WordServe News March 2019

As usual, some great things have been happening this month at WordServe Literary!

On the final post of each month you’ll find a list of Water Cooler contributors’ recently released books along with a recap of WordServe client news.

New Releases

Congratulations to Andrea Gurney and Kregel for the March 26, 2019 release of Reimagining Your Love Story.

Reimagining Your Love Story offers perspective and guidance on how to love without fear.

“At the end of the day, none of us have a fairy godmother or pixie dust at our disposal. And so we must do the work ourselves.”–Dr. Andrea Gurney

We’ve all grown up watching the fairy tales that promise happily ever after with our one true love. Whether we like it or not, whether we think we believe it or not, chances are we’ve internalized that story of love. And despite the technology to find connection with more people than ever before, somehow we are also lonelier than ever before–even when we’re in relationships.

Although we were created for loving, intimate relationships, we’ve lost our understanding of how to find and maintain them. Andrea Gurney wants readers to discover more authentic connections that aren’t made of wishes, so she equips us with practices from psychology, biblical truths, and lessons from relationship science. She also helps us examine our developmental history, including how cultural and familial messages take root in our psyches. Together, these tools craft a solid foundation on which lasting love can be built, rather than a pumpkin carriage that disappears when the clock strikes midnight.

If you are disillusioned by unattainable societal standards, in need of healing from damaged relationships, or simply want to improve at relating well with others, you’re ready for Reimagining Your Love Story. Check out this link to a book promo video HERE.

Attention Amish Romance fans! Mary Davis and Jan Drexler re-release Courting Her Amish Heart and The Amish Nanny’s Sweetheart in these 2-in-1 Collections from Love Inspired. Get yours today!

 

 

Congratulations to Tim Riter and Harvest House Publishers for the release of a Biker’s Devotional: God, A Motorcycle, and the Open Road on April 2, 2019.

Riding for God’s Glory

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Romans 14:23

If you’re a biker and a Christian, have you considered that riding, can be an activity that brings glory to God, draws you closer to His creation and provides an opportunity to share your faith with fellow riders?

Motorcycle and Jesus enthusiast Tim Riter has some amazing stories and spiritual truths he’s collected from riding over 200,000 miles, covering 46 states, and three countries. Discover what happens when

  • a long-haired hippie biker strolls into a redneck bar
  • a new back tire causes a dangerous spill
  • a chance encounter with an angry driver turns into a 20-mile chase

These and other engaging devotions will show you how your faith blends into your riding and help you experience that same sense of adventure you get from motorcycling in your walk with God, or in this case, your “ride with God.”

Congratulations to Laurie Polich Short and Bethany House on the April 2nd release of 40 Verses to Ignite Your Faith, Surprising Insights from Unexpected Passages.

Many of us have our “go to” verses. The ones we memorize, post on social media, and hang on our walls. But sometimes we need a fresh word or promise for the season we find ourselves in–something that ignites our faith in the face of fear, doubt, loneliness, insecurity, or overwhelming circumstances.

In this powerful, accessible new book, author and speaker Laurie Short mines the Scriptures, revealing insights and promises from 40 verses we often overlook. Digging in to these “in between” verses, she unearths fresh wisdom, guidance, and encouragement that will help you seek and experience God in new, dynamic ways. From trusting God’s timing, to not worrying about the future, to holding on to faith when things look dark, the hidden insights found in these verses will help you navigate the challenges that cross your path, breathe new life into your weary soul, and ignite your faith once again.

Congratulations to Casey Diaz with Mike Yorkey and Thomas Nelson for the April 2nd release of The Shot Caller: A Latino Gangbanger’s Miraculous Escape from a Life of Violence to a New Life in Christ.

“This is a story of a tough young man who lost his way, and of a loving God who never forgot him, no matter where he was.” — Nicky Cruz, bestselling author of Run Baby Run

The son of El Salvadorian immigrants, Casey Diaz was brought to Los Angeles at the age of two. An abusive, impoverished family life propelled Casey at only eleven years of age into the Rockwood Street Locos gang. Casey was willing to do anything to be number one, but years of chasing rival gang members led to a dramatic ambush and arrest by the LAPD.

