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Subject: Free Kindle book for your new Kindle reader by a John
316 Marketing Network Author
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Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Free Kindle Book for Your New Kindle Reader
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Blog Hop by John 316 Authors May 7 through May 14
Guest Post by Lynn Dove
Don't Miss Our Blog Hop by John 316 Authors
May 7 through May 14
Lots of free gifts, including two Kindles!
The John 3:16 Marketing Network
For the past couple of years, I have had the privilege of being one of many authors in the John 3:16 Marketing Network. When
I was a ”newbie” marketing my books I struggled…”floundered” is a
better word, in getting the word out there about my books. I STILL
do! But praise God for the John 3:16 Network of authors. From the
moment I became a member I have been whole-heartedly encouraged by a
great group of Christian authors who share the common goal to reach
others for Christ through our books. The thing is for us to reach that
goal, people actually need to pick up
our books and read them, and that’s where the John 3:16 Marketing
Network comes in. It’s authors helping authors through the use of
online social networking to help with book launches and promotion.
But it goes beyond that. We are offered techniques and tips to help us achieve “Best Seller” status on Amazon.com Achieving “Best Seller” status is not only incredibly encouraging to an author, but it elicits even more public interest in the book. In my case, with the help of the Network, I not only achieved best seller status on Amazon.com with my second book, Heal the Wounded on the day of its launch, but I garnered renewed interest in my debut novel, Shoot the Wounded, so it climbed to #1 on Amazon.ca !
I can’t tell you how excited I was to see that! More recently the Network has been looking at other ways of promoting the au
thors
and their books. Lorilyn Roberts, founder of the John 3:16 Marketing
Network with the help of a few others put together a great promotional
book: Taste and See, A Sampling of First Chapters by John 316 Marketing Network
Authors As one of the contributors I was delighted to participate in this innovative project.
May 7 – 14, the John 3:16 authors will be hosting a Giveaway Blog Hop where our readers can go from blog to blog and win some great book prizes and more. We’re also going to offer a chance for subscribers to our blogs to win one of TWO Kindles! More details to follow as we get closer to the date.
our books and read them, and that’s where the John 3:16 Marketing
Network comes in. It’s authors helping authors through the use of
online social networking to help with book launches and promotion.But it goes beyond that. We are offered techniques and tips to help us achieve “Best Seller” status on Amazon.com Achieving “Best Seller” status is not only incredibly encouraging to an author, but it elicits even more public interest in the book. In my case, with the help of the Network, I not only achieved best seller status on Amazon.com with my second book, Heal the Wounded on the day of its launch, but I garnered renewed interest in my debut novel, Shoot the Wounded, so it climbed to #1 on Amazon.ca !
I can’t tell you how excited I was to see that! More recently the Network has been looking at other ways of promoting the au
thors
and their books. Lorilyn Roberts, founder of the John 3:16 Marketing
Network with the help of a few others put together a great promotional
book: Taste and See, A Sampling of First Chapters by John 316 Marketing NetworkAuthors As one of the contributors I was delighted to participate in this innovative project.
May 7 – 14, the John 3:16 authors will be hosting a Giveaway Blog Hop where our readers can go from blog to blog and win some great book prizes and more. We’re also going to offer a chance for subscribers to our blogs to win one of TWO Kindles! More details to follow as we get closer to the date.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
My
first book Shadows From the Past is going to be free this week on Smashwords. Here is the link if you want to pick it up: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/42323
Please feel free to share with anyone who would like it!
Thanks,
Ashley
If you know anyone with questions about God, please give them my ebook "Finding God: Biblical Answers to Questions about our Maker."
This short ebook can impact lives by answering critical questions like is God real, is Jesus real, what does he expect from us, how why can find him and how we can accept his precious gift of salvation. It is free during Smashwords Ebook Week special at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/122476. Or you can download it free at the New Christian Books Online store at http://www.songsfromtheword.com/NewChristianBooks/store/products/category/free/
Thanks for partnering with me! May the Lord meet you and bless you in all your needs!
