Author’s New Book Receives a Warm Literary Welcome

posted on

Readers' Favorite 5 Star Review Seal

Readers’ Favorite announces the review of the Children – Social Issues book Why Did You Choose Me? by Katie Cruice Smith, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/162020603X. Why Did You Choose Me? received a Readers’ Favorite 5-star review!

 

Reviewed By Vernita Naylor for Readers’ Favorite:

In today’s culture, there are so many children awaiting adoption. Children are a special gift and should be treated as such. As adults, it is our job to be the leaders, heroes and the protectors of our children and their well-being. There are so many different circumstances that cause a child to be placed in the foster care system. Why Did You Choose Me? by Katie Cruice Smith offers a great set of answers to those sensitive questions that a foster child may ask. Your answers to their questions could either help or hurt your child, not only in their development, but in how they see the world and themselves. Katie is a foster mother to three children and when they asked ‘Why me?’ she wanted to provide them with answers that would offer comfort, peace, and transparency. All children and especially foster children need to know that they’re wanted, needed and have a stable place to call their own. The beauty in the way that Katie answers these questions shows the love and patience that any parent should display when answering them. With just one wrong response we can do harm to a child’s emotions, confidence, and self-esteem.

This is a great book because as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) I specialized in emancipated youth and they have the same questions as well, despite their transitioning from a child to an adult. They confided in me that at times they would mess up their adoption situation because they couldn’t believe that anyone wanted them after having being abandoned by their birth parents. Their initial feeling of abandonment and loneliness caused them to disbelieve what their foster parents said. This book helps to display to these children that they are not alone. Foster children feel that they have to be perfect, either academically or be talented, but little do they realize that no one is perfect; it is a parent’s job to show them that they matter.

You can find out more about Why Did You Choose Me? here.

Why Did You Choose Me

Apply for the “Why Did You Choose Me?” Launch Team

posted on

Ambassador International is presently accepting applications for the Why Did You Choose Me? Launch Team!

Most adoptive and foster children struggle at some point in their life with knowing who they are and where they belong. They want to ask questions, and parents need to be prepared with an answer that helps their child feel loved and secure.

After searching for adoption storybooks to read to her own adopted children, Katie Cruice Smith decided that there was a need for more books that parents could read at bedtime to connect with their adopted and fostered children.

In Why Did You Choose Me?, Katie Cruice Smith answers that question in a way that young children can understand. Drawing from her own experience as an adoptive mom to three children, Katie uses the questions her own children have asked to help them see there never really was a choice she knew right away that they were hers.

With beautiful illustrations by artist Sarah Strickling Jones, Why Did You Choose Me? lovingly demonstrates the uniqueness that each child brings to a family and is one book that should be in the homes of all adoptive families—and we’d like your help to make that happen!

 

Why Did You Choose Me

Apply here.

Applications will be accepted through 8/9/2017 and selectees will be notified by email by 8/11/2017.

Endorsements for Why Did You Choose Me?:

Why Did You Choose Me? explores a familiar adoption theme, but is pleasantly unpredictable. The illustrations are sure to put a smile on your child s face, and your own. Though the book is written in rhyme, the verse is not sing-songy and the book has just enough sophistication to be enjoyed by everyone.
Dr. Daniel Nehrbass
President of Nightlight Christian Adoptions

Why Did You Choose Me? is a perfectly simple way to make any adopted child feel like they are exactly where they need to be! When our daughter asks why we chose her to be a part of our family, even though she looks different than us, this book will be invaluable to communicate our love for her. I am always thankful for books that help to aide us in communicating with our child about adoption.
Shannon Patterson
Adoptive mom and President of Bethany Christian Services Board in Greenville, SC

As a foster parent myself, I believe Why Did You Choose Me? is the perfect emotional journey to answering the very sensitive question all foster/adoptive children want to know and would recommend families add it to their library.
Robert Whitney
Thornwell Foster Care Recruiter

As one who has served adoptive families for a decade, I’ve had countless parents ask me, “How do I talk to my children about adoption?” Now, after all these years, I finally have a go-to answer: “Read Katie Cruice Smith’s Why Did You Choose Me? to them, over and over.”
Dan Cruver
Co-founder of Together for Adoption, Author of Reclaiming Adoption

As any adoptive parent will tell you, our adopted children do ask many times, “Why did you choose me?” Now my clients who adopt have a fun and colorful resource to touch on and answer this all-important question. Katie Cruice Smith and Sarah Strickling Jones have prepared a learning tool adaptable to a child’s early years, which allows an adopted child and her parents to connect on different levels with the topic of adoption. Your child will laugh and smile while learning about adoption, love, and acceptance. I will be buying Why Did You Choose Me? for all my adoptive couples!
Raymond W. Godwin
Father of two adopted daughters and adoption lawyer in Greenville, SC
Co-author of The Complete Adoption Book

