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Friday, June 24, 2016

2-Day Sale on Amazon Kindle, Seventh Dimension - The City, A Young Adult Fantasy


"Jesus used stories to tell great truths. 
Satan uses stories to tell great lies." ~Lorilyn Roberts







Strange signs in the heavens manifest, global chaos ensues, and evil runs amok. The United States is rendered impotent. Other powers rise that are otherworldly.










"I believe YA readers have settled for werewolves and other fictional ideologies because they don’t realize the truth is more compelling, more real, and more shattering." ~Lorilyn Roberts

Monday, June 13, 2016

Should I Use KDP Select? Guest Post by Terri Main



Recently, Terri Main and I had a lively conversation via a marketing group about KDP Select. We have very different opinions on its current effectiveness, and I asked if I could post her email to me on this blog so she could share her thoughts and experience. I think, as she says, you need to figure out what works for you and go with it. Knowledge is always key when it comes to marketing.

I (Lorilyn Roberts) have taken all my books out of KDP Select and can't imagine using it again. Its effectiveness for me has been so minuscule the last couple of years that I prefer not to bother with it and instead have opted for greater exposure on other sites, including Smashwords, bookstores, audiobooks, and website marketing. Terri's points are valid, though,  for KDP Select, and because it's something all authors should try at least once, I wanted to share what she shared with me.

Here's Terri's Thoughts 

This is one we can go around and around about. I know, because I've been interacting with people for five years on this subject. I still see a big bump in sales after a well promoted free promotion. However, it is across my entire inventory.  I see significant increases. In fact the two or three days after a big free promotion are usually double my norm. Now, less well promoted ones it's more like a 20-25% increase. 

HOWEVER.........

And this is the biggie. What works for one person may not work for another. You have to find what works for you. It's like the old joke about the economy. Ask five economists what's going to happen with the economy and you'll get five different answers. Six if one went to Harvard. 

Each of us have different audiences and genres. Free promos for my Bible studies do phenomenally well in the after promotion period. Usually within a week, I will get a bunch of people all in a one to two day period downloading the book. What happened? I can only speculate, but after 30 years in marketing and 64 in church I can make a good guess. Some teachers were out there doing a search of Bible studies. One or more ran across mine for free. They read it and liked it, then the next week or two they adopted it for the class and a bunch of students stated to download it or borrow it through Kindle unlimited. 

Now, with my Science Fiction/mystery novels, following a free promo, I'll get a bunch of downloads of other books in that series. 

However, I see very little effect for standalone fiction. And I suspect that standalone fiction for someone with only one or two books out will not do as well either. 

Plus, we all have different fans. 

The bottom line is you have to experiment. Test. Retest. Keep what works for you and throw out what doesn't. Listen to everyone, but test everything for yourself. 


I look at two top indie authors, for instance, Russell Blake and Hugh Howey. They are both very successful and very different in their approaches. Of course, they are also both very good writers. But they understand their individual markets and do what works for them. 

*~*~*~*

I hope some of you will leave a comments and tell us about your experience. Sharing of information is the best way to help all of us with marketing our books,  so please let us hear from you. 

Thursday, June 9, 2016

"Portrait of Jenny," by Alice K. Arenz - Enjoy this Excerpt


I understand this book has a few curse words and sexual tension, but it also has Christian content, and we feature books like Portrait of Jenny from time to time if they have good reviews. 

Enjoy this excerpt! I sure do love the cover.


BACK COVER

Not even a beautiful woman can save Richard Tanner from his past.

Following an explosive—and public—argument with his ex-girlfriend, artist Richard Tanner races into a rainstorm, gripped by a powerful migraine. He wanders to the gazebo in University Park, where he meets the beautiful and mysterious Jenny—a brief encounter that leaves an indelible impression on his mind—and in his paintings.

When Detective Jack Hargrave accuses Richard of the brutal assault on his ex, he finds himself confronting demons of a past he doesn’t remember. A time when little Richie Tanner walked into University Park whole, was beaten and left to die…a time that may hold the key to his future.



