Book Blast: A Life of Gratitude - and $25 Amazon gift card giveaway

 

Title: A Life of Gratitude: 21 Days to Overcoming Self-Pity and Negativity By Shelley Hitz

About the Book:

During a season of transition in my life, I found myself overwhelmed with negative emotions like self-pity and a complaining spirit. It was as if a dark cloud had descended over me. I prayed and asked God for wisdom on how to overcome these negative emotions. As I did, I sensed Him leading me to do a 21 day gratitude challenge.

Over the course of the 21 days, God began to change me as I spent intentional time being grateful for all I had been given. I did this through writing in my journal each day and also sending a hand-written thank you note to someone different each day. This also led me to writing out 21 prayers of gratitude and compiling 21 stories of gratitude.

I want to share what I learned with you in the pages of this book which includes:

21 Days of Gratitude Challenge
21 Prayers of Gratitude
21 Stories of Gratitude

What to Expect On Each Day:

Read my personal stories, struggles and reflections.
Read one scripture and one quote about gratitude.
Apply one personal application step from the challenge.
Read one prayer of gratitude
Read one story of gratitude

Get Accountability and Encouragement

Along with the 21 day challenge, I also started a private Facebook group to provide accountability and encouragement for myself but also for others who decide to join me in the challenge. You will get access to this group as well. It has been amazing to see God at work in each of our lives.

Will you join me on this journey to gratitude?
KINDLE | PAPERBACK  

Shelley Hitz


Shelley Hitz is an award-winning and international best-selling author. Her openness and vulnerability as she shares her own story of hope and healing through her books will inspire and encourage you.

Shelley has been ministering alongside her husband, CJ, since 1998. They currently travel and speak to teens and adults around the country. Shelley's main passion is to share God's truth and the freedom in Christ she has found with others. She does this through her books, websites and speaking engagements.

You can find more about Shelley at ShelleyHitz.com or invite her to speak at your event here: ChristianSpeakers.tv
Follow Shelley Hitz Website | Facebook | Twitter

Enter to Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

Enter below to enter a $25 amazon gift card, sponsored by author Shelley Hitz! a Rafflecopter giveaway This book blast is hosted by Crossreads. We would like to send out a special THANK YOU to all of the CrossReads book blast bloggers!



Forgiveness Formula Book Launch and Book Marketing Strategies

Forgiveness Formula Book Launch and Book Marketing Strategies

Today I’m hosting an interview with Shelley Hitz, the co-author of the book, “Forgiveness Formula:  Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ.”  In fact, the book launch for “Forgiveness Formula” is today, December 6^th!   When you get your copy of the book today, you’ll also get 19 bonuses worth over $100 and be entered to win the grand prize drawing of one Kindle Fire, Nook or iPod Touch.  You can get all the details here: www.theforgivenessformula.com/gifts/

(NOTE: if you don't have a Kindle or Nook, you get the free application for your smart phone or pc by clicking on the link.)

Shelley, how did you come up with your title, “Forgiveness Formula:  Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ?”

To be honest, we recognize that there is truly no “formula” for forgiveness.  It is something supernatural that God does within us.  But as far as the title goes, “Forgiveness Formula,” – the word formula refers to the teachings that Christ have given us in His Word, the Bible.  His teachings or His “mathematics” that truly do “add up” to a full life (John 10:10). 

Often time, we scratch our heads - like the image on our front cover of a boy scratching his head and looking at the chalkboard of all these mathematical equations.  I think sometimes we look at our lives and we’re scratching our heads because our circumstances don’t make “add up” in our eyes.  They just don’t make sense in our human “calculations.”

Yet, when we truly do apply the teaching of Jesus regarding forgiveness, it opens the way for God to bring healing into our lives.  I actually learned about this during a counseling session when I was going through some deep healing.  The counselor shared with me the illustration of the forgiveness cross that I will never forget. It contains three parts:  forgiving others, asking God’s forgiveness and then forgiving ourselves.  That’s the three-step process that we explain in more detail in our book and one of the main illustrations I use in my section on forgiveness. 

Share a few of the marketing strategiesyou used to promote “Forgiveness Formula.”

For the first time since I published my first book in the fall of 2008, I wrote out a book marketing plan.  To be honest, I wish I would have started this habit a lot sooner.  As they say, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”  And that’s also true with book marketing.

Since my husband and I co-authored this book, we sat down together and decided on a 4-month book marketing plan.  We didn’t have a huge marketing budget, so we chose options that were either free or low cost. 

Here is a list of what we put into place starting in September 2011.

• Book website
• Book blog with the theme of forgiveness
• Facebook business page
• Twitter account
• YouTube video marketing
• Press Releases

And I’m not going to lie….book marketing is a lot of work!  Not only did we start setting up our author platform through blogging and social media, but we also began planning a free online conference, book launch and virtual booktour.  Looking back I wonder, “What was I thinking?”  We don’t have a large staff, or any staff at all and so we’ve spent many hours investing into these book marketing strategies.

Is it worth it?  You bet! 

We are passionate about spreading the message of Christ’s forgiveness through our book and so if even one life is changed, it’s been worth it.  People have told us that they both laugh and cry as they read our book.  Ultimately, we pray that many lives are impacted by Christ through our book – through the testimonies we share and through the power of God’s Word.

Shelley Hitz is the co-author of Forgiveness Formula: Finding Lasting Freedom in Christ, along with her husband, CJ.  In this book they talks more about this topic of forgiveness as well as when bad things happen.  Visit their book website to check out their full virtual book tour schedule and special gifts with purchase at: www.TheForgivenessFormula.com 

And I, Lisa, have to say that having read this book and been completely blessed by it, it's a perfect gift for anyone who's married now, but especially for those contemplating marriage. Who we are is made up a lot of where we come from, and working out those things together before your lifelong commitment to each other is an incredible gift to your loved one.