At just sixteen, Casey was sentenced to more than twelve years in solitary confinement in California’s toughest prison as one of the state’s most violent offenders. He thought his life was over.

Yet, when a determined elderly woman paid Casey a visit, a whole new world of possibilities began to unfold. Casey scoffed as she quietly insisted God was going to use him. As the days in solitary wore on, Casey realized Someone else was calling the shots. What happened next can only be described as a miracle.

Perfect for:

  • People who believe they’re too far gone
  • Parents who want to keep their kids out of gangs – what are the warning signs
  • Social workers who interact with at-risk youth
  • Those looking for a gritty, informed perspective on LA street gangs and gang culture

A visceral insider’s look at the violent world of gangs and prison life, The Shot Caller is a remarkable demonstration of God’s reckless, unending grace and His desire to reach even the worst of sinners—no matter where they are.

A re-release of Amy K. Sorrells and Tyndale, Then Sings My Soul, available April 9, 2019.

1904, Chudniv, Ukraine. Playing hide-and-seek in bucolic fields of sunflowers, young Jakob never imagines the horrific secrets he will carry as he and his brother escape through genocide-ridden Eastern Europe.

1994, South Haven, Michigan. At age 94, time is running out for any hope that Jakob can be free from his burden of guilt.

When Jakob’s wife dies, he and his daughter, Nel, are forced to face the realities of his worsening dementia—including a near-naked, midnight jaunt down the middle of main street—as well as emerging shadows Nel had no idea lay beneath her father’s beloved, curmudgeonly ways.

While Nel navigates the restoration and sale of Jakob’s dilapidated lake house, her high school sweetheart shows up in town, along with unexpected correspondence from Ukraine. And when she discovers a mysterious gemstone in Jakob’s old lapidary room, Jakob’s condition worsens as he begins having flashbacks about his baby sister from nearly a century past.

As father and daughter race against time to discover the truth behind Jackob’s fragmented memories, the God they have both been running from shows that he redeems not only broken years, but also the future.

Contracts

Dr. Daniel Amen with contributor Chloe Amen signed with BenBella Books, Inc. for Secrets of Successful Students due to release Spring 2020.

Nicole J. Phillips signed with Baker Books for Kindness for Meanies to be released Spring 2020.

Fox News commentator Kathy Barnette signed with Center Street for her untitled book to be released in 2020.

New Clients

Terry Whalin, Daniel Bowman Jr., and Don Otis, signed with WordServe in March.  Welcome!

What We’re Celebrating

Congratulations to Ron Archer with Mike Yorkey for the starred review in Publisher’s Weekly for What Belief Can Do. Read the review HERE.

 

 

Check out the Bible Reading Plan on YouVersion Bible App for Amanda Anderson’s upcoming release of her new book, All My Friends Have Issues: Buidling Remarkable Relationships with Imperfect People (Thomas Nelson, July 9, 2019) 

WordServe News: May 2016

Exciting things have been happening at WordServe Literary this month!

On the final post of each month you’ll find a list of Water Cooler contributors’ recently released books along with a recap of WordServe client news.

New Releases

duggerLarry Dugger released 40 Days to Defeat Your Past with Charisma House. Just as Jesus squared off with the devil in the wilderness, we must square off with our devils. Forty Days to Defeat Your Past is a one-day-at-a-time process that uses the number forty to help readers identify and defeat the destructive patterns of their past and establish new, healthy habits to lead them into freedom.

ebookJan Dunlap released Heaven’s Gate, the first book in her Archangels series, with FaithHappenings Publishers. Following the character of Dr. Michael Carilion as he uncovers the missing piece of the One Theory—the Holy Grail of theoretical physics—this supernatural thriller wrestles with questions of science, faith, and a shattering new understanding of life after death.

51L8nL3LvpL._SX347_BO1,204,203,200_J. Parker release Hot, Holy, and Humorous with BroadStreet Publishing. Wrongful thinking and attitudes about sex permeate our culture, even in Christian circles. Starting from a foundation of faith and humor, this book offers candid advice for wives who want to make the most of God’s gift of sexual intimacy in marriage.

lead me home

Amy K. Sorrells released Lead Me Home with Tyndale. This powerful novel follows the stories of two men in a small town – one, a young man forced to grow up too soon, the other a pastor of the local church who questions his calling as the church doors close for good. As severe storms roll through, threatening the community, both men confront the fear of losing what they care about most, and reconsider where they truly belong.

