Shellie Rushing Tomlinson – WordServe Water Cooler

December 31, 2020December 29, 2020

WordServe December News & End of Year Update

Wow, what a year it has been! Not just personally, but also in the book industry. We’ve been very fortunate in the WordServe family that no employee or client has personally been taken out by the pandemic. Not all of our extended family members were as fortunate, of course. And we continue to pray for those left behind.

And now . . . it’s Christmas season. And while few will have a “normal” Christmas, we know that God’s character, His plan and His love is unchangeable. There is peace in knowing that, even amidst the chaos of living through a pandemic.

We get asked all of the time how we’re doing during these dark days in our history. Surprisingly, we’ve had our best year ever—by far. I can’t explain it except that publishers still have to publish 12 to 18 months from now, so they were open for business. And they were selling books! Many publishers are posting their own record profits.

Every year we like to look back on what the four agents here at WordServe were able to accomplish for our clients. Here’s a good sampling:

2020 Book releases:

Christian nonfiction projects: 25

Christian fiction: 7

General Market: 16

Foreign books: 3

2020 Books/projects signed:

First-time authors: 26 (a record by far)

Christian nonfiction: 54

Christian fiction: 7

General Market: 16

Collaborator projects: 6

Film options: 3

Specialty Bible: 1

That’s 87 books/projects signed in 2020. Another record.

So we’re very grateful that even amidst world chaos, we’ve been able to keep the ball moving down the field for our agency clients.

On behalf of our other three agents, Keely, Nick, and Sarah, and Ruthanne our faithful office manager/assistant, we send a heartfelt Have as Wonderful of a Christmas as you possibly can!

With warm Christmas wishes,

Greg Johnson, and the WordServe team

December News

New Releases

Guideposts has released the 2021 devotional, All God’s Creatures: Daily Devotions for Animal Lovers.

Animals are God’s gift to humans. They are instruments of His Grace blessed with a special gift for comforting us when we are down, filling us with joy at just the right moment, and encouraging us on our walk of faith.

Read submissions from WordServe authors, Linda Clare and Kathy Carlton Willis, and be encouraged.

Congratulations to Jennifer Love, MD and Kjell Tore Hovik, PsyD, PhD and Citadel Press for the release of When Crisis Strikes: 5 Steps to Heal Your Brain, Body, and Life from Chronic Stress.

YOUR BRAIN’S GREATEST ENEMY? CHRONIC STRESS. LEARN HOW TO REGAIN CONTROL, LIFE BALANCE, AND WELL-BEING.

The second in a line of health care books published in partnership with Dr. Daniel Amen and the Amen Clinics, When Crisis Strikes offers a proprietary 5-step program for tackling life crises and coping with chronic stress.

Stress is an unfortunate fact of modern life, and when those stressors are catastrophic–divorce, illness, caregiving, loss–a brain under stress becomes a brain in crisis. In this invaluable guide, award-winning psychiatrist Dr. Jennifer Love and neuropsychologist Dr. Kjell Hovik explore how to heal the damage that prolonged stress can do to your brain and your health. In When Crisis Strikes you’ll learn how to prevent these side effects from hijacking your daily life.

•  Discover how your brain works with your body’s natural stress response system.
•  Learn how mental and emotional cues cause physical reactions like muscle tension, pain, lowered sex drive, and more.
•  Practice the five steps to relieve a stressor’s toll on your mind and your body.
•  Utilize the tools to deal with any life crisis.

Including a foreword from renowned psychiatrist and brain health expert Dr. Daniel Amen, When Crisis Strikes provides hope and healing for everyone who has experienced the often-crushing weight of chronic stress.

Congratulations to David Murrow and Salem Press for the release of Drowning in Screen Time: A Lifeline for Adults, Parents, Teachers, and Ministers Who Want to Reclaim their Real Lives.

ARE YOU DROWNING IN SCREEN TIME?

Between Zoom meetings, online classes, social media, gaming, and binge-watching TV series, humans now spend most of their free time submerged in screen life—and that’s taking a toll on real life.

