Follow the John 3:16 Network Author Page on Pinterest

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Christian Author and the Art of Writing


by Lorilyn Roberts
 
 
 

When do we realize, if ever, we aren’t as good as we think we are? The best of us need critiquing, teaching, input from others, and wise advice from those who have gone before. Rare is the writer who comes along and is so gifted he sweeps anyone off his feet. More than likely, the author will land on his buttocks when an editor points out all the flaws in his “Nobel prize-winning piece.” Or worse, his book or article may not even be fit to be fetched to the dogs (I know, too much hyperbole, but you get my point).

 
I thought I knew how to write a children’s picture book. I didn’t. I attended the Florida Christian Writer’s Conference several years ago with my manuscript The Donkey and the King. I anticipated an editor might gasp with delight at the wonderful story and beg me to sign a contract right on the spot. I imagined floating out of the conference in storybook land and racing home in my red firebird, patting myself on the shoulder for my creativity and talent. Yawn. We’ve all had visions of grandeur.



 

The truth is writing is hard. Rules need to be followed until you learn them. You can decide which ones you want to break once you have mastered the techniques. I was a graduate of the Institute of Children’s Literature at the time, but I was very much a newbie. For starters, I needed a critique group. There wasn’t one in my city, so I formed one.

 

Fortunately, a kind author at the conference went over my book and gave me valuable input. I took her advice to heart. I went home and wrote and rewrote. What were some of my mistakes?  I used big words—three-year-olds don’t know big words. The story was too long. Little kids have short attention spans. I had some concepts out of order—I needed a fresh set of eyes, someone who didn’t know my story, to point these out to me.

 
Since I published The Donkey and the King, I’ve received my Master of Arts in Creative Writing. I’ve learned more about writing than I ever thought possible. I cringe now when I receive emails about “how to create content” or “how to outsource content” or “how to write a book in a weekend.”  Writing is an art. If you don’t have the fire in your gut to write good content, don’t expect a reader to have the fire in his gut to read your outsourced book. Whatever happened to passion and creativity and sacrifice and hard work? What about the desire to learn how to write better?
 
 

 
I hear from time to time writers say, “I don’t like to write, I just like the finished book.” If you don’t like to write, why are you writing? If you aren’t willing to invest in the process to make your writing better, like attending writers’ conferences, joining a critique group, taking writing classes, and reading books on writing, how can you become the writer God gifted you to be? If you don’t have the passion to write, you won’t push yourself to reach a higher level in your writing. Will God bless your half-hearted efforts?

 
Don’t let the “roaches” out there eat holes in your bank account either. Flee from those sharks who promise wannabes they can produce content without a sweat and make a million. Where is the roach spray when you need it? I zap those emails in a heartbeat and hope people aren’t gullible enough to believe them.

 


Writing is an art—not just the artwork that is drawn or written on the pages of a book, but the art that is etched in the reader’s heart. Have you, the reader, been changed by the author’s message? Encouraged in your walk with God? Convicted of sin in your life? Art should add meaning and culture—and good art should represent some aspect of our Creator. Our words should convey that deep down; otherwise, for who or what are we writing? To glorify ourselves? God forbid.

 
The Donkey and the King grew out of my visit to Israel in 1991. The story is an allegory to the book of Philemon in the New Testament. The slave, Onesimus, ran away from his master. Along the way he met Saul who witnessed to him and urged him to return home. On every page in The Donkey and the King is the hidden word “good.” The lesson in The Donkey and the King speaks to all of us:  There is good in the world if we look for it and listen to God’s voice.

 
One of my fondest memories in my writing journey is when I read The Donkey and the King to a young Sunday school class. The kids stayed afterwards to find the “good” hidden on every page. Now available in Kindle, the drawings can be enlarged to search for the hidden word, and the font can be made bigger for easier reading.

