The Christian Olympics, and free gifts

Today Only you can get a copy of S.E. Gregg’s
Kindle book: The Christian Olympics for only
$3.99 and a bundle of free gifts and prizes. Hurry,
a special prize for the first person that buys a copy.

S. E. Gregg’s book The Christian Olympics-Going
for the Gold Crowns,the unveiling of the Bible’s
comparison of the Christian race/life to
the Olympic Games, has been “Enthusiastically
recommended as inspirational reading for all practicing
Christians “ by Midwest Book Review

Take a look and see what we have to offer you:http://www.christianolympics.org/index_2.html

About the Book: The Christian Olympics: Going for the Gold Crowns, the unveiling of the Bible's comparison of the Christian race to the Olympic Games, is the spin-off from the newspaper article titled "The Christian Olympics are still going on!" written by the author.

Today more than ever Christians are discouraged in their walk with God because of the multitudes of personal problems, suffering, and worldly events that have occurred. Some have given up, lost hope in their faith, and/or don't feel that living holy lives matters anymore. The Christian Olympics will stir up Christians, igniting their spiritual fires to look forward to what is ahead. When Christians see themselves as players in an Olympic game, it gives them a new understanding and exhilaration for the Christian life, as spiritual athletes. Readers will actually visualize themselves in a spiritual athletic competition which has never been done before in a Christian book.


About the Author:

A marathon runner in the Christian Olympics for several decades, S. E. Gregg is a Bible school graduate and the founder of Sound Doctrine Christian Ministries. An award winning author, gifted Bible teacher and Bible curriculum writer, Gregg has authored the best-selling books,"Evangelism Counseling- How to Counsel People About Salvation","The Christian Olympics-Going for the Gold Crowns" and the salvation tract,"God Became A Man". The salvation tract has been translated into the Burmese language and over 100,000 have been printed. Gregg lives in the Philadelphia,PA area.
www.Christianolympics.org

Follow the Blog: The Christian Olympic blog is a list of articles about worldly events that are happening along with sports and how they relate to the Christian marathon.
http://christianolympics.blogspot.com



RUN THE RACE WITH ENDURANCE !!
FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT !!
KEEP THE FAITH !!
PRESS TOWARD THE MARK !!

FINISH THE COURSE !!
REACH FOR THE FINISH LINE !!!

RECEIVE CROWNS OF GOLD !!!!!

THE CHRISTIAN OLYMPICS-GOING FOR THE GOLD CROWNS" BY S. E. GREGG
The unveiling of the Bible's comparison of the Christian race to the Olympic Games.
WWW.CHRISTIANOLYMPICS.ORG
VICTORY@CHRISTIANOLYMPICS.ORG

Introducing Tim Fox's new book

Journeys: An Ice-Age Adventure

About the Book

Twelve year-old Mark Jamison is a thinker and a worrier. Ten year-old Barry is attuned to nature, but his focus quickly shifts from one item to the next. The brothers’ lives are further complicated by family tragedies. Their dad’s deployment to Afghanistan and their mom’s illness both ended badly. Rather than a wonderful journey, life has been hard. But when the boys discover a mastodon tooth and a spear point in the Baraboo Hills, powerful forces are unleashed that carry them across ages and propel them onto the adventure of two lifetimes. The brothers journey with mastodons and Paleo-Indians amid the landscape of Ice Age Wisconsin. They face giant predatory mammals, as well as predators of the human variety. They witness acts of courage and sacrifice. And through it all, the boys gain more of the strength, wisdom, and hope needed to face the obstacles of life’s journey.

Journeys; An Ice Age Adventure is a story that inspires excitement, laughter, and tears. Above all, it reminds us of the importance of hope and a sense of wonder.

Links

Journeys; An Ice Age Adventure website

ISBN 978-0-9856411-0-8

*teacher guide available here  

Nook

Kindle

About the Author:

After a fourteen year teaching career, I had a fierce desire not only to write, but to pass on something special to my own kids. I love the Wisconsin landscape and feel a strong pull to its Ice Age connections – glacially sculpted landforms, fossil finds, Paleo Indian artifacts. These fuel my imagination and are part of what impelled me to write Journeys; An Ice Age Adventure.