The good news: there is a way back. Bestselling author David Murrow’s new book is a rescue plan for parents, adults, teachers, and ministers who want to help others (or themselves) achieve screen-life/real-life balance.

Built around five simple parables, Drowning in Screen Time shows you:

• What screens are doing to your family and relationships

• Why screen content is so addictive

• How to find freedom and confidence in real life

Drowning in Screen Time is full of positive, practical ideas that can help you keep your digital head above water.

Congratulations to Ron Hutchcraft and Harvest House for the January 5, 2021 release of Hope When Your Heart is Breaking.

Losing means grieving.
Grieving means choices.
Choices mean hurt or healing.

You’ve lost someone you love. Or you’re on the brink of losing your marriage. Your dreams. Your health. Or perhaps the trauma of your past pursues you into the present.

Your life’s going to change. Which way it goes won’t be decided by your loss, but by the choices you make.

At the crossroads of grief, one road will lead to hope and healing. The other, to more hurt.

Hope When Your Heart Is Breaking is an honest look at both roads, and how your greatest loss can lead to your greatest gain. Author Ron Hutchcraft writes from the deep well of his own devastating loss and grief, and points you to the practical steps that lead to peace and wholeness.

This book is a pathway to hope—a roadmap through the pain of grief and loss. Discover new strength through a new closeness to others and to God. And make the decisions that lead to comfort, growth, and life.

New Contracts

Ed Norwood signed with Freiling Publishers for Be A Giant Killer to be released December 2021.

Jennifer M. Rosner signed with InterVarsity Press for her book Recalling Jesus, to be published in 2022.

Linda MacKillop signed with Kregel Publishers for Try Again Farm to be released at the end of the year, 2021.

New Clients

Tammy Wilborn, Carissa Shillito, Catherine Ricketts joined WordServe this month. Welcome!

February 28, 2019February 26, 2019

WordServe News February 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

The latest title in the 100 Days Devotional Series from Stephen Artburn, 100 Days of Peace Devotional, releases March 1, 2019.

Experience the peace that comes from spending time in God’s presence with this daily devotional! Bound in a beautifully embossed imitation leather and packed with topics from growing in faith to trusting in the Lord, each of the 100 devotions provides a short reflection, a key Bible verse, an inspiring quote, and a prayer that will root your character in God’s Word and show you the importance of building up your character and passing it on to the next generation.

Daily devotions on 100 topics that encourage finding peace in God’s care
Thought-provoking quotes
Powerful prayers inspired by Scripture
5-minute devotions with further study option

Peace can be scarce in these turbulent times. How can you find the genuine peace that Jesus promises us? This daily devotional by beloved author Stephen Arterburn will help you do just that. Each day’s reading encourages you to spend a few minutes thinking about ways that you and God, working together, can overcome your challenges, organize your life, focus your thoughts, and follow the path that your heavenly Father intends for you to take. This devotional contains biblically-based hope for life’s tough times.

Congratulations Kara Powell & Steven Argue on the March 5, 2019 release of Growing With: Every Parent’s Guide to helping Teenagers and Young Adults Thrive in their Faith, Family, and Future from Baker Books.

Parenting that changes your kids and changes you.

Many parents of a teenager or young adult feel as though they’re guessing about what to do next–with mixed results. We want to stay connected with our maturing child, but we’re not sure how. And deep down, we fear our child doesn’t want or need us. But growing up doesn’t have to mean growing apart.

Based on brand-new research and interviews with remarkable families, Growing With equips parents to take steps toward their teenagers and young adults in a mutual journey of intentional growth that trusts God to transform them all. By highlighting three groundbreaking family strategies, authors Kara Powell and Steven Argue show parents that it’s never too early or too late to:

– accept the child you have, not the child you wish you had
– work toward solutions rather than only identifying problems
– develop empathy that nudges rather than judges
– fight for your child, not against them
– connect your children with a faith and church big enough to handle their doubts and struggles
– dive into tough discussions about dating, career, and finances
– and unleash your child’s passions and talents to change our world

For any parent who longs for their kids to keep their roots even as they spread their wings, Growing With offers practical help and hope for the days–and years–ahead.