51jGauNvGIL._SX311_BO1,204,203,200_Jennifer Strickland released 21 Myths (Even Good) Girls Believe about Sex with Shiloh Run Press. With honest, straight-forward language, Strickland strips away the lies surrounding dating and sex and shares the myths, the truths, and the practical ways girls can enjoy the pursuit of passion and purity.

New Contracts

Mary Davis signed with Barbour for her work, Unworthy Hearts, part of the Pony Express Romance Collection.

Ken Gire and Donald Stratton signed with HarperCollins to publish the memoir of 93-year-old Stratton, who survived the bombing of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Melissa K. Norris signed with Harvest House for her next book, The Made-From-Scratch Home. This follow-up to her most recent book, The Made-From-Scratch Life, will be available in early 2018.

Barbara Scott signed with Gilead Publishing for her novella I’ll Be Home for Christmas, which will be included in a Christmas seasonal collection of contemporary romances.

Mike Yorkey signed with Barbour to publish a new book on Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, due out early next year.

New Clients

Linda Clare, Ron Hammer, Mary May Larmoyeux, Phillip Robertson, and Craig Selness signed with WordServe this month. Welcome!

WordServe News: February 2015

Exciting things have been happening at WordServe Literary!

On the final post of each month you’ll find a list of Water Cooler contributors’ books releasing in the upcoming month along with a recap of WordServe client news from the current month.

New Releases

Arnie Cole and Michael Ross released Overcoming the Hurt in partnership with 9781630583712_p0_v1_s260x420goTandem.

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Mary Davis released a new title with Heartsong Presents, Romancing the Schoolteacher. 9780373487721_p0_v2_s260x420

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Cheri Fuller released Replacing Worry for Wonder with goTandem. 9781630583705_p0_v2_s260x420

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Rick Johnson saw the release of Romancing Your Better Half, with Revell Publishers. 9780800722340_p0_v2_s260x420

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Kariss Lynch released her sophomore novel with Realms, Shadowed. 9781629980065_p0_v2_s260x420

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Tara McClary Reeves and Amanda Jenkins released their second children’s book with 9781433681202_p0_v1_s260x420B&H Kids, The Pirate and the Firefly. 

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Michael Ross released his latest book for teens, Dating, Relating, Waiting with 9781630583699_p0_v1_s260x420goTandem.

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Lauren Scruggs with Lisa Velthouse released her second book,Your Beautiful Heart 9781414376714_p0_v2_s260x420with Tyndale Momentum publishers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Amy K. Sorrells released her sophomore novel with David C. Cook, Then Sings My Soul. 9781434705457_p0_v2_s260x420

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Jennifer Strickland released her latest book for girls with Harvest House 9780736956345_p0_v2_s260x420Publishers, Pretty from the Inside out

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Mike Yorkey released Everyday Finances for the Everyday Family with goTandem. 9781630583682_p0_v1_s260x420

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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New WordServe Clients

Marjorie Eastman signed with Greg Johnson.

New Contracts

Tim Maurer signed a contract with Baker Books for Simple Money. Greg Johnson, agent of record.

Joe Wheeler has signed with Pacific Press for a three book deal, in a collection of favorite stories. Greg Johnson, agent of record.

What We’re Celebrating!!

Co-authors, Becky Johnson and Rachel Randolph received a great stared review in FIRST magazine for their latest book Nourished!

WordServe News: January 2014

Exciting things have been happening at WordServe Literary!

On the final post of each month you’ll find a list of Water Cooler contributors’ books releasing in the upcoming month along with a recap of WordServe client news from the current month.

New Releases

ScrapsBarbara Cameron released Scraps of Evidence (Abingdon Fiction).

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ForgivingLeslie Leyland Fields released Forgiving Our Fathers and Mothers (Thomas Nelson).

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WintersPromiseKen Gire released Winter’s Promise (Harvest House Publishers).

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FleshHugh Halter released Flesh (David C. Cook).

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HandsofDarknessHeather James’s Hands of Darkness (Kregel). This is book #2 in the Lure of the Serpent series.

