Friday, September 15, 2023

Powerful Whispers by Christa Joy Spaeth

About the Book

Book: Powerful Whispers: A 7-week Journey Discovering Who You Are To God

Author: Christa Joy Spaeth

Genre: Christian non-fiction, devotional

Release Date: February 22, 2023

Powerful Whispers gives you a glimpse of how awe-inspiring God’s whispers of His love are for you. He desires to capture your heart, to communicate personally with you, to encourage and strengthen you.

Each daily devotional offers God’s life-giving words, suggests powerful worship, and provides an activation step applying that day’s principe to your life. Let the Lord fill your cup to overflowing as you embark on this amazing 7-week journey.

Whether you’be been walking with the Lord for years or have been recently saved, you will discover in fresh new ways that: God Knows You – God Loves You – God Fights for You – God provides for You – God Chose You – God’s Peace is for You – God’s Powerful Whispers Can Change your Life

Click here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book, and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

1. What was the most challenging part of the writing process for you and why?

As a new author, I learned so much! I felt like I learned a new software program every week trying to get my book self-published, haha! For this Gen Xer, it was overwhelming at first, but afterward, I felt more accomplished that I could tackle new technology.

Challenges aside, what I valued the most from this writing journey was meeting numerous Christian authors, many of whom are first time authors themselves. The love and support I was shown by these ladies was incredibly specialand made the journey more fun. I wish I had plugged into the author community earlier. Their insight would have saved me time and I would have valued their prayers throughout my writing journey.

2. What was something new you learned while writing this book?

As a new author, I had no idea about the value of a good editor, nor did I understand the different types of editors. The first editor I hired was a copy editor, who is really meant to be the final editor. Her focus was on punctuation, spelling, and basic grammar. Thankfully, an experienced friend in book publishing suggested I hire a content editor. I was led to work with the perfect person for me and my book. This editor took a step back and provided great direction to help my book be consistent in tone and content. She challenged me to add several thousand more words. I am thankful for her insights because they made my book more complete.

I’ve heard it said no matter how good you think you are as a writer; you need an editor. This process sure validated that statement to me. The lesson I learned for my future books is to build in lots of time for the editing process. If you plan to write books in the future, one tip I have for you is, however long you think editing will take, double that.It’s a slow process but it was well worth the time and money!

3. Did you have to step out of your comfort zone to write this book? If so, how?

Yes, I stepped way out of my comfort zone in writing my first book! I am a quiet introvert, so writing is my preferred way of communicating. However, I discovered that in order to market my book, I needed to come out of my shell and talk about myself and my book on social media.

When I first showed my face online, it took me a couple hours to get the nerve to film. After I posted, I cried for 3 hours because I felt awkward and that I wasn’t cut out for this. Thankfully, I have gotten much more comfortable on camera. I’m now able to jump on a few times a week with little hesitation to share hope and encouragement!

4. How did you celebrate when you completed your book?

I celebrated completing Powerful Whispers by throwing a book signing party at a beautiful, old church in my town! Although I had to reschedule due to the biggest storm Minnesota had in decades, I was thrilled to celebrate! It was encouraging to have support from friends from high school, neighbors, and family near and far who all come to join me in this simple celebration. I also hired a photographer to take photos and I am so glad I did because the event went so quickly. I will cherish these photos for a long time.

5. Do you have a favorite drink or snack for when you’re writing?

I am an avid coffee drinker! Thus, when I write in the mornings, I always have my hot cup of coffee nearby.However, since I do most of my writing in the afternoon, I switch to tea so I can sleep at night. Iced tea in the summer and hot in the winter. My favorite tea is from the restaurant Good Earth, which was founded in Minnesota. The non-caffeinated Sweet & Spicy is the best. You can find this tea at many grocery stores around the country now. If you are a tea drinker, I encourage you to give it a try.

My favorite go to snack is nuts with a little chocolate chips. I love the sweet and salty mixture. Currently, pecans are the top of the list for my nuts of choice. But, I am not too picky, I love all nuts!

6. What message do you hope readers take away from your book?

I want my readers to have a deeper understanding of how much God loves them, knows them and that He chose them to be here on this earth right now.

One of my readers wrote this review which sums up what I was hoping the readers to walk away with “I grew up in a tradition focused more on theology than on relationship, and this has been a good study in listening for that still, small voice that relates to me on a personal level! I love the music recommendations for each devotional. Highly recommend this 7-week study!”