Congratulations to Jim Burns and Zondervan for the March 26, 2019 release of the paperback version of: Doing Life with Your Adult Children: Keep Your Mouth Shut and the Welcome Mat Out.

If you have an adult child, you know that parenting doesn’t stop when a child reaches the age of eighteen. In many ways, it gets more complicated. Both your heart and your head are as involved as ever, whether your child lives under your roof or rarely stays in contact.

In Doing Life with Your Adult Children, parenting expert Jim Burns helps you navigate the toughest and the most rewarding parts of parenting your grown kids. Speaking from his own personal and professional experience, Burns offers practical answers to questions such as these:

Is it OK to give advice to my grown child?
What’s the difference between enabling and helping?
What boundaries should I have if my child moves back home?
What do I do when my child doesn’t seem to be maturing into adulthood?
How do I relate to my grown child’s significant other?
What does it mean to have healthy financial boundaries?
How can I support my grown children when I don’t support their values?

Including positive principles on bringing kids back to faith, ideas on how to leave a legacy as a grandparent, and encouragement for every changing season, Doing Life with Your Adult Children is a unique book on your changing role in a calling that never ends.

Congratulations to author Kathryn Graves and BroadStreet Publishing on the April 2, 2019 release of the new devotional, Fashioned By God.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14 NKJV

True beauty lies within, but no one wants to look like a hot mess!

Fashioned by God is a 30-day devotional that mixes fashion and faith to help you look and feel your best. Each day offers a Bible verse, spiritual lesson, prayer, questions for your heart, actions for your wardrobe, and an inspirational quote from a style icon.

Learn to:
– recognize the difference between fads and fashion,
– honor God with your personal style,
– declutter your closet and your heart,
– outfit your wardrobe with flattering essentials
– combine pieces you already own for new, chic outfits.

You don’t have to dread opening your closet every morning. Master the elements of style and be encouraged to deepen your walk with Christ.

Contracts

Margot Starbuck signed with Thomas Nelson for A Grown Woman’s Guide to Online Dating, due for release early summer 2020.

Shellie Thomlinson signed with Rengery for her book, Regardless, to be released in 2020.

Congratulations to Jeff & Cheryl Scruggs for their contract with Optimism Entertainment, LLC for exclusive motion picture and television rights for I Do Again.

Jamie Sumner signed a two-book deal with Atheneum (Simon & Schuster) for her next two middle-grade novels. They are due to be published in 2020 and 2021.

Anita Agers-Brooks, Kathy Graves, and Karen Jordan signed with Bold Vision Books for their book Woven. Intended to help women untangle difficult emotions and find the confidence, rest, and focus they were created for, it will publish in 2020.

New Clients

TullianTchividjian, Ron Hutchcraft signed with WordServe in February. Welcome!

What We’re Celebrating

Congratulations to Jamie Erickson on her new podcast, Mom to Mom – A Podcast for Every Mom For Every Season with Kate Battistelli and September McCarthy. Subscribe today!

September 29, 2016September 27, 2016

WordServe News: September 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

Stephen Arterburn and Dave Stoop released Take Your Life Back with Tyndale Momentum. Your past circumstances don’t have to define you, and they don’t have to determine the direction of your life. This book offers proven advice to help readers move from reactive attitudes and behaviors to healthy, God-honoring ones. Two additional resources are also available: the Take Your Life Back Workbook, and the Take Your Life Back Day by Day devotional.

Sara Davison released The Morning Star Rises, Book 3 in The Seven Trilogy, with Ashberry Lane. As martial law continues in Canada in 2054, Meryn O’Reilly faces a dark and uncertain future after shocking revelations devastate her life. She is determined to follow God’s call, but her plans could cost her everything. She struggles to surrender everything to a God who is always in control, even when circumstances suggest otherwise.