Excerpt from Chapter 1 PORTRAIT OF JENNY
by Alice K. Arenz



For the first time since I’d noticed her, I realized her clothing was completely dry in contrast to my own rather bedraggled state. For an instant, I felt awkward and self-conscious, especially since I was still fighting that unusual urge—but it was only for an instant. The moment those violet eyes met mine once more, I was lost, completely caught up in the girl before me.
“You come here often?”
The question was inept, and I could have kicked myself for having asked it. I still wanted to move closer to her, examine her from every angle, my artist’s eye preparing the figure before me to transfer her likeness onto canvas. Even this was odd. I’d always steered away from portraits, never feeling capable of giving the subject the proper three-dimensional look. But this girl…
“It’s nice here.” She withdrew her hand from beneath the gutter, pulling it in to watch the remainder of the water run between her fingers. “Do you come here often?” She gazed up at me, the smile still playing about her lips, the question innocent rather than mocking.
I shook my head. “It’s usually too crowded for my taste. It’s a beautiful spot, though.”
She nodded. “I don’t care for crowds, either.”
She dried her hand on the hem of her skirt, then stood and stretched her arms over her head. The action set in motion a long chain with an ankh at its end, both swinging and bouncing lightly between her breasts. Even from where I sat, I could see the unusual design of silver and gold entwined, and wished again to have a better look at the girl.
My assumption that she was short was correct; she couldn’t be more than five feet if that. There was a delicacy about her, an overwhelming presence of femininity that was so rare in girls today. She wore it casually, as one might an old, familiar piece of clothing, which added to her overall attractiveness. I guessed her at around twenty but knew immediately that her very smallness could add to the illusion of youth. But the vitality I sensed from her was no illusion. She seemed to radiate a kind of controlled sense of being, abundant energy that was held tightly in check.
I was held transfixed as she appeared to float across the gazebo with her eyes downcast, their long, sweeping lashes and her secret smile making it impossible to catch my breath. Coming to, I ran nervous fingers through my hair in an effort to make myself more presentable.
“You should use an umbrella next time.” She stopped a short way in front of me near the edge of one of the picnic tables. Lowering herself gracefully onto the seat, she clutched absently at her pendant as she regarded me with obvious amusement.
I felt the heat rise from my neck into my face, and wondered idly about the last time I’d blushed. It wasn’t a normal reaction for me, my response to the girl seeming to prove just how special she was.
“I didn’t mean to embarrass you,” she said softly, lowering her eyes from mine once more.
“You didn’t, er, well.” I laughed. “You’re right. I should’ve used an umbrella. Actually, I had one when I started out. Guess I left it at my last stop.”
I made a futile attempt to straighten my wet clothing, quickly realized the uselessness of the effort, then sat back to drink her in.
The blush came readily to her face, touching the high cheekbones and adding to her overall beauty. Her eyes seemed to take on a darker hue as the rosy glow spread across her face, and she looked at me frankly, completely aware I studied her every move.
“I’m being rude—”
“No, no. It’s all right. Really. I,” she smiled broadly. “I’m flattered. It’s not often a girl sees such honest admiration in a man’s eyes. I like it.”
“Honest?”
She nodded. “Completely. No come-ons, no overt acts to seduce me. Why, you actually seem quite shy, even a little embarrassed to be so interested in me.” She drew her legs onto the bench and hugged them to her as she’d been doing earlier. “Whether you know it or not, you’re really quite sweet. And, I’d imagine, very nice looking when you’re not soaking wet.”
“Thank you. I think.”
She laughed.
“My name’s Richard Tanner.” I held out my hand, but she made no move to take it. Seeing her hesitation, I withdrew it and made a show of tucking the book back inside my jacket pocket.
“I’m Jenny.”

*~*~*~*


Romantic mystery/suspense Portrait of Jenny is the newest book of 2010 ACFW Carol Award winning author, Alice K. Arenz. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, her first three novels were honored by two finals and one win in ACFW’s Carol Award: cozy mysteries The Case of the Bouncing Grandma (a 2009 finalist), The Case of the Mystified M.D., (2010 winner), and mystery/suspense Mirrored Image (a 2011 finalist), all re-released by Forget Me Not Romances, a division of Winged Publications. Last August, An American Gothic, also a romantic mystery/suspense, was released by Forget Me Not Romances.

Visit her at her website www.akawriter.com

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW AND ONE LUCKY WINNER WILL WIN A FREE EBOOK OF PORTRAIT OF JENNY



Friday, May 20, 2016

Life is a Highway with Tracy Krauss

20619701

Life Is a Highway 
Tracy Krauss

$2.99 eBook
$5.98 Print
ISBN-13: 9781491223741
Buy on Amazon 
c. 2014


About the Book:
Life is full of surprises and there are many unexpected twists along the way. Hope and guidance are within reach when you let God be your tour guide. Using Biblical examples sprinkled with personal anecdotes. This little book offers sound advice and is sure to lift your spirits. Based on a series of talks given at a Christian women's retreat, it can be used as a study manual for small groups or as a personal devotional.

My Review:
Connecting with other people of faith is important for encouragement and sharing life lessons and experiences. Krauss’s book is like a virtual visit with this uplifting author. The chapters vary a bit in length, but each is a deeply personal and honest reflection on one Christian’s faith walk. Scripture comes alive to me when I see it interpreted through the eyes and practice of others, role models, so to speak. Krauss shares honestly where she came from as a youth, how she gave her life to Christ, and the continued sometimes difficult but joyful walk as a wife and mother and daughter of the king.

