FEARLESS FRIDAY meet Sammie Chandler

Author Sammie Chandler leads off the parade of the John 316 Marketing Network Author introductions.
We hope you will enjoy getting to know our special members, make new friends and find new authors to love. While each spot will have a similiar framework, each author makes his or her spot unique.
One of our goals is NetWorking, so plug in and enjoy!

 

MEET AND GREET Samantha Ryan Chandler

 

The tale of Samantha Ryan Chandler's life is evocatively portrayed in her book: A Love Story, How God Pursued Me and Found Me. It tells of a life that is as disturbing and unsettling as it is uplifting and, in the end, gratifying. How "A girl from Nowhere, Louisiana" finds her way from such humble beginnings to live and walk amongst presidents and the supremely rich, only to find her trust and faith betrayed by those that she loved and trusted the most. She would be tested to the point where she began to doubt her own sanity and, at the moment of her greatest desperation and doubt, she was found by God and brought back from the brink of hopeless despair. Blessed with an almost unquenchable optimism and a unique sense of humor, she relates the story of a life that will speak to those who have encountered abuse, unfairness and anguish. Her love for her children and her faith in God carried her through a crucible of fire and in the end, made her a better, stronger person, ready to carry on with a life that is again filled with love, joy and laughter. A Love Story, How God Pursued Me and Found Me will both inspire you and touch your heart.

 

·         ISBN-10: 1615077588

·         ISBN-13: 978-1615077588

·         Kindle edition

·         Amazon Best Seller, 2012 National Indie Excellence Book Awards – finalist

·        Amazon.co (USA), Amazon.co.uk (UK), Barnes & Noble, Christian Books, and autographed copy from website. Book cover in attachment

 

Your unique talent

I have an optimism about life that defies logic for the circumstances I encounter. I also have an uncanny memory...almost photographic

 

Share something not many people know about you

Readers would not know this as I have an extremely silly side and find humor in strange places. I love to laugh and laugh hardily out loud somewhat like Julia Roberts, quite robust.

 

Describe your personality:

I am very much an extrovert. When I was a little girl growing up in Louisiana, my mom would worry all the time as I would go up to strangers at gas stations and chat them up. I have never met a stranger nor have difficulty speaking at length with people I don’t know. This is why I am invited to many parties to keep conversation going!

Are you a “pet person” or prefer no pets?

I have horses that are my passion to ride. I ride Arabians which are known in the horse world as unstable and very skittish. That possibly is the attraction. If something is easy to do, then I am not interested. I ride endurance which means many miles at a time, 20-30 miles. In the past, I kept a journal of each ride and amount of miles but stopped at 10,000 miles. At this date, I would venture to guess I have clocked 15,000 miles in the saddle.

 

Would you rather travel or stay at home?

I am a true “gypsy” having clocked over a million air miles with one airline. While on a trip, I am thinking ahead to the next one.

 

Do you read more or write more?

Since my book has been published, I have little time to read; but find myself writing a great deal. There is so much work after a book hits the market than simply writing it. I have written several articles for Southern Writers Magazine. I started my next book last fall and wrote about a months worth but have not looked at it since. Before I was an author, I read a great deal of the time.

 

Prefer cake or pie?

I prefer both!! My sweet tooth is the size of Alabama.

Would, or do, ride a motorcycle or prefer to ride/drive a car?

Neither, I prefer to ride my horse fast through the woods. I find motorcycles scary.

 

How about taking the bus or walking?

I love to walk. I started exercising everyday when I was 16 and it is a lifestyle choice. I have been known to climb stairs in buildings that have elevators. I did this once in heels going down 22 flights of stairs. My three girls were taught at an early age that “walking makes great legs”.

 

Are you part of a big church congregation or a small church?

I am a member of First Baptist in Atlanta with Dr. Charles Stanley as pastor. It is one of my greatest joys to have this as my church. I have learned not be quantified knowledge of scripture from Dr. Stanley. The church feels small but my guess is 10,000 members.