Jan Drexler released Mattie’s Pledge with Revell. The second book in Jan’s Journey to Pleasant Prairie series, Mattie’s Pledge offers readers a poignant glimpse into Amish life in the 1840s, including the Amish migration west from Pennsylvania–and into the yearning heart of a character they won’t soon forget.

Leslie Leyland Fields released Crossing the Waters with NavPress. The gospels are set in a rich maritime culture on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, yet we’ve missed much of this perspective―until now. Leslie Leyland Fields―a longtime Alaskan fisherwoman―takes us out on the Sea of Galilee, through a rugged season of commercial fishing with her family in Alaska, and through the waters of the New Testament.

Jim and Lynne Jackson released Discipline that Connects with Your Child’s Heart with Bethany House. Did you know that the way we deal (or don’t deal) with our kids’ misbehavior shapes their beliefs about themselves, the world, and God? With warmth and grace, Jim and Lynne Jackson, founders of Connected Families, offer four tried-and-true keys to handling any behavioral issues with love, truth, and authority.

April Knight released ScriptureDoodle with Cook, a 6-week devotional experience to help readers connect creatively with the Word of God. Exploring topics such as being generous, finding rest, facing grief, and more, this devotional provides inspiring exercises, prompts, and ready-to-color designs to give your heart the creative space it needs while helping you integrate God’s Word into everyday life.

Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Brad Griffin released Growing Young with Baker Books. Churches are losing both members and vitality as increasing numbers of young people disengage. Based on groundbreaking research with over 250 of the nation’s leading congregations, Growing Young provides a strategy any church can use to involve and retain teenagers and young adults.

Shellie Rushing Tomlinson released Hungry is a Mighty Fine Sauce with Shiloh Run Press. Tomlinson, the Belle of All Things Southern, serves up down-home southern dishes with a healthy side of laugh-out-loud entertainment in the book, which features dozens of tried-and-true recipes complemented by entertaining stories.

New Contracts

Chris Conlee signed a two-book deal with Baker Books. The first book, Love Works, will look at biblical love and how to put it to work in our lives, and will release at the end of 2017.

Craig Selness signed with Worthy Publishing for his book How to Manage Your Pain Without Becoming One, addressing the reality of chronic pain and encouraging and equipping the reader to endure and still thrive.

New Clients

Wendy Holtz, Gwen Ellis, and Scott Watson signed with WordServe this month. Welcome!

What We’re Celebrating

The California Gold Rush Romance Collection, which includes contributions from Dianne Christner, hit the EPCA Bestsellers list for September.

Terry Brennan’s book The Aleppo Code won the 2016 Carol Award for excellence in Christian fiction in the Mystery/Suspense/Thriller category. Congratulations, Terry!

Sara Davison’s new release, The Morning Star Rises, received a glowing review from RT Book Reviews.

July 7, 2015June 29, 2015

Delightful Drudgery

Three cheers for the delightful drudgery of the writing life!

Hip hip hooray! Hip hip hooray! Hip, hip… what was that? Hit the brakes, Hemingway.

Wouldn’t delightful drudgery be an oxymoron? Yes, I suppose so but I can’t think of anything that more perfectly describes the process of putting words on a page.

Writing is delightful.

Writing is drudgery.

Writing is delightful drudgery and I’m equally familiar with both.

I know the drudgery of wearing the letters off my backspace key waiting for a sentence or two to show up that’s even a tad worthy of remaining on the page. And I know the delightful feeling of having thoughts tumble out until they almost seem to be writing themselves. Yet another irony of the writing life is how often those two experiences meet in the same bottom-in-chair sessions.

But, here’s the thing. I’ve decided we’re the better for it, that the delight is sweet precisely because we’ve been given the gift of staring that drudgery down, and we can’t have one without the other. And now, I’m not just talking writing anymore…

Someone once said that life is mostly about showing up. Maybe. That might be true, if voting present is the ultimate goal. But for any who want more, God gives opportunities not only to show up to life, but to put our heads down and our shoulders to the plow of whatever tasks He has given us. Not once, but over and over again we’re blessed to ignore the barren landscape and accept the drudgery that feels futile–until that day.

