same timeframe.

It doesn’t matter whether you choose to read the entire Bible in 2015 or spend more time on an in depth study of a single book, you can’t go wrong reading and studying any part of God’s word.

I hope you’ll leave a comment and let me know what fiction book you’re looking to reading in 2015 and whether you plan on reading the entire Bible or if you have a particular book you plan on studying.

Oh, have yourself a Merry Christmas!

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Misty Winslow is determined to find her prince, and she meets the man of her dreams through an Internet dating service. Or is he, because the new dentist in town also sets her heart aflutter.

It's love at first sight for Tyler Davenport, but before he can finish his first root canal, Misty is involved in an exclusive online romance with Wes99—Tyler’s online persona. How can he tell her he’s the man she’s been waiting to meet, and how rational is it for him to be jealous of Wes99! Soon Tyler's pulling out all the stops to woo Misty.

As Christmas approaches, Wes99 and Tyler both ask her to meet them under the mistletoe. Which man will she choose?

Terri Weldon

Terri is a lead analyst by day and an author by night. She enjoys gardening, reading, and playing in the hand bell choir. One of her favorite pastimes is volunteering as the librarian at her church. It allows her to shop for books and spend someone else’s money! Plus, she has the great joy of introducing people to Christian fiction.

She lives with her family in Oklahoma. Terri has three dogs – a lovable mutt and two adorable Westies.


Terri is a member of ACFW and OCFW, a local chapter of ACFW. Her dream of becoming a published novelist came true in November 2013 when Mistletoe Magic, released from White Rose Publishing. To learn more about Terri visit her website at www.TerriWeldon.com.

5 Tips for Marketing Bliss, Part Two by Roseanna M. White

Last month, Roseanna M. White gave us the first two of five tips to help us keep from harming our marketing efforts. Today, she reveals the last three. You'll find Part One and the tips for Making a First Impression and Know When to be Invisible here. -- Sandy

Roseanna: There are things that help a little, things that can’t hurt, and things that are a whole lot of fun, no matter the outcome.

#3 Have a Pitch 

Inevitably, someone in the grocery store or church parking lot or soccer sidelines will ask you, “Oh, you’re a writer? What’s your story about?”

Trust me—it helps to have something to tell them. Otherwise you’re left going, “Oh, well, you know. A guy. And a girl. With some issues. Stuff happens. You know. A little romance, some faith…er…um…”

While you certainly don’t want to sound rehearsed in this situation, do have a concise explanation handy. Mine would go something like this:

Well, it’s biblical fiction, set in the New Testament days—the Church of Rome, actually. My heroine is a slave named Zipporah who can see into the spiritual realm, so there are some pretty interesting adventures she falls into. Especially when I pit her against a woman who has a spirit of divination. It’s not exactly a romance, but there’s a strong love story—I gotta have a love story! Really, though, I wanted to examine the depths of faith and what it would have been like to be one of the first generation of the church. Pretty fun stuff.

As you can see, it’s not formal. I always interrupt myself. I phrase it like a chat. And when I do this with curious acquaintances, they always respond with questions and opinions that allow for a conversation to develop—and a perfect opportunity to hand out a bookmark. ;-)

#4 Make it a Group Effort 

Do you belong to a close-knit writers group? Group blog? Just friends with other authors in the same genre? Pool your efforts!

Some of the most amazing online events I’ve participated in are the monthly Tea Parties hosted by Colonial Quills (www.ColonialQuills.blogspot.com). Every month, new releases by the contributors are celebrated in style, and dozens of readers churn out hundreds of comments, sharing images of the gowns they’re “wearing” and chatting as if they’re at the location specified in the party, complete with “Do pass another of those scrumptious shortbread cookies!” Authors often appear as their characters, promoting their books in the process, and a merry time is had by all. Because these events are monthly, avid readers know to come on the first Friday of every month. But because the guests of honor change, new Facebook events, Google + events, and Twitter hashtags are created so friends and fans can be invited.

The result? Shared efforts combine to create incredibly successful online events.

#5 Be Enthusiastic 

Whether you’re posting to Facebook or talking to someone face-to-face, your enthusiasm goes a long, long way. Make sure your passion for your story comes through. Use a few of those exclamation points you weren’t allowed to put in the book itself. ;-) Don’t play it cool—play it real. Yes, this will occasionally get you labeled “absolutely adorable.” There are worse things, LOL. 

As with many things in life, there are no guarantees in marketing. My mantra with this sort of thing has become “There’s no magic bullet.” Which means no one thing that will make something a huge success. But you can identify things that help, things that harm…and tailor it to you from there!

What other good ideas have you put into practice for selling books? If you're unpublished is there something on your list to try when the time comes?

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Roseana M. White pens her novels beneath her Betsy Ross flag, with her Jane Austen action figure watching over her. When not writing fiction, she’s homeschooling her two small children, editing and designing, and pretending her house will clean itself. Roseanna is the author of 9 historical novels and novellas, ranging from biblical fiction to American-set romances to her new British series. She makes her home in the breathtaking mountains of West Virginia. You can learn more about her and her stories at www.RoseannaMWhite.com.

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