 

Would you describe yourself as happy or joyful?

I am very happy and also eternally optimistic.

 

Do you like to telephone people or prefer to use e-mail?

I prefer email. I feel at the end of the day that I have talked for hours on end.

 

Do you eat at home or eat out?

I love to cook and experiment. My favorite to make is bread and of course desserts. Growing up in Louisiana, eating is a sport.

 

Listen to music or prefer quiet?

I love to play the piano but do not listen to music very much. I just never seem to have enough quiet time.

 

Prefer sunrises or sunsets?

I could say both but let me break this down for the reader. If it is a sunrise, then an early command performance is at hand to be there in time awaking early. Having raised three girls, I have seen many a carpool sunrise. My answer now is sunsets.

 

Samantha Ryan Chandler
Amazon Best Selling Author
2012 National Indie Excellence Book Awards - Finalist

A Love Story...How God Pursued Me and Found Me..an Impossibly True Story



New Five Star Review of Best-Selling Adoption Book Children of Dreams

Title: Children of Dreams
By: Lorilyn Roberts
ISBN: 978-1602643864
Review Date: August 29, 2012
Reviewed by: CBM Christian Book Marketing
10.0 stars on a scale of 10.0 stars

Lorilyn Roberts writes, Children of Dreams, sharing the redemptive power of God that can restore that which was lost. This inspiring true-story takes the reader through an intriguing, triumphant journey displaying Christ’s miracle working power through the adoption of her own “Children of Dreams.” The author openly reveals her heart, God’s heart and God’s love and faithfulness as she parallels the Spirit of adoption offered from our Heavenly Father with the adoption of her two daughters from third-world countries. Coming from a place of adoption herself, the author has written a touching story that gives life-changing hope, unveiling that through perseverance and absolute trust and dependence upon God, dreams and life-changing hope can be your story as well.

As the author illustrates through her testimony, God can change your tragedy into triumph. Coming from a place of broken dreams, including rejection and abandonment from her spouse, meant that her dreams of having a “forever family” may never happen. As God changed her heart, he also gave her a dream…her children were brought forth from the ends of the Earth, saved from a life of absolute poverty and certain death; the author shares her trials as she endured much opposition in the form of, “… lies, betrayal, sickness, delay, deceit, deception, greed, corruption, suffering, fear, abandonment and sacrifice.”

Children of Dreams is a powerful, uplifting and inspiring word encouragement to the Body of Christ. The author offers hope to the reader by intertwining the truth of scripture throughout her book revealing that God can work all things out for good to those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose. (Rom. 8:28). If you love true stories and good endings, this book is for you. Let the truth of this story instill love and hope, let the truth of scripture fill your soul with inspiration, as you give yourself over to the lover of your soul, Jesus Christ. This book will forever leave an imprint of your Heavenly Father’s love for you upon your heart. A true delight and testimony to love prevailing over all evil! A highly recommended read.

Children of Dreams by Lorilyn Roberts, is available atAmazon

10.0 stars on a scale of 10.0 stars
Using Christian Book Marketing to share Christian books with the world.

You can visit Lorilyn Roberts' personal website at http://Lorilynroberts.com and her blog at http://Lorilynroberts.blogspot.com

Jamaican Author Yvonne Pat Wright Writes Gold Medal Winning Book Spice to Eternity – Help Her Bolt It to the Best-Seller List on August 21 on Amazon!

From “Spice to Eternity” is one of the most fascinating books I have read in a long time. The subtitle, Discovering the Main Ingredient to a Life of Fulfillment and Purpose, is aptly titled. One of the senses less often thought about in our relationship with Jesus and the heavenly Father is taste. In Spice to Eternity—part memoir, part inspirational, part cooking, and part educational—Yvonne Pat Wright captures this ingredient in an enjoyable journey through her life of cooking and spiritual enlightenment.

How much do you know about spices? You won’t look at cinnamon and cumin and dozens more spices the same way again!

