Posted on Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Wouldn’t it be nice if you were gasping for breath? by Judith Rolfs

Wouldn’t it be nice if you were gasping for breath? Not from physical exercise, although that’s great too, but spiritual exercise that leaves us panting for God?

Haven’t we all had moments when an inner thrill left us wanting more? Like when we take that first plunge in the ocean to enter the world of stillness then sound in a new dimension.

Or the inner excitement mid-point, not at the top of a roller coaster ride (which can be a mite scary) and not at the end when you’re sad it’s over, but smack dab in the middle of the descent when you experience pure exhilaration.

Is this the way we can feel about God?

Oh yes! Readers have told me my Breathless Devotionals help them do it!

God’s not the problem, we are. It often takes a tad of inspiration to get us through the veil of concern with the moment to enter into excitement of God.

Yes, reading the Bible is a good, and that’s how I began coming up with my Breathless Devotionals, but sometimes humanly conceived words oil the presence-of-God-awareness engine quite well.

How will you know if you don’t try? Just a few moments a day. Get Breathless friends connecting your heart with God’s. You can have breath-taking insights of your own.

Posted on Tuesday, April 22, 2014

God’s Provision in Tough Times by LaTan Murphey

Faith, prayer, courage and steadfastness—I feel empowered just saying each word. But real power is experienced when faith, prayer, courage, and steadfastness is lived out—put into practice. This is the difference between ‘talking the talk’ and ‘walking the walk.’

I watched, listened, and learned from my grandparents and parents during times of hardship. They chose to react in faith—prayerfully and courageously as they stood steadfast in faith, on the principles of God’s word. These memories have often carried me through bleak days marked unwontedly on my life calendar. Little did I know, their examples of perseverance, would display powerful survival tactics—helping me to endure as I encountered my own hardships.

Pain becomes power as we find courage to share our experiences with others. I am honored to share the personal trials my family has endured throughout the pages of our new book entitled: God’s Provision in Tough Times. With pen in hand my prideful vulnerability turned honest in hopes you too might find strength in your time of need.

Perhaps you are going through a tough time or know someone who is. Be sure to order your copy of God’s Provision in Tough Times today. You will be amazed by how many different kinds of trials each chapter represents. Each contributing writer penned their painful experience—sharing one common purpose: The desire to help YOU!

We pray you will find faith through prayerful living along with courage and steadfastness of heart as you walk through your own difficult circumstance.

You are not alone friend. Order your copy today on Amazon.com. We would love to hear how God met your need during difficult times and how our book helped you find hope in the midst of hardship. So be sure to leave a review after reading it.

God’s Provision in Tough Times includes personal accounts by Authors:

Cynthia Howerter (cynthiahowerter.com) and LaTan Roland Murphy (latanmurphy.com) – along with guest writers: Alycia W. Morales, Beth K. Fortune, Carrie Fancett Pagels, Cecil Stokes, Dan Walsh, Deborah Raney, Dee Dee Parker, Eddie Jones, Eva Marie Everson, Felicia Bowen Bridges, James L. Rubart, Ramona Richards, Roger E. Bruner, Tamara D. Fickas, and Torry Martin

Posted on Sunday, April 6, 2014

Are you a freelance editor ?

The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network is sponsoring an editor convention in Southern California April 23–25. “Keys to Successful Freelance Editing” is for part-time or full-time editorial freelancers who want to grow their business and anyone who wants to learn how to become a freelance editor.

For just $125, aspiring and established editors will enjoy a Wednesday evening meet-and-greet, a full-day speaking event on Thursday, dinner Thursday night, and a final meeting Friday morning.

On Friday afternoon, Family Christian Bookstore in Santa Ana will host a book signing that will include authors from The Christian PEN and from the Orange County Christian Writers’ Conference.

The writers’ conference starts that evening, April 25, and continues with a full day of workshops and presentations on Saturday, April 26. Speakers include agents, book publishers (traditional and independent), magazine publishers, and freelance authors and editors.

For details on the editor convention, visit The Christian PEN.

For details on the writers’ conference, visit OCCWC.

Posted on Friday, March 21, 2014

Turning Your Book into a Review Machine

Want to turn your book into a sales machine? Get more Amazon Reviews. Here’s how one social media marketing expert did just that.

“We’ve worked with many first-time authors, but earlier this year I had an idea I wanted to try. I wanted to find a way to encourage readers to review the book by adding a specific request. We asked the author to include a letter in the back of her book asking for reviews. She reminded readers how important their voice is. Did it work? Yes. In fact she’s got well over 70 reviews of which only 10 were solicited. Remember, this is a first-time author with no history online and this book was self-published. All of these things worked against her and still she succeeded in getting tons of reviews. Were they all five-star? No, but that’s not the point. Let’s face it, a book page that’s populated with tons of five-star reviews is pretty suspect anyway. All of the reviews are authentic, written by real readers the author engaged with. Want to know another secret? These readers are now part of her “tribe;” she stays in touch with them and lets them know when her next book is out.

“How did she ask for reviews? She crafted a letter to her readers. Here’s a sample of the letter we included in the back of her second book. You can see the letter here: http://www.amarketingexpert.com/getting-reviews/

“In general, only 1% of consumers review books on Amazon. Using this letter helped to beat that average by a lot.” ~ Penny C. Sansevieri, Author and CEO, Marketing Experts, Inc.

Posted on Thursday, March 20, 2014

Are you a freelance editor, or interested in possibly becoming one?

In conjunction with the Orange County Christian Writers’ Conference, The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network is sponsoring an editor convention during the days immediately preceding the conference (April 23–25).

Keys to Successful Freelance Editing

is for part-time or full-time editorial freelancers who want to grow their business and anyone who wants to learn how to become a freelance editor. The convention will begin with a meet-and-greet on Wednesday evening, April 23. Attendees will have a chance to meet the faculty and fellow attendees face-to-face in a casual setting.

The main event will be a full-day program on Thursday, April 24, at Richfield Community Church in Yorba Linda, California (just a few miles away from the Orange County writers’ conference). It will feature a series of inspirational and informative talks from established freelance editors, including:

Kathy Ide (founder and director of The Christian PEN), speaking about Proofreading and Networking

Cecil Murphey (author and ghostwriter of more than 130 books), speaking about Ghostwriting/Collaborating

Jeanne Marie Leach (The Christian PEN administrator), speaking about “The Editor’s Desk”

There will also be great worship and some fun dramas put on by Kathy Bruins.

Friday morning, April 25, will close the event with more worship and informative talks.

On Friday afternoon, The Christian PEN is sponsoring a book signing at Family Christian Bookstore in Santa Ana (very close to the location of the writers’ conference, which starts on Friday evening).

Cost for the editor convention is just $125. Visit the convention’s Facebook page to chat with others about the event and coordinate plans to share lodging and transportation.

For those who’d like to extend their stay and enjoy some of the tourist offerings of Southern California, Kathy Ide will coordinate a Disneyland day on April 22 and a beach trip on April 23.

For more details, visit http://thechristianpen.com/convention.

If you’d like to help us get the word out about this convention (whether or not you are able to attend), please e-mail Alycia Morales (amoralescmc@yahoo.com) to get sample blogs, Facebook posts, and tweets.

Posted on Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Thank Your Amazon Reviewers

Would you like to respond to a review on Amazon? Now you can with your Author Central account.

Once logged in, you will see a link in the top-nav area called “Customer Reviews.”

Click that link. On the page you will see your reviews.

Thank those reviewers who said nice things about your book, ignore the bad stuff and move on. This is a great way to connect with your readers on Amazon!