Cheryl Rogers Writing, Editing, Desktop Design
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
Two Launches and Two Best Sellers - How Do They Compare?
Phew! As I wipe my brow after my second successful book launch, I can't help but compare the two experiences. First of all, let me say that it is doubtful I would have managed either without the support of the John 3:16 Marketing Network.
For those who missed it, the 'Best Sellers Book Launch' of my third novel PLAY IT AGAIN took place online this past Tuesday - Feb. 21. Once again, I managed to nudge my way into the 'best seller's' circle at Amazon.ca - the Canadian branch of amazon. Amazon.ca does not allow for category changes, so the book was locked into the broad 'Romance-Contemporary' category but still managed to make it into the top 100. (In fact it's holding its own in the top 100 after the third day.) The stats at amazon.com weren't quite as astounding, but it did manage to move up the ranks to 29,000 in books - not bad considering there are millions of books on amazon.
It was almost one year ago to the day that I held my first book launch with the John 3:16 MN. This first foray into the world of online book launches was for my book MY MOTHER THE MAN-EATER. It too managed to make it into the top 100 on amazon.ca/
So how did these two compare, you may ask? The outcomes were very similar - something I am obviously grateful for and quite excited about. As far as the actual preparation, however, there were a number of differences. To start with, I found about 50 people to help with the launch of 'Man-eater'. For launch number two of PLAY IT AGAIN, I had a solid 75 participants with several others emailing me after the fact to say that they had joined in the promotional efforts when they saw it on the John3:16MN listserv. There were also those who retweeted or shared links, so the actual number of those helping was probably closer to 90.
Beyond the numbers, the biggest difference for me was the fact that I was much more relaxed for launch number two. I knew what to expect and the day progressed quite smoothly. I also found that the preparation was much easier to do. I knew how to keep myself organized ( a MAJOR component, believe me!), how to approach and support potential participants, and how to create my landing and gift pages. All of these factors are key components to a successful book launch. You need to make it as painless as possible for those who are willing to help. Don't expect them to do the leg work or to even remember the date! It's up to you, the author, to look after the details and provide timely reminders without bombarding anyone.
The long and the short of it is, if you put in the time and the effort, this form of marketing and book promotion really works. Thanks again to all of my online friends who helped make PLAY IT AGAIN a best seller. I especially want to thank Lorilyn Roberts for her vision and tirelessness, as well as all the members of the John3:16MN community. We really have something special here, and I'm sure this is just the beginning of good things to come.
So how did these two compare, you may ask? The outcomes were very similar - something I am obviously grateful for and quite excited about. As far as the actual preparation, however, there were a number of differences. To start with, I found about 50 people to help with the launch of 'Man-eater'. For launch number two of PLAY IT AGAIN, I had a solid 75 participants with several others emailing me after the fact to say that they had joined in the promotional efforts when they saw it on the John3:16MN listserv. There were also those who retweeted or shared links, so the actual number of those helping was probably closer to 90.
Beyond the numbers, the biggest difference for me was the fact that I was much more relaxed for launch number two. I knew what to expect and the day progressed quite smoothly. I also found that the preparation was much easier to do. I knew how to keep myself organized ( a MAJOR component, believe me!), how to approach and support potential participants, and how to create my landing and gift pages. All of these factors are key components to a successful book launch. You need to make it as painless as possible for those who are willing to help. Don't expect them to do the leg work or to even remember the date! It's up to you, the author, to look after the details and provide timely reminders without bombarding anyone.
The long and the short of it is, if you put in the time and the effort, this form of marketing and book promotion really works. Thanks again to all of my online friends who helped make PLAY IT AGAIN a best seller. I especially want to thank Lorilyn Roberts for her vision and tirelessness, as well as all the members of the John3:16MN community. We really have something special here, and I'm sure this is just the beginning of good things to come.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Book Launch of "Play it Again," Free egifts TODAY ONLY (Feb 21, 2012)
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Monday, February 13, 2012
What is The Biggest Mistake Authors Make When Featuring Their Books on Amazon?