About the Author

Christa Joy Spaeth is the founder of Christa Joy Ministries. It was in 2022 when Minnesota-based author Christa received a compelling message from God. In a prayer cabin called “Whisper,” He prompted her to write a seven-week devotional.

Since then, Christa’s eyes, heart, and ears were opened to more whispers, so that she may start fulfilling her new purpose of helping the hurting and share the love of Christ.

This blessed wife, mother of two, and businesswoman is passionate about living up to God’s plans for her every day. So much so that in 2022, she stepped down from her decades-long career as a Registered Dietitian at a large food manufacturing company to pursue the promptings of the Lord and encourage others in Christ.

Today, Christa owns and operates Christa Joy Ministries where she publishes her own books, writes daily encouragements and God whispers on her social media accounts. In addition, she does guest blog posts for various social media accounts.

More from Christa

One morning while I was away at a prayer cabin, the Lord laid on my heart that I was to write a book. My first thought was, “Oh, my! Lord, I have never written anything other than work-related documents. Where do I begin? What do you want me to write?”

I am so honored and humbled that the Lord placed amazing book experts in my path over the next year to launch this unique devotional book in a mere 55 weeks. This feat is spectacular as I didn’t know anything about the publishing business.

Two components of Powerful Whispers that my readers love are the suggested worship and the activations. After each devotional was written I searched for the perfect worship song. You will find several suggested indie artist songs and a few popular worship songs too. Daily you will find an activation which engages your entire body to be able to get the daily truth deeper in your soul.

The Bible verse I read before I starting to write Powerful Whispers is found in James 1:5, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” God continually showed His faithfulness to me by providing wisdom to share with my readers.

My heart’s desire is that readers will soon learn through this daily devotional that God chose them, He loves them, and He wants to share His powerful whispers daily for their life.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 13

Lily’s Book Reviews, September 14

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 15

A Reader’s Brain, September 16 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 17

Texas Book-aholic, September 18

Tell Tale Book Reviews, September 19 (Author Interview)

Life on Chickadee Lane, September 19

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 20

Its Mama Safe, September 21

The Book Club Network, September 22

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 23

Artistic Nobody, September 24 (Author Interview)

By The Book, September 25 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 25

Lots of Helpers, September 26

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Christa is giving away the grand prize package of a $30 Amazon gift card, a signed copy of Powerful Whispers devotional book, and a hand-crafted leather bookmark!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/27de3/powerful-whispers-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, September 14, 2023

Moving to the Peaceable by Caryl McAdoo

About the Book

Book: MOVING to The Peaceable

Author: Grami McAdoo (Caryl McAdoo)

Genre: Children’s Animals Picture Book

Release Date: December 22, 2022

Moving can be hard for any age, but the wise old hens might make it easier for the little ones in your life! Follow their journey!

Click Here to get your copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

1. What/Who inspired you to write on the main themes found in the book?
The hens inspired me to write this book! They used to belong to my friend Kristin who I met through my books at an online promo party. When she moved, she asked me if I would take them and let them live out their lives at The Peaceable (that’s what I call our home on twenty acres).The move from her place to ours and my love for the hens inspired the story!

2. Did you have to step out of your comfort zone to write this book? If so, how?
Not really so much to write it. Talking for the hens came quite naturally, and there’s a part of the book that is just me—Grami—talking to the children, and I loved the creativity of making the colorful pages. The stepping out of my comfort zone only came in that it was my first children’s book.

3. How did you celebrate when you completed your book?
Nothing special, but I definitely passed out the books to my grandsugars and nieces and nephews! That was fun!

4. Do you have a favorite drink or snack for when you’re writing?
I don’t really snack when I’m working on the computer, but I most always have a drink beside me wherever I am. Black coffee in the morning and then I switch to ACV (apple cider vinegar—organic with the mother) with a splash of water-flavorer. My favorite is Sweet Southern Tea! 😊

5. What message do you hope readers take away from your book?
I hope my young readers will take away an appreciation for chickens, that moving is not a scary thing because it all works out, and also that God loves them and will take care of them!

About the Author

Award-winning, Christian author Caryl McAdoo prays her story brings God glory. Of her best-selling novels, readers love her historical Christian romance family sagas most, but also enjoy their contemporary cousins, Caryl’s Biblical fiction, her new historical mystery series, and tales for young adults and mid-grade booklovers. The majority of reviewers award her stories five-stars and praise Caryl’s writing style and the depth of her characters, feeling as though they get to know them well.