Here is a “taste” of From Spice to Eternity about Vanilla from chapter one “Incomparable Love”:

“Vanilla: What a flavor! It is probably the most exotic of all the spices, and this is no wonder, as the vanilla beans are the pods of the tropical orchid plant Vanilla Planifolia. Vanilla is called ‘The spice of love.’…like the long process of curing vanilla, love affairs –especially those that endure—develop over a long time, the longer the process, the more precious the love that ensues.”

Chapter titles include “Joy Fulfilled,” “Fiery Trials” (guess what spice is highlighted in this chapter), “Made Brand New,” and “He Gave His Life.”

Have you ever wondered what spice would symbolize honor? It’s in one of the chapters I listed above.

I can’t say enough good things about this book.  On Tuesday, August 21, Yvonne Pat Wright will be launching Spice to Eternity on Amazon. If you purchase her book on that day, you will receive many free eBooks/gifts. The books are a secret, but I will share one now— the John 3:16’s highly touted Taste and See book featuring over 60 authors (533 pages). Check back here on Tuesday for the link.

About Yvonne Pat Wright

Yvonne Pat Wright, in happy retirement, enjoys reading, in several genres, but finds it hard to accept obscenity and accept it as standard author’s license.  A devout Christian she teaches in church and is a trained lay preacher. Born in Kingston, Jamaica she has spent equal number of years living alternatively in Jamaica and the United Kingdom. She’s won the hearts of daughters, grandsons and nieces and several ‘adopteds’ with her hearty home cooked meals, delicately spiced and served up with healthy doses of the value of Christian living. She is particularly pleased to have been ‘mother’ to a very famous singing family, the Jackson Five.

Taste and See First Chapters - Easiest Way To Sample Christian Books Ever!

Taste and See on Kindle, click here

HOW TO PUBLISH MY OWN PROFESSIOINAL-LOOKING BOOK FOR FREE

HOW TO PUBLISH MY OWN PROFESSIOINAL-LOOKING BOOK FOR FREE

Publishing Made EZ by Jon Roetman

Review by Lorilyn Roberts

Publishing Made EZ is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to publish his book without spending hundreds or even thousands. All that is required is a "wee" bit of patience and a "wee" bit of Microsoft Word knowledge. If you have written a book, you have far more than a "wee" bit of what you need to use this book and do it yourself. Publishing Made EZ makes the whole process seamless and even fun.

I was very impressed with the step-by-step instructions and photographs that were easy to follow. The writing style was straightforward without the usual technical jargon. I was so pleasantly surprised, in fact, after reading Publishing Made EZ that I am going to use Create Space for my new YA fantasy book. I had planned on using the POD publisher that had published my two previous books, but with this great resource, I can publish Seventh Dimension – The Door far more quickly and save thousands. The only real cost is for an ISBN number, which is minimal.

The number one reason why authors pay someone else to do publishing and marketing for them is because they don’t know how or don't have time. With Publishing Made EZ, YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF. I lead a large network of authors and am glad to know about this book.

No matter which publishing company you use, just the information to put your book in ready-to-publish format is awesome. As usual, anything is easy once someone shows you. I am not technically inclined and tend to become easily frustrated. This book made EVERYTHING SURPRISINGLY SEAMLESS! I highly recommend Publishing Made EZ.

Amazon Creates Another Way for Authors To Make Money Selling eBooks - What’s the Hype About Kindle Direct Publishing

By Lorilyn Roberts

The first time I read about Kindle Direct Publishing, also known as KDP, I couldn’t see the value of it. Why would I want to give away a Kindle book for up to five days every three months and be forced to yank it off all other distribution sites, including Smashwords? 

I had three ebooks at that time being sold through Smashwords, and with their premium distribution, my books were available to Apple iPad/iBooks, Nook, Sony Reader, Kobo, and other websites I learned about later. I didn’t understand the fine print about the KDP Loan Option, which sounded like a lot of hype about nothing, and I didn’t know anyone who was enrolled. I wrote off  KDP thinking it was too much trouble to implement and I would be wasting my time.