Tim Fox is a personal fitness trainer and “Olympic-style” weightlifting coach. He can’t resist picking up big, heavy things!

M E D I A R E L E A S E

Contact: Carolyn Howard-Johnson, publicist

E-mail: hojonews@aol.com

ISBN: 978-1468172362

Release Date: July 15

Author's Website: www.howtodoitfrugally.com/A_to_Z.htm

Coming to Book Expo America

World Traveler/Author Has Big Goal: To Help Others Understand America
Book Expo America, New York--Author Lance Johnson will sign the new English edition of his book What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z: How to understand crazy American culture, people, government, business, language, and more at the Independent Book Publishers Association booth #3044 at Book Expo America on Thursday, June 7, at 10:30 am. The famous tradeshow is at Javits Center in New York City.

As the title suggests, this book is for “foreigners,” which Johnson redefines as anyone not sufficiently familiar with American culture to meet their goals for success. They may be citizens from foreign countries who still lack sufficient knowledge to meet their travel or business needs. They may be among the multitudes of foreign-born, naturalized citizens who have lived in the U.S. for years and still struggle with everything from etiquette to language. They may be first- and even second-generation Americans whose immigrant parents did not fully expose their children to American culture—an all too common occurrence—and they now struggle with the mainstream. They may be students who are studying in America or those who would like to.

Originally published in simplified Chinese by Oriental Press in China, this unique book has been endorsed by U.S. and foreign ambassadors like Clark T. Randt and Zhou Wenzhong. Jay Gajjar, India language professor says, “The A to Z chapters are nicely written and informative. The language is simple and presented in a fine sequence. This is a realistic bible of modern America.” The new English edition has been updated and expanded. What many notice is that Johnson is willing to paint a picture of the America he loves—warts and all.

Lance Johnson has traveled in, taught in, visited, or lived in 81 counties and 49 of the 50 American states. His understanding of his own culture increased as he learned more about the cultures of others. He also began to understand why some foreigners throw up their hands at what they see as a crazy Americans and their crazy language. He brings this rare understanding to his new book.

Johnson will sign and give copies to publishing professionals at the famous Book Expo America where the publishing industry convenes .

Learn more about the book and the author at: www.howtodoitfrugally.com/A_to_Z.htm

Equation of life: Knowledge + Understanding +
Acceptance = A Better World for All.
~ Lance Johnson, author of What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z.

‘###

(Photos, book cover, media kit available electronically or by post upon request.)

Tammy Hill: Book Launch! Supernatural novel for Teens

Knowing: A Series of Gifts , a supernatural novel for teens is available today! Purchase your copy and enter to win a Kindle!

Visit:

http://www.tammyhillbooks.blogspot.com/p/knowing-launch.html

For the Skinny!

Buy the book

Maureen Lang: Why I Write, and Other Thoughts

Maureen Lang joins me this week. Welcome!

She is a reader who figured out at a very young age how to write what she wants to read. She penned her first novel at age ten, and has been writing ever since. In fact, she’d rather be writing or reading than doing just about anything else—but with a family and a dog depending on her for breakfast, lunch and dinner, she feels like she’s in the kitchen more often than at her desk or in her favorite chair with a book. Maureen is the author of a dozen books and has been nominated for a Christy, Rita and Carol. She’s won a Holt Medallion and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, but none of that compare to the day her daughter told her she was a good writer. Ah, recognition at home is rare indeed. Visit Maureen on the web at www.maureenlang.com

I asked her a few questions, starting with "Why do you write what you do?"

About why I write my books…

All of my books were inspired by something specific. My war books go back to my childhood, hearing my dad and uncles “discuss” the war (although that was World War Two and I wrote about the First World War). I was too young to follow most of that, but I knew all that war-talk came with great emotion. With my “disability” books—i.e., a book that includes a child with a disability—those came from my everyday life, being the mom and an aunt to handicapped children. Bees in the Butterfly Garden is the first book that came out of a title. Usually I’m title-challenged, but one day I was looking out at my garden, one I’d planted with the hope of attracting butterflies. All I saw were two huge bees. Feeling sorry for myself, I said “I don’t get butterflies; all I get are bees. Bees in the butterfly garden.” But hey! I stopped what I was doing immediately (writing another book, actually) and wrote that down, because I recognized that it would make a great title. All I needed to do was write a book to go with it. And I did.