Until that day the seed of our very hard thing germinates and begins to sprout and we pause to wipe our brows and glance down, only to stand shell-shocked at the early shoots reaching up to meet us.

Isn’t this delightful drudgery thing something like what Christ did when He wrapped Himself in our skin? He showed us how to do the everyday things, day after day, until that one glorious day when He set everything right and reconciled us to His Father and ours on the cross. All those days He spent traipsing this earth in dusty sandals was worth it to Him because He knew He was up to more than what the casual observer could see.

This is what lights my word fire. When we refuse to begrudge the drudgery, we get to taste the delight.

Tell me about that hard thing you’ve stuck with that brought delight when all was said and done?

May 31, 2015May 29, 2015

WordServe News: May 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

Mary Davis released Winning Olivia’s Heart with Heartsong Presents, the third book in her series with Heartsong.

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Robert Morris, with agency client Marcus Brotherton released Truly Free with Thomas

Nelson publishers.

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Joe L. Wheeler released My Favorite Miracle Stories with Pacific Press.

New WordServe Clients

Jared Boyd and Karon Phillips signed with Wordserve Literary!

What We’re Celebrating!!

Cheri Fuller was interviewed on the Focus on the Family Radio Broadcast. Listen here.

Lauren Scruggs and Lisa Velthouse’s book Your Beautiful Heart came in at #1 on the NYT Bestseller list for Fashion, Manners, Customs. See the full list here!

Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers (The Writing Sisters) are a finalist in the 2015 Selah Awards for The Shepherd’s Song in Women’s Contemporary Fiction.

Margot Starbuck is a finalist in the 2015 Selah Awards for Not Who I Imagined in Nonfiction Christian Living.

Shellie Tomlinson is a finalist in the 2015 Selah Awards for Heart Wide Open in general nonfiction!

February 1, 2015January 29, 2015

Drag Ugly Into the Light

There’s this song, Empty Me by Chris Sligh. The lyrics strip me down every time I play it…

“I’ve had just enough of the spotlight
when it burns bright
to see how it gets in the blood
and I’ve tasted my share
of the sweet life
and the wild ride
and found a little
is not quite enough.
I know how I can stray
and how fast my heart could change.”

It’s not that I’ve seen that much of the spotlight, just enough of it to identify with Chris’ words– to know how quickly man’s approval can become addictive.

I think you get those lyrics, too. You may not have occupied a platform or a stage, but you’ve done something at some point well enough to elicit praise. You wrote, sang, photographed, cooked, helped, coached, nursed or gave. Add to the list until you see yourself, but whatever was produced from your efforts was recognized and appreciated — and it sat well with you.

We give ourselves to man’s approval like a dog to a belly rub. And just like our pets nudge us when our attention strays and our hands grow still, we can find ourselves stretching for the next pat on the head.

At least, I can.

Allow me to swallow hard and go all first person. It’s painfully embarrassing to admit key stroke by public key stroke that I like a “You go, girl” as much as the next person, but it’s worth dragging it into the light because that part of me stands in opposition to the approval I most long to hear.

Well done, my good and faithful servant.

crossspotlight

I can’t reconcile the two. They’re light and dark, flesh and spirit.

On my own I can’t even see when I’ve slipped from worshiping the I Am to the age-old battle of recognize me. The Lover of My Soul has to call me out. Always He gives me the option of admitting and submitting, relenting and repenting, but once I do He moves tenderly and purposefully. Under His skilled hands, the lesser things of this life are cut away and my sore hearts beats with new passion.

This last pass under His sweet healing knife came as I was preparing speeches for several upcoming events. I was moving along at a pretty good clip when I found a Rock in my road. Color me stunned when God slipped in without any fanfare and showed me that I was going about my preparations with a desire to “do well” at these events.

Do well? Whatever does that mean but to do well so I won’t be embarrassed, so I’ll be approved, to ensure further opportunities– for me…

Father and I have had quite a day. I think I know what He wants me to do and say. Oh, the speeches aren’t totally wrapped up or set in stone. God knows He is welcome to pull them and start all over should He choose, and that’s the sweetest place on earth to be.