The prolific writer loves singing the new songs God gives her almost as much as penning new novels—hear a few at YouTube! She’s been married to Ron fifty-four years, and they share four children and twenty-four grandsugars. The McAdoos live in the woods south of Clarksville, seat of Red River County in far Northeast Texas, waiting expectantly for God to open the next door.

More from Caryl

This is the story of how I became a Chicken Lady from start but not the finish! I have two more “chicken”! books planned based all on the true story! Before we had “backyard birds”—except mine are also front and side yard!—I called our back in the woods twenty acres in Red River County The Peaceable. After the chickens, I added “Farm & Bookery”.

My husband of fifty-five years Ron and I now incubate purebred chicks and raise them to laying age—usually four to five months—then sell them. We both love being around our flock, and the supplemental income is nice as well. They grow so fast; watching them is both so much fun and also relaxing!

I know each hen and rooster by name, and they all are so affectionate! They come running whenever I head out the door (mostly because they want to see if I brought any food! 😊) I love thinking about what they are saying to each other with all their clucking and purring and cackling!

This is why the books are partially written from the hens’ point of view as our first animals’ series, The River Bottom Ranch Stories featuring horses and goats and dogs among other wild animal characters. And all those farm animals were real ones that we owned and loved, too—like the chickens!

This series ‘Grami’s Stories for Children’ also has a narrator’s story throughout, and that’s me, Grami McAdoo! I talk to the children through a few pages full of dialogue to teach them about poultry and things of God. In MOVING to the Peaceable, I talk about changes and how they can be scary, but God is always with us wherever we go.

The illustrations are photographs of our real chickens and The Peaceable Farm & Bookery. In the back of the book, there are a few pages of “Chicken Terminology” and fun “Chicken Facts” to teach the little ones more about the wonderful world of chickens!

I pray they will love the story and be blessed by it! 😊

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 8

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 9

The Book Club Network, September 10

Texas Book-aholic, September 11

Guild Master, September 12 (Author Interview)

Lots of Helpers, September 12

Girls in White Dresses, September 13

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, September 14

A Reader’s Brain, September 15 (Author Interview)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 16

Blossoms and Blessings, September 17 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 17

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 18

Cover Lover Book Review, September 19

For Him and MY Family, September 20

Artistic Nobody, September 21

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Caryl is giving away the prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/27a6f/moving-to-the-peaceable-celebration-tour-giveaway

Sunday, September 10, 2023

I Can’t Believe They’re Gone by Karen Brough

About the Book

Book: I Can’t Believe They’re Gone

Author: Karen Brough

Genre: Children’s Picture Books

Release Date: June, 2023

The mouse family has lost someone dear.

Come follow each one as Bear helps them understand all they are feeling and how each expresses it in their own unique way. Tiny is so quiet, I wonder if Bear will be able to help him too?

Click Here to get you copy!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and all opinions given are my own and not an endorsement of all author’s opinions.

Author Interview

1. Why did you want to become an author?

I feel like it chose me.

Since childhood, there hasn’t been a time I didn’t write. (except maybe when my kids were babies, I was so sleep-deprived writing was far, far away.) I used to publish my own books in Elementary School. When others were out having play dates, I was inside illustrating stories I had written.

I spend most lunchtimes in the library, so I’ve always felt a connection to books.

When I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition over a decade ago, I found myself with oodles of the very thing I needed in order to become a writer-time.

It was therapeutic, healing and helped me step into a higher, better place than I was physically experiencing.

I actually started writing during that time, as a result of a dream I’d had.

2. What was the most challenging part of the writing process for you and why?

I sometimes find sticking to one topic difficult. I have so many ideas, and so many projects, it can be hard for me to stay on task. If the passion isn’t there in me, for the project at the time, I don’t tend to work on it. I move on to something else, until the passion returns. My brain feels like it already has the next few books in being written, but I have the tension of having to release and market whatever I am working on. It’s something I love, but also find it difficult‌.

Being a social introvert, the marketing side of things can often leave me bamboozled and tired.

I am actually looking to redeem that, by writing a book of marketing strategies for Introverts. lol

3. What did your research process look like for this book?

I always felt drawn to write a book about loss and grief, because it was something I felt ill equipped to deal with at times. In Australia culture, grief is largely hidden, and it was a mystery to me.

I felt drawn to the idea of writing a book that helped people in their grief because it is what I needed. I couldn’t find a grief book that shared grief tools, without making me sadder, or traumatizing me in my time of sadness.

My original idea was to write something that inspired adults in their time of loss.