For those who don’t know me, I lead the John 3:16 Marketing Network, a network of over two hundred Christian authors. Our chief focus is to help Christian authors launch their books when published on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. One of the most valuable aspects of belonging to the network is the sharing of information. In January  2012, we had a new member, Bob Saffrin, who emailed me about his success with a Kindle book, Moses –Steps to a Life of Faith, in the KDP Select Program. After offering it for one day free, he had almost four thousand ebooks “sold” and topped the charts in all the nonfiction subcategories.

In over of year of launching books, we had never had anywhere close to that number of books sold in one day—and we are a network that launches books. Of course, Mr. Saffrin’s ebook was free, so my next question was, besides the great exposure he had received—four thousand books loaded on Kindles in the United States and Canada and even other countries sounded awesome—would those downloads translate into royalties? Or was if a fluke? Many people had bought Kindles for Christmas and were looking for cheap ebooks to load on their new “toy.”

I started paying attention to KDP Select through other authors in the John 3:16 Marketing Network. Some were willing to share their numbers. Martin Roth, an Australian author of international thrillers, emailed me about his success with Kindle Direct Publishing. He, too, had “sold” thousands of ebooks with KDP. Now I had validation that it wasn’t just nonfiction books that were doing well with KDP but fiction books also; and it couldn’t have been just  an after-Christmas rush to upload new ebooks on new Kindles. This was for real.

I decided to give KDP a try—which required a lot of effort on my part. Mr. Roth warned me that it was important to make sure you removed your ebook from all distribution sites except Amazon. Your book had to be exclusive to Amazon. My first thought was, how would they know anyway?

Don’t be fooled—Amazon will find your ebook on other websites and contact you to remove it. They are serious about this. When Amazon says exclusivity, they mean it. I waited a couple of months before enrolling my book in the program to ensure it was removed from all the websites I knew about, and Amazon found more later and alerted me.

My book Children of Dreams is an adoption memoir, and that was the first book I put into the Kindle Direct Publishing Program. In the meantime, some of our John 3:16 Authors had compiled a list of FREE websites where you could promote or advertise your ebook the days it was free on Amazon. I went through that list to maximize my book’s exposure.

For two days, over Mother’s Day weekend, I offered Children of Dreams for free on Kindle. By the end of the weekend, I had almost 17,000 ebooks downloaded and it hit number eleven out of all free books on Amazon.

I was ecstatic to have that many books downloaded on Kindles all over the world. In comparison to the number of ebooks I had sold previously, it was astounding. The question then became, how can I make money with this?

Since that weekend, I have offered my other ebooks for free through Kindle Direct Publishing. For the month of July, I received a royalty payment from Amazon for $350. Another author in the John 3:16 Marketing Network made $4,000 last month through Kindle Direct Publishing. The numbers vary widely, but you can make money using KDP. I am delighted that even I can make a few dollars to pay a bill, and the most important thing is, I didn’t spend a dime hiring a publicist or a marketing firm—and, to be honest, they will soon exhaust anyone’s financial resources and may not sell you a single book. I am speaking from personal experience.

Is KDP Select for you? To learn more about the specific details, go to http://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/KDPSelect. There are also step-by-step instructions on how to enroll your book in the program.

What about the exclusivity requirement? That means my book can’t be sold anywhere else.

Here are my thoughts: If it bothers you, then don’t do it. Amazon has come up with a marketing method that works. It’s a win-win for Amazon and the author. You have a choice, and as long as authors have that choice, I see nothing wrong with it. Amazon is in business and they are good at it. Looking at their growth and market share, they are probably the best. The challenge is for another company to come up with a better “KDP Select Program” than Amazon’s.

