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 Larry Dugger for the release of He Calls Me Friend: 90 Devotions for Men.
Jesus was the every man. His hands were rough from hours spent in the carpenter’s shop. He attended more than one all-night fishing trip with His disciples. They were not just His servants, they were His friends. By taking a close look at how Jesus interacted with others, we can clearly see a pattern of true friendship and draw closer to the one true Friend.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Ninety original devotions
• Inspirational quotes throughout
• Lovely, durable package features leather and denim textures
• Perfect size for a coat pocket or briefcase
• Makes a great Father’s Day gift!
Tracie Miles releases the Audio CD of Unsinkable Faith: God-filled Stategies to Transform the Way You Think, Feel and Live.
For many people, remaining optimistic and feeling positive about themselves and their lives is a constant battle—especially when circumstances are difficult and life is hard. For others, negativity is something that only sneaks up from time to time, yet still wreaks havoc in their hearts. Regardless of the root causes, once pessimistic thoughts permeate our minds, our feelings and emotions begin to control us instead of us controlling them. Eventually it doesn’t seem possible to stay positive, happy, and full of joy, and negative thought patterns shake our faith, causing us to sink emotionally, mentally, and spiritually over time. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Despite what storms roll in, hearts anchored in God don’t sink. When we change the way we think, we can change the way we feel and live, even if our circumstances remain the same. Intentionally embracing the opportunity to experience a transformed heart and a renewed mind opens the door for a changed life, because a positive mind will always lead to a more positive life. In Unsinkable Faith, author and Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker Tracie Miles offers hope for women who struggle with negativity. Each chapter explores Tracie’s and other women’s personal stories, showing how they rose above their circumstances by transforming and renewing their minds. Unsinkable Faith is a breath of fresh air for anyone longing for a heart full of joy, an unbreakable smile, and a new, more optimistic perspective on life. This audio book will equip you to:
• Replace pessimism with positive thinking by becoming the captain of your thoughts;
• Learn how true joy and happiness are based on choice, not circumstances;
• Overcome unhealthy habits of negative thinking by intentionally implementing three easy mind-renewing steps;
• Stop feeling hopeless and pitiful, and start feeling hope-filled and powerful instead;
• Discover that when you change the way you think, you change the way feel, and in turn you can change your life completely.
Congratulations Anita Agers-Brooks and Kregel Publications for the release of Exceedingly.
Personal encouragement and inspiration for finding your unique calling
“Am I making a difference?” “Can I accomplish meaningful things despite the mistakes I’ve made?” “How can I know God’s purpose for me?”
As the true stories in Exceedingly demonstrate, whether famous or entirely unknown, we all struggle to find significance in our lives. But the truth is that each one of us has a special reason for being right here, right now–and we can discover exactly what that is.
Anita Agers-Brooks walks through simple yet powerful strategies, skills, and exercises to do just that. Through practical application and inspiration from people like the late country music star Troy Gentry, readers will identify and hone their natural traits, raw talents, and untapped abilities. Uncovering our purpose doesn’t require big personalities, perfect lives, or an issue-free past. We only have to make the effort to learn to see ourselves as God does and fulfill the personal purpose we were made for.
Seekers who engage with Anita will find their quest leads to one amazing conclusion: if they unearth what they’ve been given and dare to believe, their Maker will do exceedingly, abundantly more with their lives than they’ve ever imagined.
The mass market paperback of Getting Through What You Can’t Get Over by Anita Agers-Brooks releases April 30, 2019.
We will do almost anything to avoid facing our worst fears. But when tragedy strikes, and you can no longer hide, what do you do?
Many experience abuse, financial disaster, serious illness, death of loved ones, and other common traumas making them believe they’ll never move past the pain, but through research and true story compilations, author Anita Agers-Brooks offers emotional, practical, and spiritual insights from experts and people who have survived intense trauma—and have made it through seemingly impossible situations.
Getting Through What You Can’t Get Over offers relatable stories from people who have “been there” and lived to see a much brighter day as well as a section of “Insider Tips” that provides insights on emotional healing, practical actions to take, and scriptures for spiritual comfort and encouragement to help you work through any struggle.
Congratulations to Rebecca and Christian George and Citadel Press for the April 30 release of Lightning Sky: A U.S. Fighter Pilot Captured During WWII and His Father’s Quest to Find Him.
A U.S. fighter pilot captured by the enemy. A father determined to rescue his son. One of the most remarkable and moving true stories of faith and perseverance to come out of World War II.
October 6, 1944. Twenty-year-old Army Air Corps Second Lieutenant David “Mac” Warren MacArthur was on a strafing mission over Greece when a round of 88-mm German anti-aircraft flak turned his P-38 Lightning into a comet of fire and smoke. Dave parachuted to safety as the Lightning lived up to her name and struck the Adriatic Sea like a bolt of flames. In minutes, he was plucked from the water—only to find himself on the wrong end of a German rifle pointing straight at his head.
Dave’s father, Lieutenant Colonel Vaughn MacArthur, was a chaplain with the 8th Armored Division of Patton’s Third Army when he learned of his son’s capture. He made it his personal mission to find him. For the duration of the war, as Dave was shuttled from camp to camp—including Dachau—his father never stopped searching. Then in May 1945, Vaughn’s last hope was Stalag VII-A in Moosburg, Germany. Through the barbed wire fence, he cried out his son’s name. Incredibly, out of tens of thousands of POWs, one of them, squinting into the sunlight, turned and smiled.
Father and son spent the next two weeks together celebrating, a forever cherished memory. Over the next twenty-five years, Dave would go on to honor his father on rescue missions of his own, becoming a highly decorated and genuine American war hero. In both Korea and Vietnam, Dave would carry with him the legacy of a great man who gave everything to save his son.
