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In
case you missed the
announcement last month, this column will now feature (at least most of
the time) self-published authors and books. If you want to get in on
the action, send an e-mail to scaramouche9999@yahoo.com
with CFOM BLURB
as the subject. I don’t want pure marketing hype but rather information
concerning the story.
Jay Miller authors children’s
books. I’ve run into Jay on numerous social networking sites. Sometimes
it seems that self-publishing authors end up mostly marketing to one
another, perhaps because of the commonality of the Internet places we
hang out. Anyway, Jay’s work can be found and purchased at
http://www.mybingobooks.com/. His
book Sal and Sally
will soon be headed to the Apple Store as App for iPads, etc. for
children’s book. The story will have a storyteller and can be purchased
and downloaded for only $1.99. Here’s the scoop on the storyline.
Cute and colorful little fish
playing a game of blowing bubbles soon attract other creatures of the
sea. Many are curious, but one is big and unfriendly. With a little
imagination, cooperation, and kindness, all are soon having fun.
Here’s one review: “Colorfully
illustrated and creative, Jay Miller’s latest children’s book will
surely be found at the bedside of sleepy young children whose dreams
are filled with happy, playful sea creatures. Parents and kids will
treasure the many quiet times spent enjoying this wonderful story”
(Apple Valley Readers Club).
This is a good example of using
the new technology. Self-published authors, as well as small publishing
houses, need to learn to push the envelope of innovations that will
allow them to gain a competitive toehold in the slippery slope of
publishing.
Lynn Dove is another author I’ve
encountered in my Web travels. She and I belong to a group called John
3:16 Marketing. We will feature a blurb about that organization in the
future and how it might help you in your marketing efforts. I truly
believe there is power in numbers, and a loose confederation of
self-published authors might be able someday to wield the power of a
major publisher. Stranger things have happened. Anyway, Lynn recently
released a sequel to her novel Shoot the Wounded
called Heal the Wounded. Here’s the synopsis:
After the death of their friend,
Ronnie (in Shoot the Wounded), Leigh and Jake try
to come to terms with the aftermath of Ronnie’s death. As their love
grows for each other, Leigh and Jake must face a series of devastating,
life-changing events that will challenge their love and their
relationship with God.
Tim, Ronnie’s brother, a bitter
and tormented young man after the death of his sister, becomes the
target of bullies at his school. Feeling hopeless and alone, he cuts
himself to find that emotional release to let go of the pain he deals
with every day.
Trying to embrace his newfound
faith, Mike, Jake’s best friend, lives in his private nightmare dealing
with the consequences of his parents’ constant arguing and his father’s
alcoholism.
Heal the Wounded,
like Shoot the Wounded, delves even deeper into the
real world of teenagers trying to live out their faith in the midst of
upset and struggle.
Will these youth find God’s
healing and hope in the middle of hurt and heartache?
One review from Amazon:
“Brilliantly written, poignantly told, readers who loved Shoot
the Wounded will not be disappointed with Heal the
Wounded’s powerful message and the on-the-edge-of-your-seat
storyline.”
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Lynn’s
books may be ordered
through Amazon.com or through her Website at www.shootthewounded.org.
I truly believe we need to
provide thought-provoking and faith-building fiction for young adults.
Candy-coated fluff isn’t going to make a dent in the strongholds Satan
has established in the lives of our children. We need to strike back
with realistic stories that send chills down the spines of the readers
and motivate them to walk the path that Christ has laid out before us
in Scripture. We don’t live in a Pollyanna and Beaver Cleaver world
anymore. I’m waiting for God to raise up a troupe of authors who are
intrepid yet sensitive enough to weave hard truths into heart-touching
stories of a brave new world without totally abandoning decorum.
Filling a book with the F word may seem realistic because the language
of our children is dominated by profanity, but a true artist will paint
the shadow of reality in a fashion that pushes the ugliness to the
background.
Lynn led me to another
organization where I was able to get one of my books, The
Bulldog Compact, placed on the Helpful Resources list at
www.Bullying.org. You might be
able to do the same if your book has
anything to do with bullies. No, this organization doesn’t help you
refine your bullying skills; in fact, just the opposite. This site is
dedicated to eradicating bullying from our society. I salute their
efforts and pray they make inroads into the abusive behavior of those
who take advantage of others’ weaknesses.
I hope I don’t offend anyone by
mentioning my own new book, Silver Wind (not to be
confused with the singing group that featured Georgian Banov and Betsy
Hernandez), which will be out in January. It is the story of a
basketball coach whom the Lord uses to help bring revival to a Native
American reservation. This is a book in which I hope fiction precedes
reality. The problems of the Native Americans cannot be solved by
social programs, government handouts, or patronizing outsiders. Only
Jesus and the Holy Spirit can radically transform the Trail of Tears
into the Pathway of Light by renewing the minds and hearts of a
precious group of people. It has been prophesied that revival will come
to mainstream America through such a renewal among the Native
Americans. My desire is to see this prophecy come to fruition and
witness our blood brothers in Christ leading the way for an outbreak of
God’s sovereign Spirit upon this nation.
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