Here are some suggestions for anyone who is listening:  Implement a similar program that doesn’t require exclusivity. Challenge Amazon. Become a bigger player by offering authors more. What about an 80 percent royalty instead of 75 on books priced at $2.99 or more? What about a 50 percent royalty on books that are only 99 cents? What about allowing us to make our books free whenever we want—ten days a month instead of five?

Just like a lover woos his mistress, you’ve got to convince me to give up KDP Select in its current form and prove that you can offer me something better.

The royalty payments I have received from Smashwords pale in comparison to what I have earned with Amazon, even with Smashwords’ premium distribution. In fact, the $65 in my Smashwords account isn’t enough to deposit into my bank account based on their minimum requirement for direct deposit.

Until another company convinces me otherwise, I will stick with Kindle Direct Publishing, despite its exclusivity. Amazon needs more competition from other companies to entice them to adjust their paradigm. As long as KDP continues to put more money in authors’ pockets, including Smashwords, Amazon won't have any inclination to “rock the boat” and change it.

In a couple of months, I will be releasing my new YA novel, Seventh Dimension – The Door, and I plan on enrolling it into the KDP Select Program. One thing I want to stress, however, is you still need to promote your book. Laziness in promotion won’t sell books. KDP Select will require effort in terms of letting websites and others know when your Kindle book is free. Then you have the opportunity to make some money after the free promotion is over. It’s the uptake in sales following the free promotions that rings up that royalty check. Amazon also pays every month through direct deposit into authors’ bank accounts if it’s set up that way. My question is, why would anyone not want to do it?

For information on how to join the John 3:16 Marketing Network, go to: http://john316mn.blogspot.com/p/welcome-to-john-316-marketing-network.html

           

Blog Interview of James Scott Bell by Lorilyn Roberts

Recently I attended the Christian Writers Guild Novel Writing Boot Camp. The two-day, intense, hands-on training from three of the most successful fiction writers and mentors in the business—James Scott Bell, Jerry B. Jenkins, and Dennis E. Hensley—was a great opportunity to hone my writing skills.

During lunch on the first day, Mr. Bell mentioned a new book he was finishing about a topic of great interest to all authors—the evolving world of e-publishing. When Self-Publishing Attack! The 5 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws for Creating Steady Income Publishing Your Own Books was published in e-book on Amazon, I downloaded my Kindle copy. I was excited about what he wrote concerning the future of writing and publishing.

I emailed Mr. Bell and asked if he would be willing to answer some follow-up questions about his book in a blog interview—enjoy reading his candid remarks below!

LORILYN ROBERTS:  You made the statement in your book Self-Publishing Attack! The 5 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws for Creating Steady Income Publishing Your Own Books, “And, you are going to face those who want to criticize you as having ‘taken the easy route’ without submitting your work to traditional publishers and agents for their concurrence that you have what it takes.”

I have found that many who are traditionally published are very judgmental and condemning of those who POD or self-publish, even to the point of not reviewing books by indy authors, not recognizing them as “real” authors, casting dispersions on their books sight unseen, and not promoting their books on blogs and websites. 

My philosophy has always been, “Does God really care how books are published?” We have a world full of souls that are literally going to hell if they don’t hear the truth of God’s Word. We have the opportunity to publish and spread a Christian worldview in a way never seen in history. God’s prophets wrote the Bible by hand on parchment and clay tablets and walls and papyrus. My question to you is, how can we change the consciousness of publishing, particularly in the Christian community, and embrace the idea of “one in the spirit” when it comes to marketing and publishing books?

JAMES SCOTT BELL:  I think it’s going to change on its own. The die is cast. We are in a new era and books will come in different forms, from the traditional side and the self-publishing side. Eventually, there will be no room for judging, except on the merits of a work. Which is how it should be.

LORILYN ROBERTS:  You made the statement in your book Self-Publishing Attack! The 5 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws for Creating Steady Income Publishing Your Own Books, “And you are free to write about any subject that interests you, that you think you can sell.” In the John 3:16 Marketing Network, we have lay authors writing on Biblical topics that are selling very well in ebooks. I used to think I would love to tackle some deeper subjects in the Bible, but I am not a pastor nor do I have a seminary degree or a scholarly platform. But it seems that ebooks allow anyone to write on anything that interests them and make money? Why do you think that is?