 
The Donkey and the King


Creativity and the passion to share is what all authors should embrace—and strive to perfect. I want to believe I give my all for the reader’s enjoyment. And then, just maybe, I might get an Amazon review praising my well-written book. God rewards those who are diligent and faithful in His service—and I remind myself of that when my feelings don’t match reality or someone criticizes my book unfairly. It happens too often. Spiritual warfare is part of the Christian’s world and writers are not immune. In the end, we know who wins.
 

My advice:  Learn all you can and enjoy the writing journey. Share your story, conquer evil with good, be passionate always, and leave your mark on the lives of others. Through your words, you can influence future generations with the art of writing, and that’s worth striving for.
 

 

 

*~*~*~*

The Kindle version of  The Donkey and the King is all new and updated. The artwork has been rescanned from the original drawings, and the text can be resized for young readers. Click on the artwork on each page, and enlarge the drawing to look for the hidden word “good.” The Donkey and the King will entertain young ones and help them to become lifelong lovers of books and reading, all while teaching them about Jesus and redemption.




*~*~*~*

Lorilyn graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama in 1991. Her studies included spending two weeks in Israel at the start of the Gulf War and touring England, Australia, New Zealand, and several countries in Europe. She later attended the Institute of Children’s Literature and earned her Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Perelandra College.

When Lorilyn was in fifth grade, a teacher accused her of plagiarism in front of her classmates. Little did Lorilyn know the humiliation of that would later lead her to a writing career. When not writing books, Lorilyn provides closed captioning for television.
 
 

Lorilyn says, “When I start to doubt that anyone is reading my books, I remind myself of the millions of people who have read my captions, even all of my mistakes. The best thing about creative writing is you can make your words perfect. With captioning, it's live and you only get one chance to get it right.”

Lorilyn has two daughters whom she adopted from Nepal and Vietnam as a single mother. She homeschooled both of them, the older one through high school, and believes that the hope of the United States may rest on the conservative values homeschooling families instill in their offspring.

“If we fail to teach our children how to live out their Christian faith practically, we will have lost an opportunity to impact the world for good. It only takes one generation to forget the past. As JRR Tolkien said, ‘There is some good in this world and it’s worth fighting for.’”

To learn more about Lorilyn, you can visit her website at http://LorilynRoberts.com  and http://LorilynRoberts.blogspot.com

You can follow her on twitter at http://twitter.com/LorilynRoberts and Facebook at http://bit.ly/Lorilyn_Fan_Page.








 

 

 
 

 

 

Friday, December 6, 2013

A Taste of Friday with Michael Webb and Infernal Gates


Welcome, Michael J. Webb! 
 
Michael J. Webb
 
 
With impetuous recoil and jarring sound
Th’ infernal doors, and on their hinges grate
Harsh thunder, that the lowest bottom shook
Of Erebus.  She opened, but to shut
Excelled her power; the gates wide open stood
 
                                                                        Paradise Lost, John Milton
 
 
 