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ShakenKariss Lynch’s debut novel, Shaken, releases February 4th (Charisma Media).

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The KnightTara McLary Reeves and Amanda Jenkins released The Knight and the Firefly (B&H Kids).

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YouFoundKeith Robinson released You Found Me (Regal Books). His first book!

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RethinkDave Stoop released Rethink How You Think (Revell).

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WayfarerJanalyn Voigt released WayFarer (Harbourlight Books). This is book #2 of the Tales of Faeraven series.

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LifeComesBackTricia Williford released And Life Comes Back with (WaterBrook Press). Her debut book!

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New WordServe Clients

Linda Kuhar, miraculous cancer survivor, Certified Christian Life Coach, and teacher on Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Studies’ Executive Leadership Team signed with Alice Crider.

New Contracts

Arnie Cole and Michael Ross, in combination with Back to the Bible Ministries, have signed a 13 book contract with Barbour Publishers to launch a series of books in the “goTandem” line, primarily direct-to-church, in support of the goTandem Bible engagement app being launched May 1st of this year.

Tami Weissert signed with Authentic Publishers for a book with a working title of Off the Page (and into your heart), 12 stories of how women in different stages of life engage with God’s Word.

What We’re Celebrating!!

FlightCongratulations to Capt. Dale Black and Ken Gire. Their non-fiction book, Flight to Heaven, made the New York Times Best Seller List!

Wounded Women of the Bible co-author Dena Dyer was recently honored with two “Best Of” awards for her articles on The High Calling, an online magazine sponsored by The Foundations for Laity Renewal. The two articles, chosen out of hundreds which ran on the site in 2013, were Resting my Mind in the faith category and Confessions of a Homeschooling Mom in the family category.

Amy K. Sorrels, author of soon-to-be-released How Sweet the Sound, received a wonderful review in Publishers Weekly: “Debut inspirational novelist Sorrells opens her story powerfully, with a rape and double murder within the Harlan family, who grow pecans in Bay Spring, Ala. This strong stuff is Southern gothic, but it’s also biblical, a retelling of the story of Tamar, who is raped by her brother, a son of King David. The story of this event and its tangled consequences is narrated alternately by Anniston, who is 13 and has seen her father murdered, and her aunt Comfort, the rape victim. The family’s secrets emerge, even as healing, propelled by faith, begins. Sorrells’s ambitious work has beautiful elements, chief among them the strong voice of Anniston. Others need work: Princella, the Harlans’ matriarch, could use more development and subtlety, and so could the prose (“The haze of quiet sunlight floated into the room like a slow dance between dreaming and waking up”). Sorrells will likely move many readers of faith, and she’s worth watching. Agent: Sarah Freese, WordServe Literary Agency. (Mar.)”

Lucille Zimmerman got a guest post gig on Michael Hyatt’s blog. Here is the link to her thoughts on “The Placebo Effect.” How’d she get it? She asked. Great lesson, Lucille. Remember, the worst anyone can say is “no.”

Thoughts on Publishing: What Would the Wright Brothers Do?

“If we worked on the assumption that

what is accepted as true really is true,

then there would be little hope for advance.”

~Orville Wright

A lot of hoopla surrounds the publishing industry, these days more than ever. In the midst of the business, it’s easy to forget the original dream and heart of the artist.

This is not a new phenomenon.

Nor is it unique to the publishing industry.

Take the Wright brothers, for example. I wonder if Orville and Wilbur had today’s airplane industry in mind when they first sketched out their dream to fly. I assume they were two wildly imaginative, brilliant brothers who had a knack for ingenuity, and who simply wanted to feel their feet leave the ground. Who simply wanted to fill their lungs with air free from the heavy, constant pull of gravity.

Sure, they must’ve been pleased to see the initial progress of their invention, how flight began to morph into bigger, stronger vehicles which allowed others to feel weightless freedom, too.

But what would they think now?

Of the pushing and shoving and security detail in airports? Of gunfire, like rain pouring from silver wings? Of hijackings? Of crashes? Of bankrupt airlines? Of their beautiful, wooden machine used as weapons of mass destruction on 9/11 nearly a century after liftoff?

Of course, modern-day airplanes are still a marvel. Their massive engines bring orphans into the arms of adoptive parents; soldiers into the embrace of waiting wives and newborns; food to the starving; medicine to the dying; peace to the war-torn; relief to the hopeless.