See, there’s another line I adore from Chris’ song,

Everything’s a lesser thing compared to You.

And so, I pull all of this ugliness out into the can’t take it back written world because if I don’t know anything else, I know this: My ugly can’t survive in the Light of Who He is but a yielded spirit thrives there.

I will always appreciate a kind word from you, but I aim to live on His for they are spirit and they are life.

All that said, this coming weekend I’ll be ministering with Dr. Joneal Kirby, known as The Heart Mom, the women of A&E’s Duck Dynasty, and a host of other exceptional speakers and worship leaders at the Inaugural Heart to Home Conference in Monroe, LA! I would appreciate your prayer support. Oh, and it’s not too late for you to secure a ticket and join us. Or, if you can’t make the trip physically, you individually or your church group can participate in the simulcast. All of the details can be found here.

Hugs, Shellie

Can you share one of your “uglier” moments in this business that Father has had you drag into the light?

June 13, 2014June 6, 2014

Top 3 Ways Launching a Book is Like Birthing a Baby!

As you may have deduced from the heading, I’ve recently given birth to a new book baby. This is a little list I put together to celebrate the arrival of Heart Wide Open. It will bring you smack dab into my world.

It hit me when I was heavy with this last literary child. Launching a book feels a lot like birthing a baby. I’ve done both. Granted, it’s been a while since I birthed my human offspring but that’s not something a girl forgets. Drawing on those delightful memories, I give you:

TOP THREE WAYS LAUNCHING A BOOK IS LIKE BIRTHING A BABY

Number 3. When it comes time to have a book/baby, you will be thrilled because you have made it to the big day without inflicting pain on the people who use their outside voices inside to inquire, “When on earth is that book/baby of yours coming out anyway?” (The temptation to use violence will be strongest when the question is asked as if you don’t want to share your little bundle of joy with the world but are keeping him/her/it all to yourself in a fit of spite.)

Number 2. When it comes time to have a book/baby you may find yourself in a phenomena called “nesting”. It’s a sudden urge to tidy up the place before you hit the road. If you are a southern belle, this can probably be attributed to the indoctrination you received from your southern mama. She who has likely spent years warning that if you should die in a traffic accident or, heaven forbid, be knocked in the back of the head by someone up to no good while you’re walking into your hotel room, knows the whole world would then find your house in disarray. (If you are a well-raised southern girl, you will not mention to her that should you die, you would never know if someone found your dust-bunnies or not.)

And the Number 1 way launching a book is like birthing a baby–

When it comes time to have a book/baby, you may have all sorts of well-laid plans about the launch and you may have made all sorts of vows to yourself as to how you’re going to handle the details/promotion/heavy labor with grace and aplomb. Warning: These intentions might fall like a house of cards and you will wonder if and when you can have anesthesia.

I thought of more earlier, but the baby is here and she and I need our rest. I will be asleep in .02 seconds but do leave me a note. I’ll be sure and get back to you because your comments are very important to us. (Sounding like an automated recording is yet another sign that the details are getting to you.)

Happy Writing, friends.

Hugs, Shellie

Now tell me, what similarities have I missed?

May 16, 2014May 10, 2014

Words from Another World

“Sticks and stones might break my bones but words will never hurt me!” Wrong.

As an adult I’ve long since conceded that the childhood nursery rhyme we sang to protect ourselves couldn’t be further from the truth. I no longer deny that words can inflict lasting pain but my fascination is with their power to change the world.

This ability of ours to communicate, it’s combustible.

Picture if you will the disciples of Christ sitting in an upper room waiting and praying, praying and waiting. Before leaving in the clouds, Jesus had promised to send them power to take His message to the ends of the earth. He didn’t tell them what this power would look like or how long they’d have to wait for it, only that they must.

Finally, after days and nights of waiting, after all the anticipation and questions surrounding this mysterious force Jesus had spoken of, after weeks of wondering what this supernatural aid might be and how they would wield it, God’s promised fire fell “as cloven tongues of fire.”