 Chapter 1
 Less than ten minutes before we’re all dead, thought Ethan Freeman, and there is nothing I can do about it!
The stricken A320 Airbus--originally bound for St. Thomas and now limping back to Charlotte, North Carolina—shuddered like a bird suffering a mortal wound, then shook violently.  Shouting and screaming from the rear of the plane drowned out the prayer of the older couple seated in front of them, “Our Father, Who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy kingdom come—”
Lisa, Ethan’s wife, sobbed beside him.  Across the aisle his eighteen year-old son, Josh, yelled, “Dad--are we going to crash?”
“No, son,” he lied.  “We-are-not-going-to-crash.”
Megan, his sixteen year-old daughter, seated next to her brother, screamed, “The engine is on FIRE!”
Lisa clung to the seat arms so hard her fingers turned white and whimpered, “We’re all going to die--just like Greg,” then moaned, “I don’t want to die—”
Ethan reached for his wife’s hand as a thunderous explosion shook the plane and slammed him against the window, knocking breath out of him.  He cried out in agony as the palm of his right hand was sliced open by a jagged metal clasp sticking up on the arm rest between him and Lisa.  Blood gushed out of the ugly-looking wound and splattered the back of the seat in front of him.
The plane banked hard to the right and the nose suddenly pointed toward the ground, six miles below, as if the commercial airliner was being plucked from the cloudless, crystal blue heavens by a giant unseen hand.  Ethan glanced toward the rear of the aircraft.  A gaping hole replaced the emergency exit.  Loose debris disappeared violently out of the plane—and there were at least two rows of seats missing!
Swinging his gaze back to the First Class Cabin, Ethan noticed that ice crystals now clung to the windows.  His ears popped as oxygen masks dropped from overhead.  Shivering, he reached for the oxygen mask dangling in front of him like a puppet on a string and struggled to place it over his mouth and nose.  He took several deep breaths, ignoring his bleeding hand, then yelled out to his family, “Put your masks on!” 
In the next instant, he was pressed so hard into his seat it seemed as if he weighed four to five times his normal weight.  Black spots danced before his eyes and he fought for breath. 
All he could think about was that he had failed his family—that he had not been able to save them.  He cried out in desperation, “GOD HELP US—” 
Moments later, a flash of blinding white light enveloped him as a blast of fiery heat washed over him.
Then everything went black.
Sam Weaver, lying on a towel in the hot sand, thirty feet from the edge of the blue-green ocean, daydreamed about what it might be like to lead a normal life, when her pager went off. 
She opened her eyes and fought rising resentment. 
It was her first vacation in over eighteen months.  Her boss, E. “Mac” Macready--the Chief of the Major Investigations Division of the National Transportation Safety Board, or the AS-10 in Board nomenclature had promised he’d page her only if it was absolutely necessary. 
She stared at her bright pink beach bag, one that matched her swimsuit, for several
seconds, tempted to ignore the pager.  Then she remembered that when she’d signed up to be an investigator for the NTSB she’d literally signed the rights to her life away.  She sat up, brushed several errant strands of thick black hair from off her face, and reached inside the bag.
Her heart beat rapidly as she read the text:  Call Mac immediately.  Major accident involving Quest Airways A320 your neck of the woods.  Go Team notified. 
No matter how frustrated she got with the government bureaucracy, her pulse always quickened whenever she received a message like this.  Some of her friends back in DC found her reaction a bit gruesome, but her dad understood.  “The thrill of figuring out complex problems others find too challenging, or too painful, to deal with is in your blood, Sam,” he’d told her on more than one occasion.  “You can’t help yourself.  You love Gordian knots.” 
She found her cell phone.  When she reached Mac he said, “Sorry to interrupt your down-time.  I know I promised not to call, but this one is big--and bad.” 
“Tell me—”
He did, and then finished by saying, “I’ve already spoken with Ted, Marissa, Tony--and Frank.  All of them but Frank are on their way to Hanger Six at Reagan International.”
Ted Anson was the human performance specialist, while Marissa Chen was highly regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts on cockpit and flight data recorders.  Tony North was a top notch metallurgist.  Frank Bacon had two Ph.D.’s and was the NTSB’s expert on the A320. 
Frank was obsessed with planes manufactured by the French consortium.  He blamed Airbus for the downsizing that cost him his high-paying job at Boeing.  It was widely known he’d compiled a detailed and extensive computerized list of all suspicious incidents resulting in the crash of planes manufactured by Boeing’s chief competitor.  When it came to fatal crashes involving Airbus, Frank was like a detective tracking down a serial killer he’d pursued for years in his spare time.
“Frank is in Dallas,” continued Mac.  “He’ll meet you and the rest of the Team at the Command Center later this afternoon.  You’ll have to call him and let him know where that’s going to be.”
“Me?”  Was it finally time?
“Yeah--you.”
“But--but,” she stammered.
“Well, well, well.  I’ve always wondered what it would take for the unflappable Sam Weaver to be at a loss for words.”
“I want it official--on the record.”
“Okay.  You’re the Investigator-in-Charge.  After five years of working with you, I know you don’t care about the title, or need the pay raise.  You just want to be in control of your own investigations.  I know the feeling.” 
Sam took two deep breaths and pulled a notepad out of her bag.  “Who’s the Regional on the ground in Georgia?”
“Ed Landers.  He’s the senior IIC out of Atlanta, but he’ll answer to you.  He’s a first-rate investigator, has a calm head on him, and if he has any kind of agenda, I’ve never heard about it.”
“Which translates, he’s smart, soft-spoken, and doesn’t play politics.” 
“Not everyone in government service subscribes to the ‘dog-eat-dog’ mentality, Sam.”
“You could have fooled me.”
Mac snorted and continued.  “Ed is already on his way.  He’ll set up a perimeter, establish security, and get the investigation started.  He’ll also coordinate with local authorities, including police and firefighters, and inform the media the investigation is under our jurisdiction.”
Sam scribbled on her notepad as Mac talked.  “Am I flying on one of the Board’s planes? Or going commercial?”
“The Citation is in Fort Lauderdale.  The pilot can land at Patrick in an hour.”
“I’ll be ready.”
“One more thing, Sam.  Watch your back.  Frank has been looking for an excuse to make life miserable for you--” 
“I can handle Frank,” she retorted.  Her male counterparts at the safety board tended to behave with the macho air of men in a locker room.  Frank was one of the biggest proponents of the pervasive attitude.
“I know you can, Sam.  Frank has more time with the Board, but you have the kind of moxie, and the people skills, it takes to handle all the egos involved.  You’ve worked hard for this slot--you deserve it.”
Mac was in rare form.  He’d given her both a promotion and a compliment within a couple of minutes.  “What about the ‘flyaway’?”  She referred to one of two large standby suitcases used by the Board for investigations.  Each contained a video camera and tape, a laptop computer, a printer, a variety of charging devices, film, administrative supplies, as well as several copies of the ubiquitous investigator’s manual.  Both of the flyaways also had programmable combination locks.
“You’ll have everything you need by nine a.m. tomorrow.”  He gave her the combination he’d programmed in.
“Thanks, Mac.  For everything--” she said as she stood up, grabbed her towel and her bag, then headed at a run for her car.