1. What’s been a favorite work experience you’ve had so far in life?

Every time I write a book, no matter which one—and some have undoubtedly been easier to write than others—at some point the characters begin to take over. It’s all I can do to keep up with them, recording what would be a natural progression of events as designed by the kind of people populating the story. That, without a doubt, is the best moment I’ve ever had as a writer. I feel like a storyteller then, when I’m as caught up in the story as any reader would be. It’s hard for my typing fingers to keep up!

2. I love that, Maureen. If you could do anything you want, what would it be?

I’m sure I’m not the only writer who’s answered this question by saying I’d write! I guess if I could write anywhere, it would be with mountains in the background, perhaps a lake or ocean not far off . . . a garden full of flowers that never grows a weed, maybe a horse to ride (with a barn taken care of by someone else, of course . . . ).

3. One man's weeds are another man's flowers, you know. I'd like to be fed. What’s the most exotic place you’ve traveled?

I’m not sure it’s exactly exotic, but I went to Belgium to research my Great War Series, and it was absolutely wonderful. I walked the same streets my characters walked, saw the same historic buildings they would have seen. I loved every minute of it, and felt so affirmed by God that I was doing what He’d wired me to do: I’m supposed to make up stories He approved of. That’s my job.

4. I think that's pretty exotic - especially in the name of work. What do you see outside the closest window right now?

While I live in a very nice neighborhood, the scene out my window isn’t very scenic. I see other houses similar to mine, green grass, flourishing trees and bushes. My mailbox. It’s a neat, orderly scene, but not especially inspiring. It’s a good thing I have a vivid imagination, because most of the time I’m not seeing what’s around me anyway. I’m living in another century altogether.

5. A mailbox has so many possibilities! What do you tell people when they ask “and what do you do?”

I actually hope this doesn’t come up, for a variety of reasons. If it does, I say I’m a writer. They always seem both interested and skeptical—maybe a little impressed when I say I’ve had a dozen books published. But then they assume I make a lot of money, which isn’t the case (they sometimes ask how many books I’ve sold, which is the same as asking how much money I’ve made). Many times people admit they’d like to write a book, too, which I encourage, but then they sometimes expect that I can introduce them to an easy track to publication. Unfortunately, there isn’t one.

6. LOL - I hear you on that one. Where’s your favorite place to grocery shop?

Super Target, without a doubt.

7. My youngest daughter in law takes advantage of that store! I'd have to drive an hour, but I think I'd learn to love it too.  How about a new tack: What, to you, is worship?

I love two forms of worship. Although I don’t sing very well, I love my church and I love participating in the worship time. I love the words of worship songs, and they remind me of so many aspects of God’s presence in my life.

But I also feel very close to God when I’m in the revision phase of writing my books. I often don’t remember certain scenes or lines and sometimes when something seems just right, I think it must be a gift to have the right words fit into a story. I believe anyone who is following the way God wired them to be—musicians with a gift for singing or playing, or an accountant with a flair for numbers, or a teacher with the ability to convey knowledge—must feel that same approval from God. An affirmation that we’re doing what God designed for us to do. A connection to something that seems so right and fitting, accompanied by thankfulness to be able to do what God wants me to do. It’s a form of worship that I absolutely love to experience.

Thank you, Maureen. It's been a joy getting to know you better. Maureen's latest book, Bees in the Butterfly Garden, a light-hearted romance which releases June 13, is available for pre-order from several online book sellers.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Christian Book Distributors

Healing Grief: Hiking Through book review

Hiking Through

By Paul Stutzman

Revell

ISBN: 978-0-8007-2053

$13.99

May 2012

Inspirational Memoir

Healing grief is different for everyone: some try, some don’t, some make rash decisions or none at all. Paul Stutzman through-hiked the Appalachian Trail one summer two years after his wife’s death from cancer.