JAMES SCOTT BELL:  Well, to “make money” requires providing a product that has value. This is the way markets work. With self-publishing, that can be put to the test. For writers, it means putting out the best quality book possible (Law #2 in my book). And then repeating that, over and over.

A writer certainly ought to write what interests him, that’s where the passion is. But you should also expand your interests! Writing can be just as much about growth as it is making lettuce.

LORILYN ROBERTS:  I have found in the John 3:16 Marketing Network that the single most challenging issue for writers is technology – how to set up and manage Twitter and Facebook, how to create a landing page for book launches, how to resize jpegs and format files into ebooks, just to name a few. Writers quickly get discouraged, daunted by the amount of time it takes to learn it all, not counting the actual process once you master the basics. Do you have any practical ideas on how to tackle the seemingly endless changing landscape of I.T. and balancing that with the creative side of writing?

JAMES SCOTT BELL:  The nice thing is that these functions can be farmed out at a reasonable price. Simply pay for those things you are not comfortable doing. Especially when it comes to editing, cover design and formatting. You can find an almost unlimited number of freelancers in each area. Get recommendations, check portfolios and client comments. Do a little homework.

LORILYN ROBERTS:  A follow up question to the previous one is this: I find it difficult to switch back and forth from marketing to writing. Once I am in one mode, I tend to get stuck there emotionally and mentally. Do you have anything you do to help you switch gears and maintain that sense of balance on a daily basis?

JAMES SCOTT BELL:  I put both my marketing and my writing on “automatic.” For my writing, I have a quota of words to complete each week. I break that down into days, and then I schedule my time. As for marketing, I make plans and then work the plan. This, again, can be scheduled.

Dedicate part of your week to studying marketing. Even if it’s just one hour. Read books and blogs and take notes. Eventually, you can put together a plan. I go into more detail about strategy in my book.

LORILYN ROBERTS:  You write both fiction and nonfiction. Do you have any thoughts on which sells better—if you are capable and enjoy writing both, which would you recommend a new author write to “break into the e-market”?

JAMES SCOTT BELL:  There is no rule here. Fiction and non-fiction can both sell, if done with excellence. Regarding non-fiction, I always start by recommending William Zinsser’s classic, On Writing Well. Study the heck out of that book before you write anything.

For fiction, I spend a lot of time teaching writers, including 2 day seminars. I have two more scheduled for this year.

LORILYN ROBERTS:  I took a peek at your ebook on Amazon, The Year of Eating Dangerously (Mallory Caine, Zombie at law) that you publish under the name K. Bennett. I couldn’t find a link to your name James Scott Bell anywhere. Why did you use a pen name for this series? It seems contradictory to use a pen name when you are trying to build a reputation and following as a writer. Would you recommend less well-known authors use a pen name for divergent content?

JAMES SCOTT BELL:  My agent and I decided to use a pen name simply to distinguish the content. In the books themselves the author bio states that K. Bennett is a pseudonym for James Scott Bell. This was for traditional, print-world purposes. I’m not sure a pen name is necessary in the digital world. You don’t have to worry about bookstore buyers and self space. But I like having the K. Bennett brand for paranormal. I will probably do other stories in that genre, and use this name for them.

LORILYN ROBERTS:  Under the heading “What About Paid Positioning,” I appreciate your comment: “Don’t go into debt.” One of the reasons I started the John 3:16 Marketing Network was I believed with the combined knowledge of many authors, we would be better informed and protected from expensive marketing techniques that produce few sales. Do you have any thoughts on how much an author should set aside to promote a newly published book?

JAMES SCOTT BELL:  Just use discretionary funds and be wise about it. In that section of my book I talk about what seems to work best, and most of the time it’s not something that you pay for. That’s the good news. The challenge is to write great books and gain attention. It can be done, but it takes time.