 About the Author:
Michael J. Webb graduated summa cum laude from the University of Florida and obtained his J. D. at the same university.  Over the past forty years he has travelled the world in search of adventure.
 

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Seven Books, Seventh Authors, and Countdown to Christmas





Martin Roth
Brother Half-Angel
99 cents
22 reviews, 4.2 stars
Christian Thriller/Suspense


Brother Half Angel is the leader of a secret new church military order, dedicated to helping Christians under attack around the world. Relentless suspense is the hallmark of this gripping thriller. But it is also a book that raises serious questions – how far can Christians go to defend themselves? When should they turn the other cheek? What happens when a Christian kills in self-defense? And should those who live by the sword really expect to die by the sword?


*~*~*~*~*

Carole Brown
The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman
99 cents
24 reviews, 4.8 stars
Women’s Fiction




How far would YOU go to avenge a daughter’s cruel death?

Cara is considered rebellious and inappropriate to befriend. Dayne is the apple of Elder Simmons’ eye—until he takes a stand against their teachings. Can his prayers and love reach Cara and show her the way to redemption? Will Cara realize God’s love and forgiveness before she goes too far?

The Redemption of Caralynne Hayman is a novel of hope shining through the darkness with strong elements of suspense and romance. This novel was a semifinalist in the Genesis contest and is receiving raving reviews!

Link to Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/1c2RqEI


*~*~*~*




Lisa Lickel
The Potawatomi Boy
99 cents
14 reviews, 5 stars
Ages 7-10

Green Leaf’s cousins are all older than he and don’t like to play fair. He longs for a friend his own age he can play with, explore and fish with. When he meets a Luxembourger boy, Henri, Green Leaf is sure they could become friends, but Henri’s words are strange to Green Leaf. How can they play and explore together?

Green Leaf’s mother says, “Friends learn to speak one another’s words.” But will Green Leaf learn to say his friend’s words well enough to save Henri when he falls into danger?