How interesting. Fiery cloven tongues of an other-worldly origin.

I find it fascinating that out of all the body parts the writer could’ve used to describe this amazing scene when God’s fire power fell on man, he chose a human tongue. What a visual of God’s plan to employ these fleshy instruments of ours to speak from the understanding of one human to that of another, each witnessing of the consuming fire lit in his or her heart.

In light of such a mission, is it any wonder that we’re so strictly charged to monitor our tongues and the power of language? How can we allow ourselves to use whatever words we want with whomever we want whenever we want-–knowing that God has chosen these same tongues as holy messengers to take His gospel into all the world?

From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. James 3:10

For those of us who feel called to write, these questions should weigh even heavier.

My prayer is for our words and our tongues to have fire power because they’re yielded to His will instead of our whim.

Hugs, Shellie

April 30, 2014April 25, 2014

WordServe News: April 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

Sandra Bricker released her second contemporary fairy tale with Moody, Rise and Shine.

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Roberta Kells Dorr with River North released a repackaged edition of The Sons of Isaac.

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Jonathan McKee released Guy’s Guide to God, Girls, and the Phone inYour Pocket with Barbour publishing.

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Lynn Morris released The Baron’s Honourable Daughter with FaithWords.

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Shellie Rushing Tomlinson with Waterbrook/Multnomah released a companion DVD to the nonfiction title Heart Wide Open.

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Susie Shellenberger with Kristin Weber released Smart Girl’s Guide to God, Guys and the Galaxy with Barbour publishing.

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Chuck Tatum with Tantor Media released an audio version of his book Red Blood, Black Sand.

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MaryLu Tyndall with Barbour publishing, released a compilation of her Surrender to Destiny series in a book by the same name.

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Joe Wheeler released two titles with eChristian: Only God Can Make a Dad and A Mother’s Face is Her Child’s First Heaven.

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Mike Yorkey’s recent title with Ben & Julianna Zobrist, Double Play, was released on audio book.

New WordServe Clients

Pam Cable, fiction author, signed with agent Sarah Freese.

New Contracts

Marcus Brotherton signed a deal with Thomas Nelson publishers as a collaborator with Robert Morris for the forthcoming title Free Indeed. Greg Johnson, agent of record.

Michelle Griep signed a contract with Barbour publishers for her novel, Brentwood’s Ward. Sarah Freese, agent of record.

Robert Wise signed a contract with Barbour publishers for his book Bible Lands: An Illustrated Guide to Scriptural Places. Greg Johnson, agent of record.

What We’re Celebrating!!

Long-time client Robert Wise was granted a private audience with Pope Francis in Rome. Read the full post here.

The Wordserve Water Cooler was named, once again, as one of Writer’s Digest’s BEST 101 Websites for writers!!

March 30, 2014March 22, 2014

Words from Another World

“Sticks and stones might break my bones but words will never hurt me!”

Wrong. As adults we’ve long since figured out that childhood nursery rhyme we sang to protect ourselves couldn’t be further from the truth. We no longer deny that words can be mighty painful. As authors, what both fascinates and challenges us is their power to change the world, and it’s all by Divine design.

Picture, if you will, the disciples of Christ sitting in an upper room waiting and praying, praying and waiting. Before leaving in the clouds, Jesus had promised to send them power to take His message to the ends of the earth. He didn’t tell them what this power would look like or how long they’d have to wait for it, only that they must.

How strange. Fiery cloven tongues uttering words of an other-worldly origin.

I find it fascinating that out of all the body parts the writer could’ve used to describe this amazing scene when God’s fire power fell on man, He chose a human tongue. What a visual of God’s plan to employ these fleshy instruments of ours to speak from the understanding of one human to that of another, each one witnessing of the consuming fire lit in his or her heart.

That said, is it any wonder that we’re so strictly charged to monitor our tongues and the power of language?

How can we allow ourselves to use whatever words we want with whomever we want whenever we want, knowing that God has chosen these same tongues as holy messengers to take His gospel into all the world?

Hugs, Shellie