LORILYN ROBERTS: To be quite honest, you are on the cutting edge of thought in your book Self-Publishing Attack! The 5 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws for Creating Steady Income Publishing Your Own Books. Given what you have written, what would you tell a new writer to do—go the traditional route or indy and why?

JAMES SCOTT BELL:  It’s no longer either/or. I was just at ThrillerFest in New York, where I had the honor of being the first writer to have a self-published story up for the ITW award. There will be more of this.

And while I was there I met an author who has just signed a multiple book contract with a traditional house, after having his self-published novel come to the attention of an editor there.

The world is now the writer’s oyster. Follow the 5 Laws. The last one being to repeat the strategy I lay out, over and over, for the rest of your life. Why not? We’re writers. It’s what we’ll do until we drop. 

 

JAMES SCOTT BELL is a bestselling and award winning suspense writer. He was the fiction columnist for Writer's Digest magazine and has written four popular books for the Writers Digest line: Plot & Structure, Revision & Self-Editing, The Art of War for Writers and Conflict & Suspense. Jim taught writing at Pepperdine University and numerous writers conferences in the United States, Canada and London. He attended the University of California, Santa Barbara where he studied writing with Raymond Carver. He lives and writes in L.A. He blogs weekly at Kill Zone -- www.killzoneauthors.blogspot.com

BE SURE AND GET YOUR KINDLE OR NOOK COPY OF  Self-Publishing Attack! The 5 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws for Creating Steady Income Publishing Your Own Books. If I could recommend only one book on this topic, this is it.

Get Nook Version Here

Self-Publishing Attack! The 5 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws for Creating Steady Income Publishing Your Own Books

Review by Lorilyn Roberts

The New Paradigm in Book Publishing and Marketing
James Scott Bell Tells All

Self-Publishing Attack! The 5 Absolutely Unbreakable Laws for Creating Steady Income Publishing Your Own Books, by James Scott Bell, will be a game-changer in marketing and publishing. Finally a well-respected author has come out and validated what many who don't want to traditionally publish have hoped would be possible--self-published authors can make a consistent income if they approach writing and publishing with a business mindset.

I hope Self-Publishing Attack! will enlighten those who are resistant to the changing marketing environment. If we take Mr. Bell's approach and embrace the positive benefits self-publishing offers, we can insist on high standards rather than judging those who choose it. As James Scott Bell is quick to point out, by raising the bar, approaching writing and publishing as a business, along with perseverance, dedication, a little bit of luck, and a well-executed marketing plan, any author with a modicum of talent can be successful.

James Scott Bell is a true hero, in my opinion. He encourages the little guy just starting out to jump in with the big fish and swim. He empowers writers to keep learning the art of writing with specific advice, and now he has shared his business strategy.

Following his five unbreakable laws, authors are given a roadmap to new territories in publishing and marketing. Self-Publishing Attack! is the best book on this topic I have read. Don't pass up this jewel that delivers up-to-date information on how you can succeed at self-publishing and make a nice income in the process.

If you are interested in learning more about joining the John 3:16 Marketing Network, please check out this link:  http://john316mn.blogspot.com/p/welcome-to-john-316-marketing-network.html

I Want to Join the John 3:16 Marketing Network

We just reopened our membership with some restructuring on July 1. While the membership fee has been increased to $40, we now have a membership packet that will be sent to you upon joining as well as a mentor that will be assigned to you for the first 45 days. 

I am excited about the future for the network and how God can use us as authors, bloggers,  and writers to spread the Gospel with our nonfiction and present a Christian worldview with our fiction. 

Besides the spiritual warfare that is ever present anytime we do anything in the name of our Lord Jesus, marketing can be the most daunting endeavor in the world. Personally I believe as Christians there is an element of destiny in it all, but unless we are humble and committed, God won't be able to use us. 