How to Categorize Printed Books on Amazon
For the purpose
of the next discussion, I am going to address specifically how to get printed books
categorized on Amazon and raise the possibility of reaching best-seller status.
There are
different ways a book can be categorized. Categories are different from tags.
Tags are what people reading a book do to label how they think a book should be
listed. But that is not the same thing as what an author needs to do to get his
book categorized to reach best-seller status.
I am going to
go into specific detail here because many people have missed best-seller status
simply because their books were not categorized narrowly enough in the
subcategories.
Most authors
are familiar with the Amazon Bestseller Rank. Unfortunately, most authors will
never hit the top one hundred best-seller status on Amazon. But that doesn’t
mean one can’t make the best-seller list in the subcategories or
sub-subcategories on Amazon. It is possible for a debut author to reach
best-seller status in one or more subcategories on Amazon. The problem is that
most authors know nothing about how to do this.
What does being
on the Amazon Bestseller List mean? Most people would say it means a book
reached the top one hundred in sales at a given time. To do a book launch in
the John 3:16 Network, the author should track sales for a 24-hour period.
Sometimes there is a slight lag, but not so much that the highest ranking won’t
appear during or shortly after that 24-hour period.
I encourage
authors in the Network to take a “screen shot” several times during the day to
try to record their lowest ranking toward number one in one or more
subcategories. To take a screen shot, if you are using Windows, hit
control/print screen together, go to a blank Word document, and hit Control-V.
Your screen shot will appear and you can save it as a Word document.
How do you get
your book categorized on Amazon in subcategories? This is crucial for a debut
author to have a chance to claim “best-seller” status.
Amazon has
several platforms in place to help authors. One of these is their Author
Central Program. If you do not have an account, the site will prompt you to set
up one. The link is https://authorcentral.amazon.com/gp/home. Here is a screen shot of the page.
Beneath that,
you will see the number 2, and the question, “How would you like to contact
us?” You can either email or phone Amazon. I would email them first. You will
explain to them that you would like to update the categories of your book.
How do you know
what categories to use? On printed editions of your book, you are allowed two
categories. Don’t assume Amazon will do it the way you want. It’s best to be
pro-active on such an important point and give them what you want exactly the
way you want it.
To know what
categories in which to list your book, you need to be familiar with how Amazon
categorizes books. Go to http://amazon.com and
look on the left-hand side for the search browser. Click on books.
Here is a
screen shot at what you will be taken to (some versions of this e-book may not
display it):
You will notice
on the left-hand side the category “department,” and underneath it “books.”
Listed underneath books are all the main categories on Amazon beginning with
“arts and photography” and ending with “travel.”
You will notice
that under “arts and photography” are listed 387,013 books. That means in order
to reach best-seller status in this category, you will have to beat out 387,000-plus
books.
Let me go down
to the category “parenting & families,” which has 88,692 books. If you
click on that, you will see it breaks down into subcategories of adoption,
aging parents, family activities, family health, family relationships,
fertility, parenting, pregnancy & childbirth, reference, and special needs.
Children of Dreams reached number
eight in the subcategory of adoption, out of 1,641 books. That means my book
has been a bestseller on Amazon in adoption books.
In the email
that I sent to Amazon, I listed one of my categories as parenting &
families/adoption. Since I could list two for my printed copy, I listed the
second category as “parenting & families/family relationships/motherhood.
The category for motherhood has 4,550 books. I also reached best-seller status
in this at number eleven.
Obviously, the
more books there are in a category or subcategory, the harder it’s going to be
to get into the top one hundred, so the narrower the subcategory, the more
successful you will be.
That brings me
to the second part of this discussion on categories, which is important. You
must categorize your printed edition and your Kindle edition separately. With
Kindle, you also get two categories. It is much easier to reach best-seller
status on Kindle than with a printed book. Why? There are fewer Kindle books
that you are competing against than printed books. Not every book has been
published in Kindle.
First go to https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/signin
Second, sign
into your account.