Why Did You Choose Me? is tender, genuine, and refreshing, and it does this adoptive mom’s heart and soul some good. Our daughter, from India, is now asking this very same question proposed in the book. This thoughtfully written and charmingly illustrated book is a great reminder to her of how special and unique she is, and it is a great reminder to her mom (me) of the beautiful gift of adoption. Any family, adopting or not, will be blessed by this sweet story.
Kelly McCorkle Parkison
Adoptive mom and author of He Knows Her Name

Christmas in July SALE!

posted on

To celebrate Christmas in July, we’re running a HUGE selection of titles for just 99 cents each! Check out the whole list below!

 

Visit From a Shepherd Boy

Sunrise in Another Land

God’s Sustaining Power

Johanna’s Journey

Josiah Whitby

Laurie’s Story

Look Up

Lukewarm

Magnus Kir

Make Us Proud

Mighty Through God

My Dad’s Birthday Surprise

On the Edge

Patch Town

Pictures in Glass Frames: A Devotional

Power Grid

Sebiya

Silo Country

Songs from a Quiet Heart

Spiritual Exercise: Tone, Stretch and Strengthen Your Faith

The 7 Indisputable Laws of Financial Leadership: Why Money Management is a Thing of the Past

The Call of a Caregiver: Finding Comfort

Wake Up Church: How to be Ready for the Return of Christ

The Children are Tender

The Cure: Prescription for Life

The Divine Love of God: Are You Accepting or Rejecting It?

The Double Cousins and the Mystery of Custer’s Gold

The Double Cousins and the Mystery of the Russian Jewels

The Double Cousins and the Mystery of the Torn Map

The Secret of Nexus: Discover the Hidden Truth of Leadership

The Shadow Things

The Shelter: Finding Strength to Keep Watch

The Soldier’s Cross

The Song of the Viola

The Voice of God: Experience A Life-Changing Relationship with the Lord

Those Who Wait on the Lord

Useful Maxims: In a World of Empty Speak

We Weren’t Finished Being Parents: When You Lose Your Only Child

What If: A Devotional

Wherein The Lilies Grow

Why Me?: Reasoning with God’s Sovereignty in the Midst of Suffering

Women of the Secret Place: A Collection of Inspirational Stories and Personal Moments with God

Happy Father’s Day from Ambassador International

posted on

Father's Day

In honor of Father’s Day and all the great dads in our lives, Ambassador International has selected an array of books to put on sale.

Armorbearers: There is a desperate need for effective leadership today: in our nation, in our churches, in our families, and even in ourselves. The Bible uses the term armorbearer to describe leaders who offer help, support and strength to those around them. These types of servant-leaders are needed now more than ever. Using Scripture as the guide, Armorbearers takes readers down a path of self-discovery, pursuing greatness by developing character that is forged on the anvil of self-restraint and tested through the heat of self-discipline. Packed with inspiring stories and powerful lessons, Armorbearers reveals the four revolutionary choices every leader must make, risking their own significance in order to encounter God in life-altering ways. Are you ready to become an armorbearer? Find it here.

You’re the Husband: Your wife needs you. God calls men to be exceptional, extraordinary, and exemplary. Somewhere between the Garden of Eden and the invention of the latest video game console, this concept got completely lost on a huge population of young men in our modern society. You’re the Husband seeks to provide a road map for men as they navigate through marriage. God did not design it to be easy, nor did He design it to be perfect or everlasting. Instead, He designed marriage to be full of commitment, sacrifice, and service. He has designed marriage to sanctify. You’re the Husband examines the biblical pillars of being a husband—where love and responsibility come together to produce a godly marriage. Find it here.

I Can Stand on Mountains: I Can Stand on Mountains assumes that each of the mountains mentioned in the Bible has a unique meaning and significance. They are more than topographical features; they are spiritual icons for us to understand.  Then, as the meaning of each mountain comes to light we find that God cannot be honored without faith; that He is capable of great wrath and great mercy, both; that He has a standard of conduct for all humans for all time; that He relates to us by grace and that He has appointed us to share that message with a fallen race, and more.  And, He promises that He, personally, is the resource we need to reach pinnacles of the right mountains. “The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He makes me go on the heights.” Habakkuk 3:19a. Find it here.