The personal reflection questions are great, intentional, and made me think about how I want to be seen as a person of faith to my neighbors and what practicing m faith really means to me. It’s a short book but shouldn’t be read all in one gulp. I’ll be going back to it.


About the Author: Tracy Krauss is a multi-published author and playwright living in northern BC, Canada. For more, visit her website: http://www.tracykrauss.com

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

John 3:16 Book Review: Sassy Pants Learns About Strange Creatures (A Sassy Pants Learns Story) (Volume 3) (Paperback)

Sassy Pants Learns About Strange Creatures, by Carol A. Brown

Reviewed by Lorilyn Roberts

I too always seem to learn things the hard way, like Sassy Pants. Isn't it like God to use a cute pig in a kid's story to teach me about life. If you are young or young at heart, Sassy Pants will make you laugh a little more and live a little better. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Available on Amazon here.

Available on Barnes and Noble in Print Copy here.


Friday, May 13, 2016

Young Readers Delaware Detectives mystery from Dana Rongione

26876317

Delaware Detectives
All My Fears Relieved
Dana Rongione

$2.99 eBook
$7.95 Print
ISBN-13: 978-1517527990

About the series:
It all began with a pocket knife which led to a mysterious inscription which led to a wolf. But there are no wolves in Delaware...or are there? It's up to the Delaware Detectives to find out.

In book one, Abby and Jamie, along with their friends Scott and Phyllis, followed a trail of tantalizing clues to uncover a hidden fortune.

In book two, the curious siblings embarked on a nearly-impossible mission to find a missing man.

Book three thrusts the detective team into a new mystery they are determined to solve no matter where the clues may lead. But are the kids prepared to discover what's really lurking in the woods of Beaver Valley?

While this book is appropriate for readers of all ages, gender and educational status, it was designed with the homeschool student in mind. To that end, the book contains a Glossary of Terms that can be used in the subject of Spelling and Vocabulary. The author has also included a Science Center, a History Hideout and a special Art Academy--all of which provide valuable insight and activities based on information from within the story itself. 

Lisa's Review
Cute addition to the series

Dedicated detectives spending the summer with their grandfather, Abby and her younger brother Jamie, along with Pop-pop’s neighbors who have returned from vacation, try to uncover the secret behind the mysterious howling at the Beaver Valley Cave. The wooden knife Jamie had found in the last adventure has some kind of writing on it that Abby eventually interprets. Does the warning mean danger? Could this have anything to do with the potential commercialization of once beautiful land?

Join the Delaware Detectives to find out. Abby narrates the quickly paced story as the four adventurers peel away each clue. The author discretely footnotes vocabulary words and includes local native history as an added bonus.

About the Author:

Dana Rongione is a full-time Christian author and speaker, fulfilling her call to share God's message of hope and comfort through her books, lessons, podcasts and blog posts. Though her passion lies in writing adult devotional books, Dana has also authored Christian books for children, including her middle-grade mystery series, The Delaware Detectives. Beyond her roles as author and speaker, Dana works to balance her duties as wife, homemaker, church pianist, Sunday School teacher (Bible Baptist Church, Pickens, SC) and "mommy" to her two rotten dogs. She resides in Greenville, SC with her husband, Jason and her canine companions, Tippy and Mitchell. In her spare time, Dana enjoys reading, hiking and daydreaming. To find out more, visit her site at www.DanaRongione.com and be sure to sign up to receive her daily blogs.

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Wakulla Book Review: The Newspaper Code by Lisa J. Lickel




The Newspaper Code is the third book of the Buried Treasures Mystery Series. And once again, there are many treasures buried in the story waiting for the reader to discover. The story centers around a statue and some gold that’s missing from the town treasury since the 1860s.

While looking for the gold, we find many more valuable treasures along the way. The people in the story learn about friendships and being friendly. They learn to trust, to listen, and to be patient. Ms. Lickel is able to help us to see our own flaws in a humorous light. Every reader should be able to connect with at least one of the characters!!


What we fine as we read this is the most important and valuable treasure of all—Jesus! Through the flawed and bumbling cast, it is easy to see our imperfections, our limitations and our deep need for a savior to forgive us and cleanse us. In the end, it is healing and restoring relationships that matter most, especially over a relationship with God. Excellent book.

Wakulla Book Review by Loren



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I want to personally thank all the men who are reviewing the books written by JOHN 3:16 AUTHORS. I am thankful that we are able to bless them and appreciate the encouragement given to us by their reviews. 



Each WEEK (usually on Tuesday), we are posting reviews from 
Wakulla Correctional inmates of John 3:16 books. 





Inmates are loving the new books from John 3:16 authors. 
Chaplain Steve Fox is adding the new books to the prison library in this initiative to "change lives to ensure a safer Florida."