Third, click
the "actions" button for the book you would like to update
Fourth, scroll
down to number three, target your book to customers
Fifth, click on
add categories. That will open up to a new screen, add or change categories
Sixth, click on
the plus button in front of these main categories to open up subcategories and
sub-subcategories. Make your selections.
Seven, click on
save.
The screen will
return to the default page, where you started. Please notice that this is also
where you make other changes to your e-book, including editing your book
details.
To learn more about how to have a successful book launch, you may purchase How to Launch a Christian Best Seller.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Free Kindle eBooks from the John 316 Marketing Network
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Steps to Hosting a Book Launch on the John 316 Marketing Network
Dear Future and Current John 316 Marketing
Network Members. Please take a few moments to read and digest this information.
1. You must be a member of the John 316 Network for 45 days before announcing a
book launch or posting a launch date on the calendar. If you will be offering
free e-gifts, you need to allow a minimum of one month to prepare for your book
launch.
2. You must have a total of five reviews posted
at http://amazon.com and/or beta reader
feedback before announcing a book launch. Reviews work best for books that are
already published. Beta reader feedback works best for books that are not yet
published. It is an opportunity for readers to sample your book and make
suggestions before your book is published. Beta readers cannot be author
members of the John 316 Marketing Network. The network is building a list of
readers who can be beta readers, and the author should attempt to have several
people read his book before publishing it. If you don’t use beta readers
through the John 316 Marketing Network, make sure you find readers who are not immediate
family members that will give you constructive criticism. Many pairs of eyes
make books better.
3. Before a book is launched on the John 316
Marketing Network, the author is responsible for having his or her book
professionally edited. Please DO NOT submit a book to be launched unless this
requirement is met. No amount of marketing will salvage a book that is full of
grammatical errors, poor sentence structure, disorganized thoughts, boring
content, or nonfiction books that lack documentation. Remember, an author is
writing to sell his next book, not the one he is currently writing. A reader
might be fooled into buying one "bad" book by an author, but he won't
buy a second one by that same author unless he is a fool.
4. While I never make a distinction about how
authors are published, I must point this out because it seems some do not think
they need an editor. An editor is an author's best friend. POD or
self-published authors, please do not skimp on this step. It is not fair to our
network's reputation or the good graces of our member authors to expect them to
promote a book that has not been properly prepared for readers. No ifs, ands,
or buts. Not having the money to pay for it is not an acceptable excuse. And
please do not expect authors to edit your book for free. I hope to start a
critique group within the network this year. Critique groups help authors to
become better writers. But even a critique group is not sufficient. You need to
"hire" someone to perform this service.
5. If you are new and want to do a book launch,
you must first participate in another author's book launch and one showcase by
a second author. Participation is more than just sending out tweets. It
includes featuring a launching author on your blog, offering a free e-gift for
an author's landing page, writing a review for a book launch, and other
activities including Facebook, Twitter, and Good Reads promotions of an
author's book.
6. There are certain words that are absolutely not allowed in a book hosted by the John 316 Marketing Network. These words include the "N" word, the "S" word and the "F" word. We also do not allow the Lord's name to be taken in vain. We do not want to launch a book that would be considered offensive, pornographic, or that promotes a lifestyle in conflict with Scripture. If your book contains "edgy" material, let me (Lorilyn Roberts) know and I will submit it to a panel of pastors within the network for one of them to review. We are a Christian network and some books may not be appropriate for us to launch. If for some reason your book is rejected by the panel for promotion by the network, please do not take offense. It won't mean your book is "bad" or not inspired by the Holy Spirit. It would just mean your book is too edgy. We may even come up with a rating system to promote "edgy" books down the road. Each book presented and considered "edgy" by the author will be approved or denied on a case-by-case basis. If you are in doubt, please check with me.