*~*~*~*



Michelle Dennis Evans
Spiralling Out of Control (The Spiralling Trilogy)
99 cents
12 reviews, 4.6 stars
YA Fiction, Ages 17 and up

Temptation, depression, seduction, betrayal ... Not what Stephanie was expecting at fifteen years of age. Uprooted from her happy, all-girl high school life with a dream filled future and thrown into an unfriendly co-ed school, Stephanie spirals into depression.

When charismatic high school senior, Jason notices her, Stephanie jumps in feet first and willingly puts all her faith and trust in him, a boy she barely knows.
Every choice she makes and turn she takes leads her towards a dangerous path.
Her best friend is never far away and ready to catch her … but will she push Tabbie too far away when she needs her most?

Set in Australia, this novel contains adult themes.
Recommended reading audiences 17+ 

Link to book trailer: http://youtu.be/pqWESeu0ob4


*~*~*~*



 Jill Richardson
Hobbits, You, and the Spiritual World of Middle-Earth
99 cents
Young and Young-at-Heart
No Reviews Yet

Are hobbits, elves, and dragons real?  These creatures are common in fantasy but have you ever met one? Maybe not literally, but J.R.R. Tolkien's famous characters bring to life real character qualities we all can learn from, whether good or bad. What can the bravery of a hobbit, the faith of an elf, or the greed of a dragon teach teens about themselves? How can their stories lead us to the real Kingdom where God is working out way more than a fantasy for his people? Dig into these familiar characters and relevant Bible passages to find out. Understand how to live your own epic story!

~*~*~*



Lorilyn Roberts
The Donkey and the King (A Story of Redemption)
99 cents
25 reviews, 4.8 stars
Ages 2-6


The Donkey and the King is a story of love with Christian symbolism and allegory. Travel to the Bible lands and meet Baruch, a stubborn donkey, and other lovable animals: Lowly, the pig; Much-Afraid, a small, lame dog; Worldly Crow, who isn't as bright as he think he is; and a sheep, Little, sent on a special mission by the King. The ending of the story will delight young readers as they discover “good” exists in the world if they look and listen for it.


*~*~*~*


Katy Lee
Warning Signs
$4.61
25 reviews, 5 stars
Christian Inspirational/Suspense

GUILTY UNTIL PROVEN INNOCENT:  When a drug-smuggling ring rocks a small coastal town, the DEA sends Agent Owen Matthews to shut it down. A single father with a deaf son, Owen senses that the town's number one suspect—the high school's new principal—doesn't fit the profile. Miriam Hunter hoped to shrug off the stigma of her hearing impairment when she returned to Stepping Stones, Maine. But her recurring nightmares dredge up old memories that could prove her innocence—and uncover the truth behind a decades-old murder. Yet Owen's help may not be enough when someone decides to keep Miriam silenced—permanently.


*~*~*~*~*

Thank you for stopping by and letting us share our books with you. Please leave a comment and let us know which book you would love to read and why. Two most compelling answers win the book.




Monday, December 2, 2013

Seven Christian Authors Unite and Propel Godly Books to Best-Seller Status on Amazon with the John 3:16 Marketing Network December Cyber Book Launch

Just in time for Christmas, readers get a chance to try out new authors of fiction and nonfiction and to win $200 from now till December 16 during this mega cyber book launch. Follow the excerpt tours on bloggers and get a taste of what's out there.

  • Share on TwitterShare on FacebookShare on Google+Share on LinkedInEmail a friend
John 316 Book Marketing Network
Readers get to read chapters for free… and there's always a rafflecopter giveaway for readers
San Francisco, California (PRWEB) December 01, 2013
During this cyber book launch, Indie and traditionally-published authors of fiction and non-fiction alike announce their excerpt tours on major blogging sites. The list of authors include Australians Martin Roth and Michelle Evans, American bestselling author Lorilyn Roberts, up and coming new author Carole Brown, and household names like Lisa Lickel, Katy Lee, and Jill Richardson. 