The John 3:16 Marketing Network has so many wonderful and talented Christian authors, I wonder sometimes why I was "chosen" by God to begin this network. At times it has been overwhelming and at other times I have been awed by the workings of our great Savior--in our prayer meetings, in the kindness of others, in the emotional support and cutting edge knowledge shared, and in the character and humbleness of so many.

If you would like to learn more or join us, please go to the following link and read what is necessary to become part of a winning team for Christ. And remember, whatever you do, the outcome is always in God's hands.

 Link for the next step to join the John 3:16 Marketing Network as an author or blogger.

Lorilyn Roberts

Author and Founder of the John 3:16 Marketing Network

I Loved This Book!! Mystery of Spiritual Sensitivity, Review by Samantha Ryan Chandler

Link to Amazon

 The Mystery of Spiritual Sensitivity by Carol A. Brown
Review by Author Samantha Ryan Chandler

I began my read of The Mystery of Spiritual Sensitivity by Carol A. Brown to learn a new concept of how God works in believers' lives.  What a shock to find out that Carol Brown was going to explain why I cry reading the newspaper or can’t shake off horrific news about a stranger. I am a God made and ordained Burden Bearer!

The book points out in our lack of knowledge; we live out only a portion of our “design capabilities” and God’s design for humankind is perfect.

I love this phrase from the book, “Without empathy you cannot sense the heart of God where Burden Bearing begins.” It is truly an honor to be a Burden Bearer, but one must learn how to give the burden to Jesus. The Holy Spirit is our guide.

Your God given neural hardware makes it possible to subconsciously receive spiritual, physical, and emotional information in order to pray or to comfort another. When we Burden Bear another’s emotions, we will need to build-in the reflex of turning to the Lord to ask why this feeling has overcome us and how to intercede as the Lord directs.

Without a doubt this book has amazing insight and I thank Carol Brown for writing in such a way that the reader hungers for the next page. She has a gift and is truly in tune with our Lord.

*  *  *

I am glad I read this review; it's a book I need to read. I am also a burden bearer. I have spent all my life having people laugh at me for being so sensitive about the pain and needs of others, including animals. And I have suffered immensely and never understood why me and not everyone else. Maybe it's a gift. As I have gotten older, I have come to realize that whatever it is, it's a link to God that I am glad to have. I want to read this book to see what I am supposed to do with this gift, because it's burdensome and overwhelming--too much for me to bear alone. But it's uniquely mine, as I know God makes us in His own image and the painful things in life He uses for His glory if we allow Him.


Thanks, Samantha, for introducing me to this book.
                                                 --Lorilyn Roberts, author

Win 13 PRINT Christian Books This Week!

I want to let you know about a special giveaway that is happening this week called the "Christian Book Giveaway Extravaganza."    It runs from July 1 - July 7, 2012 - so make sure you go right now and enter to win before you forget!

Who doesn't want to get a print book for free, right?  You can read it yourself or give it as a gift to a friend or family member.

Join this Christian Book Giveaway Extravaganza and enter for a chance to win 13 print books from 7 Christian authors today here:  http://www.christianspeakers.tv/christian-book-giveaway-extravaganza/

The Books You Could Win Include:

Fiction:

·         Pearls

·         The Chamomile

Nonfiction:

·         Unshackled and Free:  True Stories of Forgivness

·         Teen Devotionals…for Girls!

·         A Love Story How God Pursued Me and Found Me: An Impossibly True Story

·         They Stood Alone!: 25 Men and Women Who Made a Difference

·         Changing Zip Codes:  Finding Community Wherever You Are Transplanted

Don't Miss Out!

You can also get daily updates on free Christian books on their Facebook Page, Twitter and Goodreads Group...  

·  www.facebook.com/getfreechristianbooks

·  https://twitter.com/freebookschrist

·  www.goodreads.com/group/show/72325-free-christian-books

Enter to win and let your friends know about this week's giveaway before it ends here:  http://www.christianspeakers.tv/christian-book-giveaway-extravaganza/