7. If you are planning on doing a book launch
in the immediate future, say within 60 days, it is expected that you set up
your emails so you can receive them individually or on a once-a-day basis
(condensed). This makes you an “active” member of the network. A personal gripe
of mine is to discover an author who wants to launch a book and he or she is
not a participant on the forum and is only receiving "special
notices" or "no emails." If you are only receiving special
notices or no emails, you are a “non-active” member of the network and are not
eligible to host a book launch with the John 316 Marketing Network. You will
need to change your status to active and wait 45 days before announcing a
launch on the forum or posting one on the calendar.
The reason why you must be an active member of
the John 316 Marketing Network to host a book launch is this: Our network is
built on relationships. If you have isolated yourself and do not want to be
involved with others, please do not expect others to promote your book. Those
who have reached best-seller status on book launches have been those who have
actively participated on the forum and given of themselves, in many cases
sacrificially. They have established relationships here.
8. Please re-read the book How to Launch a Christian Best-Seller Book before setting up your
launch. The book is frequently updated and the information is very detailed.
Some authors make key mistakes that could have been avoided if they had read
the book more closely. I hate being the bad guy when I have to inform an author
that he can't launch his book because he has no reviews. And usually, when
there aren't any reviews, there are other issues that need to be addressed.
9. If you purchased the book through Smashwords, you can download the newest edition at any time. If you bought your copy through Amazon, let me know and I will provide you with a coupon to download it through Smashwords for free. If you received a "free" copy with a coupon, you may need to purchase a new copy. Right now How to Launch a Christian Best Seller is free on Smashwords and only 99 cents on Amazon. It was revised in December so now is a good time to get an updated copy.
10. Please remember we represent the King of the universe. He expects us to give our best. Please don't compromise. Write well; have your book edited by at least one professional, maybe even two; build relationships with others in the network; and read How to Launch a Christian Best-Seller. If you do these things, we will come alongside you and cheer you on. God gets the glory for a job well-done, and, just maybe, readers will buy your book and make you fabulously happy. Whatever the result, the outcome is in God's hands. And usually, when we give God our all, He gives us much more in return.
11. I also want to thank each one of you who
have launched books with the network. We have never launched a book that I am
aware of that did not meet the above requirements. As with any organization,
though, we are going through growing pains. I want to lay a solid foundation
for God to use the John 316 Marketing Network. The publishing world is in a
state of flux, but our commitment to one another, marked with love, truth, and
integrity, will help us to stay on the straight and narrow path of excellence.
As I tell my kids, the world is full of mediocrity; don't be like the world. In
everything you do, do it as if you are doing it unto the Lord, and then give
Him the glory.
Lorilyn Roberts, Founder of the John 316 Marketing Network
__._,_.___
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Help Others Connect to God with New Book, "Finding God"
Finding God: Biblical Answers to Questions about Our Maker, a new ebook to help people build a relationship with God, has been released at New Christian Books Online Store and Smashwords.com. The ebook by Cheryl Rogers deals with important issues like who is God, who is Jesus and what does God expect from us. It also includes information on how to find God and accept the gift of salvation.
"I ran across some literature online that made me realize how vulnerable people are without a relationship with God," says Cheryl. "This ebook is an attempt to help them establish a relationship with God so they won't be prey to lies."
Finding God: Biblical Answers to Questions about Our Maker, is available in multiple ebook formats through the New Christian Books Online Store and Smashwords.com.
The book retails for $1.99, but is available free for limited time at New Christian Books Online Store.
"God asks us to seek him and this book will help readers do just that," Cheryl says. "It lays out the biblical answers we all need to believe in a God we cannot see."
Cheryl came to know the Lord later in life through a serious immune disorder, so she identifies with those who don't know God - even though they pray and attend church.
"I needed God very desperately when I surrendered my life to him," Cheryl recalls. "It is the desire of my heart to spare others grief by helping them find God early, before the problems of life catch up with them."
After Cheryl succumbed to Environmental Illness in late 1993, she spent three years praying and seeking medical treatments. In late 1996, she surrendered her life to God and he began healing her.
"It was a dreadful period in my life, but I did learn God was real and on my side," Cheryl says. "He has healed me and transformed my life."