I’d done a lot of research for myself leading up the 2022. Had many grief experiences from the age of 10. I marvelled at other cultures and how they honored the loss.

After several inner prompts to get on with writing the grief book, I had a dream about doing it.

At the start of 2022 I felt a gentle prompt to meet with a licensed counselor in the US, purely to study grief for the year.

I felt learning from someone who was a specialist in grief would be a more fruitful use of my time and energy, than doing a psychology course (which I considered).

We met weekly for almost a year. Then we lost a dear friend in a tragic accident, which was the catalyst for this story.

4. What was something new you learned while writing this book?

You know, I learned a LOT in the lead-up to writing this book.

I had always struggled with grief and loss, not knowing what to do with all the BIG feelings inside me. I would look around and feel broken, because everyone else seemed to be able to hold it together.

The process of writing this book, actually gave me some much needed scaffolding for grief. And when we lost our dear friend in November, after having studied grief for a year, I found myself coping a LOT better than I ever had.

I had understanding, meaning, and strategies for any kind of loss. And this is what made it’s way into the book..

5. What audience did you have in mind when writing this book?

That’s a very good question. I wrote this book as a children’s book. I wrote it for children, to give them language and the scaffolding that I was missing when I was their age. But since writing it, I realize that the story resonates with adults and helps them too.

It really is a children’s book for children and adults alike.

6. How did you balance keeping your book informative yet engaging as non-fiction?

The book is actually a work of fiction, but is largely based on the real-life events of our family. We lost a treasured friend in a car accident in November of my year of study. That was the catalyst for the story. The story brings together the grief stages, common responses, and outlets for grief. It reassures the reader that, “Emotions aren’t good or bad, or right or wrong, they just are.” And all along, the mouse family members are being helped, so it feels hopeful all along.

Once I had my main characters in place, I loosely based their personalities on my family. I say loosely because there were a lot of tweaks.

7. Did you have to step out of your comfort zone to write this book? If so, how?

Absolutely and no. Yes, because I was actually grieved about the loss of my dear friend and dealing with that.

But by writing it, it helped me so much. As I wrote it, I felt as though it was helping me heal and see the hope in all the mess that was around me.

8. How did you celebrate when you completed your book?

That’s a good question. Celebration is a key part of my writing process usually, but this book was a little different.

I celebrated by taking the rough draft around to our close friends (who were also grieving) and asking if they’d like to hear it. They sat in their ezy chairs and listened, and at the end, they had smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes. That was as good a celebration as my heart needed at the time.

When I finally officially release, we will go out for a delicious steak dinner and celebrate in a different way.

9. Do you have a favorite drink or snack for when you’re writing?

ugh….I used to enjoy eating corn chips, but have since realised they were sabotaging my fight-the-flab goals. lol. So I have a cup of tea and a piece of banana cake. This book experience has needed many weak black teas with one sugar.

10. What message do you hope readers take away from your book?

My hope is that readers would recognize themselves in this story, and feel comforted, hopeful, and reassured. Grief is something that impacts us all in life. If we love, then we will encounter loss. It doesn’t have to be the death of a loved one for us to experience a sense of loss. Relationship breakdown, financial loss, emotional turmoil, and so many other things can leave us feeling grieved. My hope is that ‘I Can’t Believe They’re Gone’ will give language, comfort, and strategies to those who feel emotional, but are unsure what to do with them all.

About the Author

Karen Brough is an award-winning author who calls Australia home. As a wife, mother of three and former teacher, she writes with a teacher’s heart for children. Karen always knew she would write a book about processing loss and grief, so she became a student of the science of grief. When Karen lost a beloved friend in 2022, she turned to writing as part of her grieving process. This story is the result—a hope investment from her heart to yours. She believes it will help others know they are not alone in their loss and reassure those who don’t know what to do with all their big emotions.

More from Karen

This book has been a story of the heart and was written, well before my pen hit a page.

I had a gentle whisper of an idea to study grief, knowing that I would write a book about it at some stage, I began. At the end of my year of study, we sadly had a dear friend, taken from us far too soon. The story came to life as I processed my own grief and its words tended to my own heart.

I wanted to write a book that didn’t focus on the loss itself, but rather, gave children/adults some gentle encouragement and hope, in their own loss. A book that invested hope and reassurance about big emotions in times of loss and
grief.

It has been written in such a way, that the loss is never given a name, so the reader can adopt and relate to the mouse family as part of their own. The readers of ‘I Can’t Believe They’re Gone,’ can download their own grief activity
sheets at www.karenbrough.com/kids/