All of these things–the good and the bad–began with a dream which lolled around the hearts of two gangly boys for years, and which eventually tamed the winds on a lonely, sandy beach.

And so it is with the publishing business. A single page of script begins as it did with the Wright brothers, with a small dream in a great, big heart. From there, the dream takes flight. And after that, it becomes a part of the industry–an industry which carries words to distant places.

Some stories give life and hope.

Others tear down and destroy.

Much ado is made over the various branches of publishing: self, electronic, traditional, mainstream, Christian, small press, large press, and on and on and on. I suppose this is not new. But the industry is merely a vehicle for syntax to take flight.

Our job as authors is to keep the original dream alive, despite commercialism, competition, money, and what all the writing blogs say.

If you’re an author (like me) who follows Jesus, our job carries the even weightier responsibilities of strengthening, encouraging, and comforting. As Christ-followers, we must choose building up over being edgy for the sake of being edgy. We must choose loving accurately over nosediving into the murky waters of what itching ears would have us say.

Write brave, yes.

After all, neither flying nor faith are safe.

But write with prayer, precision, and while feeling the weight of the cross on our wrist.

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“The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, above all obstacles, on the infinite highway of the air.”

~Orville Wright

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What about you?

How do you stay true to your dreams and the truth you long to pen upon blank pages?

How have the Wright brothers (re)impacted you today?

The Joy of Research

What’s black and white and red all over?

Or is it “read” all over?

No matter.

The answer is: The desk of a writer.

Covered in words and, yes, sometimes blood, my writing nooks are piled high with books, inch-thick binder clips full of internet printouts, magazines, journals, sticky notes and more. Commonly known as research, this is what the necessary, most rewarding (and fun!) part of the novel-writing process looks like.

Many novels are character-driven, so some folks might not think research plays much of a role in writing a solid story, especially if you’re following the old adage, “write what you know.” However, for characters to have depth, you have to know them. Really know them. You have to know their hobbies, their likes, and their dislikes. You need to know what it felt like to grow up in their hometown and region. You need to know what it feels like to live in the current story setting as well.

So, if you’re new to the writing process, I thought I’d share three research tips with you today.

Research tip #1: Libraries are not dead.

When I’m in all-out research mode, you can find me at my local library at least twice a week, if not more. I live in a relatively small town, so sometimes the strange call numbers I need are not represented on the shelves. But thanks to an amazing, free system called Evergreen Indiana, I can (and do) check out books from all over my state. In fact, Evergreen offers over 2.6 million bibliographic records and provides access to over 6.2 million items. (I think I’ve checked out 1.2 million so far!)

The internet cannot replace the richness of photography and history found in books. Also, books make me feel hot on a story trail like a blood hound after a fox, especially when references at the back of one book open up a wealth of resources and other books I never considered.

The other great (and possibly the best) thing about libraries: there’s no dust or laundry vying for my attention.

Research tip #2: The internet rocks.

If you’re as old as me, you might remember when the go-to resources for current event research were microfilm reels, aperture cards and microfiche. Only after thumbing through phone book-thick books of references could one find relatively current articles on a research topic. Then, there was no guarantee the library carried that journal or magazine. And if it did, squinting through the microscope-like lenses to try to find the information led to headaches and frustration.

Thank goodness for the internet. A few key strokes and you’ve got a gold mine of information to cull through. Here are a few of internet research sites I find especially helpful:

Research tip #3: Master the art of conversation (or listening, rather).

I’m lucky to be a nurse as well as a writer. Not just because it allows me to have enough money to eat, but also because it offers me so many chances to talk to and learn from folks I’d otherwise never meet. My favorite patients are octo- and nonagenarians, because I can pick their wise and nimble brains for topics like what it really felt like to live through the depression and what really makes a marriage work for 60+ years.

But you don’t have to be a nurse (or a patient, for that matter) to enhance a story. For one of my novels, I spent an afternoon talking to a local bar owner five states away, just to hear what he had to say about local lore and life.

Take time to listen to people,  and you’ll gather interesting story ideas otherwise never imagined.

What about you? What are your favorite research tools? Websites? Resources?

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