Finding God: Biblical Answers to Questions About Our Maker is designed to help those 10 and older who attend church but don't feel their prayers are heard, those who don't attend church because they find it empty and meaningless, those who want to believe in God but see no reason to and those who question God's existence. It also is suitable as a gift from believers who want to share their faith in God with others.
Cheryl Rogers publishes New Christian Books Online Magazine, a publication featuring new book announcements, book excerpts, author marketing news, a Bible-based living column and other features of interest to Christian readers and writers. She has authored several books sharing her faith with toddlers through adults, including Fast Track to Victory, A Christian Guidebook, a 40-lesson devotions book aimed at new and young believers, and Just Like Jonah Wail Tales, a short story collection teaching pre-teens and teens there is a price to pay when you disobey God.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Finding God, A New Book by Cheryl Rogers, Slated for Release
John 3:16 Marketing Network member Cheryl Rogers is planning the release of a book which lays out the biblical path to salvation. Called Finding God: Biblical Answers to Questions about Our Maker, the book targets those who question God's existence, who pray and feel their prayers are unanswered, and those who find church empty and meaningless.
"I went to church for many years without knowing God," Cheryl says, "and so I understand firsthand how alone and desperate we can feel without a relationship with God. This book is intended to help people connect with God and build that relationship."
The book was inspired when Cheryl read some literature online and recognized how vulnerable people are to lies about God. "It was pretty convincing stuff. But having a relationship with God makes all the difference. He protects us from becoming prey to the devil's lies."
Finding God: Biblical Answers to Questions about Our Maker answers critical questions about God including: Is God real, who is God, what does God expect of us, where can we find God, and how to accept the gift of salvation. It is slated for release in late January in multiple ebook formats.
"I am looking for partners who will help me reach those who can be blessed by this book," Cheryl says, "specifically those who will run press releases, pray for the success of this book, and spread the word in whatever way they can."
Cheryl came to know the Lord later in life through a severe immune disorder, Environmental Illness. When she was truly able to surrender her life to God, he healed her and changed her life. A former newspaper reporter and desktop publisher, Cheryl is now dedicated to sharing the knowledge of God in whatever way she can, through fiction and non-fiction books for readers of all ages, through her original Scripture posters, cards, mugs, mousepads, and tees; and through Scripture songs God has given her.
Among her other books are Fast Track to Victory, A Christian Guidebook, a 40-lesson devotions book aimed at new and young Christians; Just Like Jonah Wail Tales, a short story collection for preteens and teens; and Making Choices: Life is Like Acorns, a Bible study for 5 to 10-year-olds.
Cheryl publishes New Christian Books Online Magazine which helps authors promote their writing through book announcements, excerpts, and feature articles. The magazine includes a storefront open to author submissions and an affiliate program offering 15 percent commission.
"It is my goal to provide a medium for writers called by God who may be having trouble publishing their work, connecting with readers, and selling their books," says Cheryl. "Often this requires an extensive investment. And so article posting and digital/print product submission at New Christian Books are free."
New Christian Books gets 35 percent of the actual sale price goes to New Christian Books; 15 percent goes to the sales affiliate who brought the customer.
Visit the magazine at http://www.songsfromthword.com/NewChristianBooks Contact Cheryl at http://www.songsfromtheword.com/NewChristianBooks/contact/
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Angels, Roaches, and a Christmas Child
by Lorilyn Roberts
I never thought roach droppings would become one of my favorite Christmas stories. But stories have a way of writing themselves on our hearts.
Each year my sister Paige invites all of us to her house. We sit around the dining room table where odd knickknacks are transformed into lovely Christmas decorations. Paige is an artist, and it’s a good thing for my daughters. Most of my art projects never go as planned. I always miss an important step and my results are memorable, but for all the wrong reasons.
Last year all the cousins created angels to hang on our Christmas trees. The ornaments were dressed in white lace, had feathery wings, and a red rose dotted the front collar. Instead of halos, the kids crowned the angels with macaroni noodles.
Joy, my youngest daughter, proudly hung her angel on our tree. Christmas came and went. January rolled around, and I packed the ornaments away in our attic for another year.