Leaving his career as a restaurant manager and taking the hike, Stutzman says he needed a greater purpose than simply making a drastic change in his life. His goals were twofold: “to remind men to appreciate what they have today—don’t take your family and your wife for granted.” Secondly, he wanted to write a book showing “that the Christian life doesn’t have to be boring.”

And boring this book is not. From the prologue where the author states he uses only trail names to identify his trail brothers and sisters so they can claim plausible deniability if ever accused of any of the stunts, to the rain, sleet, festivals, and fear, Hiking Through is a great journey book that’s more than a guide; it’s a quest for peace.

Taking the trail name Apostle, Stutzman begins his journey with a photo op, then hiking north from Georgia to Maine over four and a half months. Starting in April with thirty-five pounds of tent, bear bag, and notebook, Stutzman hoped to walk a thirty-mile leg one day, one of the few goals he never met. I’ve become addicted over the past few years to follow Interstate highways and freeways ever since accidently driving the entire length of I65, and I enjoy hiking, but Stutzman’s pictures helped me decide to continue to enjoy “through drives.” More photos are available on his web site hikingthrough.com. He’s begun a “biking through” adventure as well.

Walk with the author as he meets wonderful and exotic hikers with names like Sailor, Bubbles, Sir Entity, and Litefoot as they walk through fourteen states in all kinds of terrain and weather, beautiful scenery, and dangerous overnight conditions as well as enjoyable ones such as old stagecoach stops and hotels. I’m a sucker for the history and details Stutzman shares about the various places along the trail, such as Civil War sites, and general early Americana. The life-lessons Stutzman shares? Well, I’ll let you discover those as you read.

Available May 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book Review: Finding Angel

Finding Angel

Kat Heckenbach

 c. 2011

Splashdown Books

ISBN: 9781927154137

$6.99 ebook

Speculative fiction, YA

An Angel appears out of nowhere…a young girl, wandering along a country path in Florida, in her possession, but no memory. When the Masons find the lost girl, they name her “Angel” for the letters on her bracelet and soon she becomes part of the family.

The Mason collect stray children, including a set of twins who are older than Angel, and a younger boy, Zack, who holds onto Angel’s heart and appreciates her fascination with magical creatures and her reading tree. Eight years pass, and at fourteen, Angel has made a new life, albeit one with a gaping hole.

As much as Angel is infatuated with mythical creatures, Zack loves nature and bugs, and shows her a beetle. Promising to help identify it, Angel visits the library and instead discovers that a new boy, Gregor, has come to town. Gregor unlocks the missing pieces of Angel’s life by taking her “home” to a place of myth and mist, like Glockamorra or Brigadoon. Toch Island is “sort of” in Ireland; “hidden” so it can’t be taken over by technological development, a place where the Empowered do not have to hide their Talents. It’s a place where the magical creatures are true, Elves live and make music, and dangers are real, so real that Gregor has lived as an orphan since the age of ten after the evil Dawric killed his family. Angel stays with Gregor while her memories gradually surface and she relearns her Talent. But Gregor harbors secrets. Is she safe with him? Where are her parents? And what about the new murders in the community?

Chapters are interspersed with scenes of concurrent events that build like pieces of a puzzle. Each chapter and segment has a title that hints at what’s to come.

Although the teens seem too young to live on their own, Heckenbach’s deft handling of the characters feels rich and fully alive. Gregor knows his duty and is ready to fulfill his destiny, and Angel reunites Toch as no one else can.

The author’s word choices are bright and succinct, in voice appropriate to age and magical world. There are instances of danger and murder and resulting emotions that children younger than sixth or seventh grade might find disturbing. Occasional long segments of description and internal thought, months spent relearning Angel’s identity, were sometimes slow but fascinating, and an end that flies up your face shouldn’t disrupt the great pleasure of immersing yourself in the world of Toch, the Empowered, and a future full of bright possibilities and dreams that will come true.