Holiday Books on special and great prize drawing with Jill Richardson

From December 1-16, 2013 these fellow John 316 Marketing Network authors invite you to join in our special holiday book push. Sign up for a chance to win great prizes, and take advantage of the special e-book pricing during these few weeks. I'll also be featuring tidbits of news about my fellow authors, and I'll have a turn on other blogs.


Today, meet Jill Richardson!

Five Favorites:

Favorite city you’ve visited -Tough question, because I LOVE to travel. My favorite cities have been Paris and Venice, and I would return any day. Here, I love Seattle (lived there). But how about if I be different and tell people they really should visit Halifax? It's far less known, but it's got tons of charm, great food, and the Atlantic Ocean at its doorstep. Small enough to not feel crowded. I love anywhere I can see tall ships and eat fresh seafood.

 

Favorite food -I could get by on chocolate and cheese, if necessary. 

 

Favorite authors – JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis, Jane Austen, Victor Hugo. Favorite living people I read lately? Malcolm Gladwell, Jen Hatmaker, Tim Keller.

 

Favorite book you’ve read in the last three months - Just finished The Divine Commodity, Skye Jethani. It really makes you think and struggle with how much we view church, and God, as things we can consume rather than a community we live with and give to and a Lord we worship. Fantastic wake up to living in a messy world with commitment and love instead of choosing what aspects of God and his people we want to take in and which we don't. 

 

Favorite historical person (fiction or non) - Wow. I'm going to go with fictional and pick my favorite character I look at in my book--Eowyn. She's tough and vulnerable and fearless and terrified all at the same time. Fascinatingly complex. And so relatable. I love strong female characters who are still frightened by the world but not afraid to take it on.

 

About the Book: 

Hobbits, elves, and dragons have become common fantasy characters but do they have more relevance to your life than you think? Are they as real as, or the same as, people you meet every day? 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 a 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 in to these familiar characters and relevant Bible passages to find out. Come out understanding how to live your own epic story!

About the Author:

Jill Richardson's love for hobbits and elves comes from her time as a literature teacher and as a lifelong reader of great stories. She also loves an epic challenge and a chance for grace wherever they exist. Jill has a BA in English and Education and an MDiv in theology and is an ordained minister who has served as a worship, preaching, and discipleship pastor. She has published five books, as well as articles in national magazines such as FamilyFun, Discipleship Journal, and Today's Christian Woman. Jill loves to speak on a variety of topics to many age groups. With three daughters, three cats, and one husband, she keeps busy otherwise with community theater, gardening, scrapbooking, and traveling.

Links:

jills-books@comcast.net

http://jillmarierichardson.com

https://www.facebook.com/jillwrites

http://jill-theimperfectjourney.blogspot.com

https://twitter.com/JillMarieRichar

http://pinterest.com/jimari/

Five Questions with fantasy author Chris Hibbard

Five Questions with Chris Hibbard

Welcome Chris who shares about his new book, Journey to Terreldor, which happens to have lots of special goodies in the offering today for those who purchase the book on Amazon.

But visit here first. Other prizes include a free Kindle.

Join Mark and his brother as they find themselves in a strange world filled with impossibility and adventure. Faced with tragedy and trial, Mark is forced to draw upon strengths and develop skills he never expected himself capable of. The brothers are taken in by mentors who claim to hold the secrets of true wisdom and maturity. In their endeavors, they learn the most difficult lessons in life are often found on the path home.

Begin the adventure in Journey to Terreldor, then follow these brothers as they are cast into peril in Terreldor at War. Discover the culmination of their odyssey in The Long Path Home.

ISBN: 0615643825

 

What do you love about this book?

[Chris] I love being able to engage readers through entertainment, while bringing them topics to ponder--relevant topics I hope they will appreciate.

What have you learned about writing and yourself since you started this book?

[Chris] Writing is easy--editing is hard. I've learned how to engage a larger audience, and to leave them with something they didn't have before they picked up my book.

Tell about your latest release.

[Chris] Journey to Terreldor is the first volume in the "Adventures in Terreldor" trilogy. It is centered on a teenager who finds himself in a strange world, with no memories of how he arrived. As he discovers this new world, he finds himself caught up in a conflict that threatens to divide a kingdom, and destroy many lives in the balance. He learns life's most difficult lessons are often found on the path home.

What three things do you know now about the publishing world that you wish you knew when you first started?

[Chris] How random the selection process can be. (Never give up.)

Marketing a book can be as difficult as writing it.

Indie writers need a community of support for gaining exposure.

 

What are the five best things writers can do to meet the challenges of the 21^st century?

Recognize a "top-5" publisher doesn't offer as much as they used to, in today's increasingly digital world

Give something away before you try to sell your work

Learn to better edit your manuscripts

Plan on doing plenty of research; you need to be knowledgeable to write well.

Grammar, grammar, and more grammar.

 

 

Chris M. Hibbard was born in the suburbs of New Jersey, the second of three brothers. His family soon moved to Alaska, where he grew up scrambling over the mountains and beaches of a remote village wedged between thickly wooded peaks and deep fjords. His childhood shaped in him an early love for family and the outdoors, and inspired such hobbies as wildlife photography, grafting fruit trees, and horticulture.

His first novel began as a collection of stories he invented to entertain his children. He, his wife and four children make their home in the Piney Woods of Texas.

To find more about the written works of Chris M. Hibbard and check for publishing updates, visit http://www.Terreldor.net