For a complete list of the authors, their book titles, and the bloggers participating, together with a schedule of the tour dates in this collaborative effort visit emmaright.com. Here you will find a synopsis of each book and the reader target age range. Some of the books are targeted at young adult readers, and most have a "G" reading rating.
As book marketing becomes more competitive with the vast number of available free and 99 cent books produced by Indie authors the John 3:16 Marketing Network allows writers to showcase their launch in a combined effort and use the power of cooperation. 

Every few months the http://www.john316marketingnetwork.com/, members, of which include the well-known Jerry B Jenkins of the Left Behind fame, allows authors with a four point average review score on Amazon and with a minimum of fifteen reviewers the chance to use the launch platform to announce their books to potential readers.

"It's a win-win situation," Emma Right, a John 316 marketing and young adult fiction author, stated. Ms. Right had recently launched her debut juvenile fantasy, "Keeper of Reign" with the John 316 Network. "Keeper of Reign" hit the number one spot for three different categories on Amazon paid Kindle during the launch, which testified to the power of such a joint effort. "Readers get to read chapters for free and see if a book is to their taste, and if this is an author that suits their palate. What's more, there's always a rafflecopter giveaway for anyone visiting any of the bloggers to have a chance at winning."

The founder of the John 3:16 Marketing Network, Lorilyn Roberts, stated, "We help all authors, indie and traditionally published, to reach their target audience. We are like a church of Christian authors, sharing our writing talent and marketing passion with readers around the world."

During this December launch the books vary from children's picture books to Christian inspirational to suspense thrillers. All the books take the moral high road and promise exciting reading for each type of reader.

Profile: 
About the author, Emma Right: Emma Right is a happy wife, author of young adult and young teen books, and a Christian homeschool mother of five living on the Pacific West Coast of the USA. Besides running a busy home, and looking after her five pets, she writes, blogs, and is active in her homeschool community. 

Right worked as a copywriter for two major advertising agencies and won several awards, including the prestigious Clio for her ads.

Emma Right's "Keeper of Reign" and "Dead Dreams" are both available at Amazon.com and paperback wholesale interests may go to New Shelves Distribution, NY, USA, c/o Amy Collins.

Contact Information: Emma Right http://www.emmaright.com emmarightt@gmail(dot)com San Francisco, California, USA 650-4861231.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

99-Cent Interactive Kindle Book for Christmas - The Donkey and the King, ages 2-7

Friday, November 22, 2013

A Taste of Friday with Violet James: 5 Simple Steps To Get Out of Debt

Welcome, Violet James!



By Violet James, MSM; Published by Maximum Potential, LLC; Date of Publication: 1-15-2013


INTRODUCTION


If you are one of the millions of people who have accumulated hundreds or even thousands of dollars of debt and want to successfully get control of your finances and live debt-free, then this simple, step-by-step plan is for you.  It is crucial to have a strategic plan with set goals on how to get out of debt if you want to be victorious in living debt-free. You are at a huge advantage because you now have all the tools you need to change your situation with this proven, debt reduction strategy plan. Those who have a plan and set goals have a significantly higher percentage rate of accomplishing their desired goals.  

Being in debt and owing money is very stressful and feels like you are carrying around a heavy burden.  It can affect your emotions, health and relationships in a negative way.  Also, if you are living paycheck to paycheck it can be very scary if you lose your job or something unexpected happens that causes the income to stop coming in. You are at a huge disadvantage when you owe money. You are at the mercy of the lender. A proverb states, “… the borrower is a servant to the lender.” (Proverbs 22:7).  It is important to make eliminating debt and being debt-free a priority so you can experience true financial freedom.  

In this book, you will have a step-by-step debt reduction plan to follow.  It is recommended that you take one step at a time and do the assignment/action plan for that step before you move on. When you have completed the steps and action plans, you will have control of your spending, have created a budget and have the skills to master your money. 

Let’s get started to financial freedom!
 
About the Author:
 
Violet James, MSM is an entrepreneur, marketing and business manager, award-winning web designer, and artist. She has over 20 years of experience in business consulting, marketing and management. For more information go to: www.NewSeasonPublishing.com