Last week I climbed up into the attic to pull out the Christmas decorations. Joy set up the tree and I opened up the first container. When I unlatched it, dozens of roach droppings littered the bottom of the box. A few tumbled out onto the living room floor. Several ornaments had brown pellets clinging to them. I was quite repulsed, only slightly less than I would have been if live ones had scampered out.
I fetched the vacuum cleaner and vacuumed up all the droppings. Visions popped in my head of hundreds of roaches crawling over my beautiful ornaments. How many roaches would it take to make that much crap? I cringed. Living in Florida has its dark side.
Then Joy cried out, “Mommy, my angel has no hair.”
“What happen to her hair?”
“I think the roaches ate it,” Joy said.
We broke out laughing. The roaches had spent the summer feasting on the macaroni hair of my daughter’s angel.
As I think back to my fondest Christmas memories, many of them are also quite eclectic. There was the Christmas in downtown New York when we got trapped inside a car on fire. The electric windows were stuck and my grandfather smashed the driver’s side window with a suitcase. Mother pulled me out through shards of broken glass. Sirens blared and emergency lights flickered in the cold night air. We never did get to see the lighting of the tree but spent the evening in a fancy hotel.
Later Mother told me a Hollywood director was there for a children’s beauty pageant and had pleaded with her to let him take me to Hollywood. Sometimes I wonder if I missed my chance to be the next Hayley Mills (who I was often compared to when I was young).
My most vivid memory from that snowy winter was Christmas Eve when I heard Santa’s reindeer pounding on the rooftop of the apartment building. It was a loud swishing sound followed by gallops. I didn’t believe in Santa Claus until that night. I lay in my warm bed imagining what Santa and his reindeer looked like. I wanted to jump up and peek out the window, but I was afraid if I saw them, he wouldn’t leave me presents.
The next morning I ran to the window and looked below. To my surprise, there were large sleigh marks in the snow. I stared out the window for a long time.
I’ve thought about that more this Christmas because of a strange conversation over Thanksgiving dinner. I asked my brother’s wife if their children still believed in Santa Claus. I shared my experience at my grandparents’ apartment when I was young, but mentioned only the part about the sleigh tracks in the snow.
Mother said, “I saw them, too, and heard Santa land on the roof.”
“You did?” I asked surprised. “I also heard the reindeer hoofs pounding on the roof. The swishing sound woke me up,” I added.
Silence followed as we thought about the strange coincidence. Sometimes I wonder if God allows fanciful moments to bring comfort to children. Maybe that’s what I needed at that time—to have something to believe in.
Many years later I was in Vietnam on Christmas Eve to adopt Joy. Christmas music wafted through the streets of Hanoi. The beautiful lyrics filled the nighttime air. I rejoiced, so far from home, realizing nothing can silence what God proclaims from the mountaintops—or loud speakers hoisted on poles in a communist country.
God’s love reaches to the ends of the earth—in Nepal and China and Haiti; in Israel, where shepherds tend their flocks on the same hill that angels proclaimed glory to the newborn King. If we did not speak of the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, the rocks would cry out. Wonderful Counselor, Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Everlasting Father. The greatest gift of all came through the birth of one small child.
Joy’s hairless angel hangs on our tree this Christmas. All the gifts will be opened Christmas morning. I will eat far too much chocolate and then bemoan the five pounds I will gain. I will make my usual promise to start exercising on January 1, which I will probably break by the middle of the month. We will enjoy all the traditions that this wonderful season brings, full of joy, giving, and love. Then the ornaments will be taken down and packed away until next year. Hopefully, the roaches will find something else to eat besides angel hair. Life will resume its regular course, and I will be glad for the start of a new year.
But for now, during this joyous Christmas season, I will pause to reflect on the gift of the baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, knowing someday, too, I will bow before the new-born King. And, just maybe, there won’t be any roach droppings there.
This article was just published in the anthology CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS WITH...MEMORIES, POETRY, AND GOOD FOOD, edited by Donna Clark Goodrich
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