An inspiring, harrowing, and unforgettable chronicle of love of family and love of country, Lightning Sky is a timeless testament to extraordinary lives in extraordinary times.
Congratulations to Jonathan McKee for the May 1 release of Guy’s Guide to Four Battles Every Young Man Must Face: A Manual to Overcoming Life’s Common Distractions.
Honestly?. . .
“Why wait for something when I can enjoy it now?”
“These images don’t really affect me. . .do they?”
“How could smoking a little weed really be that bad when it’s becoming legalized everywhere?”
“I’d like to tell you I don’t care what others think, but honestly, I want to be liked.”
Maybe you’re thinking, “I’ve had one. . .maybe even a few of these thoughts, and I don’t know how to even begin to deal with them.”
The good news? You’re not alone. And there is a way to fight these battles head-on, overcoming the past, pressing forward, and becoming the person God designed you to be.
So what’s a guy to do? . . .
Join youth culture expert and author of the popular Guy’s Guide to God, Girls, and the Phone in Your Pocket, Jonathan McKee, as he gets real about the four common battles every young man will encounter in his life:
1: Sexual Temptation
2. Screens
3: Controlled Substances
4: Self-Esteem
With humor and honesty, McKee offers up practical, spiritual advice filled with real-world application helping you face today’s distractions.
Congratulations to Jamie Erickson and Moody Publishers for the May 1 release of Homeschool Bravely: How to Squash Doubt, Trust God, and Teach Your Children with Confidence.
Quiet the voices of “not good enough” and step courageously into guilt-free homeschooling
Many homeschool parents have a long-term relationship with self-doubt. “Did I make the right decision?” “Could someone else do this better?” “Am I robbing my kids of something by not sending them to ‘regular school’?”
What if there’s a better way?
Not a 3-step technique or a shiny, new curriculum, but a change in perspective that transforms the way you plan, teach, and homeschool?
Homeschool Bravely teaches you to see homeschooling as a calling, helps you overthrow the tyranny of impossible expectations, and guides you through the common bumps in the road, including how to:
- juggle school and parenting with toddlers at home
- teach a struggling learner
- plan with the end in mind
- accept your own limitations without feeling guilty
- stay the course even in the face of criticism
Reclaim your hope, renew your purpose, and transform your homeschool. Because the truth is: God will use every part of your homeschool, even your fears, faults, and failures, to weave good plans for your kids.
Contracts
Cara Whitney signed with Harper Collins for Unbridled Faith for Young Readers due to release Summer 2020.
Glenn Schroder signed with Thomas Nelson for Never Trust a Leader without a Limp to be released Spring 2020.
Jamie Sumner signed with Simon & Schuster for her books, The Survival Playlist and Garbologist, to be released Spring 2020 and Fall 2021.
New Clients
Elishaba Doerksen, Justin Laborde, Jesse L. Nelson, Fatima Doman, Kym Douglas, David Nico, Michaela O’Donnell Long, Russell Masterson and Scotty Smith signed with WordServe in April. Welcome!
What We’re Celebrating
Congratulations to Anthony B. Thompson with Densie George for the starred review in Publisher’s Weekly for Called to Forgive: The Charleston Church Shooting, a Victim’s Husband, and the Path to Healing and Peace. 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)
Now that I’ve submitted my latest book to my publisher, marketing is on my mind. I know from past experience with my other titles, the book launch will arrive sooner than I’ll ever feel ready for.
You can do this for yourself, but it does require a lot of dedication and persistence. And there are some important things I’ve learned a long the way. Maybe by sharing, I can save you a few expectation headaches.
Recently, I also realized this was something I could duplicate for others. From my desire to help fellow authors and the publishing industry at large, 
I tackled something for the first time this year — a ghostwriting project. I must admit, it feels odd to have penned an entire body of work that very few people will ever know I am associated with. The crazier part? I wrote the entire first draft in nine days. Nine. Days!
Yes, the writing is hard at times. There is no doubt my emotions can lead me temporarily astray. However, as a professional author, I DO still enjoy writing as well as having written — because I understand the impact my words can make.
“Did you find your book?” I asked.
Then, one of us suggested, “Hey, let’s take a ‘selfie’ to capture the moment.”
Last month, I shared some simple insights on 
The truth is, sometimes too much solitude hampers my creative flow. As an extrovert, I’ve learned that lunch with a friend or two, calling someone to go for a walk and a talk, or a brief phone call with a colleague, client, or family member releases fresh thoughts that enrich my writing.
The key to making any of us more effective in our endeavors is knowing who we are, and giving ourselves permission to operate in our natural giftings and preferences. As long as we are careful to do so in balance.
Writing with Personality is helpful for introverts, and their counterparts, extroverts. (I’ll share some insights about the latter next time.) But wherever you fall on the personality spectrum, as Socrates reminds, know yourself, and allow you to be and do as needed — otherwise, you will struggle to get your writing done. Another great writer and natural introvert, 
I was watching 
The actor giggled. “Thanks, Jimmy. I was honored to play this role, I know I’m supposed to say I love it too, but I really mean it. This is probably my favorite project so far. I only hope the people who watch it are touched as much as I was making the film.” She raised her hands in the global prayer pose symbolizing humility.
The actors are the face of the movie, so no matter what anyone else does behind the scenes, it is the actor who must make public appearances and visit shows on the interview circuit. An actor’s passionate voice, joined with an intriguing movie trailer, is what drives audiences to theaters and streaming sites. For authors, it’s no different. We are the face of our books. Our passionate voice about our message, mingled with intrigue about our book’s content, is what drives readers to want to know more.
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