Miracle Man: October 17, 2012 started as any other day for Navy airman and fitness trainer Brett Parks until he heard screams for help. Without hesitation, he ran towards the sound and apprehended the mugger, unaware that the criminal had a gun. Moments later, the attacker fired a devastating shot directly into Brett’s body. The bullet shredded Brett’s kidney, pierced his intestines, and destroyed several inches of the largest vein in his body. Three sets of surgeons’ hands applied pressure inside Brett’s open stomach to stop the bleeding while nurses delivered coolers full of blood to the operating room every 15 minutes. As the medical team worked fervently to save Brett’s life, his wife received the bleak news that their unborn daughter and young son may grow up without a father. But the God whom Brett had given his life to years before had other plans. After a medical battle that included a 20-day coma, multiple surgeries, and an unexpected amputation, Brett emerged from his coma to begin a long and challenging recovery—medically and spiritually. Miracle Man details Brett Parks recovery as he experienced it and the miracles and greatness of our God in heaven; however, Miracle Man is less about Brett and more about what God has done through his story. Miracle Man: A Bullet that Ignited a Purpose-Filled Life shows readers how to:
• prepare (by doing what God puts in front of you),
• set goals (by being who God wants you to be), and
• never give up (because God has a purpose for your life that only you can fulfill). Find it here.

“The High Calling of Motherhood” Study Guide Freebie!

posted on

Hey Moms! If you bought, or received a copy of “The High Calling of Motherhood” we have a special freebie for you!

First, take a selfie of you holding your copy of “The High Calling of Motherhood” and share it on social media with the hashtag: HighCallingofMotherhood (#HighCallingofMotherhood). Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest! Then, send a screenshot of your post to [email protected] and you’ll get a FREE copy of the “High Calling of Motherhood Study Guide“! We’re running this promotion for the month of May, after that the price of the study guide will be $1.99. Post now to get your freebie!

Memorial Day Sale benefitting Upstate Warrior Solution

posted on

In honor of Memorial Day, 10% of every purchase made on Ambassador’s retail store using code UWS will go to the Upstate Warrior Solution (upstatewarriorsolution.org). Upstate Warrior Solution is a nonprofit organization that CONNECTS warriors and their families to resources and opportunities, LEADS them through the process of self-empowerment, and INSPIRES the community to embrace local warriors and their families as valued neighbors and friends.

Check out our featured books: The Warriors Bride and Finding Joy by our military spouse authors Carrie Daws and Kathy Barnett and Hope Griffin.  

Go to store.ambassador-international.com and use code UWS for 10% off your purchase as well! 

Find Upstate Warrior Solution on Facebook and Twitter and keep up-to-date with this great organization!

Honoring all the Mothers of Our Lives

posted on

Mothers Day

In honor of all mothers, both authors and readers, Ambassador International has selected an array of books to put on sale. These books are written by and/or for mothers. Thank you, moms! We couldn’t do life without you!

Good Morning, Beautiful: At two-and-a-half, Christina was autistic. She didn’t speak and had the cognitive ability of an infant. With one-hundred seizures a day, her life was being ripped away by a relentless villain epilepsy. When doctors gave up, we hung on to hope and became her advocates, researching, praying and believing for a miracle. A special diet, with roots in Scripture, became the first miracle. Christina proved nothing is impossible when she repeated words to a song, Good Morning Beautiful. Extremely delayed, it was a huge milestone. Her story caught the attention of the national recording artist who recorded the song and prior to brain surgery, people around the world began praying for her. Now seizure and autism free, therapists cite services are no longer needed as Christina s file doesn’t match the patient. She made honor roll and still sings Good Morning, Beautiful. Find it here.

From Dishes to Snow: Bayne Harris has lost everything she holds dear in her life. Her husband and children are dead. She was the one who caused the accident—the one behind the wheel. She cannot escape that night as it continuously haunts her thoughts. A year after they’re gone, nothing has changed. The memories are still unbearable. She can’t breathe. She can’t function. She needs to get away. View Top Mountain provides the perfect escape. No one will bother her there. No one will want to check on her or talk about what happened. She can live her life alone, away from do-gooders and any chance of happiness. This is her plan, but she soon finds out God has something else in store. Find it here.

From Driftwood to Sapphire: Samantha Jordan spent her entire life within a family unit of two—herself and her father, Wren—until Bay Harris came into their lives. Now, with the addition of a stepmother, a little sister, and another sister on the way, the family unit has stretched itself to a loving number of five. She enters her senior year at Brenton College hopeful and happy, planning to make the most of her last year as a student. Although her best friend has graduated, leaving her to a freshman roommate with unusual social problems, Samantha still has Trevor James, a driven and handsome friend from her hometown, View Top Mountain. However, when tragedy occurs and secrets are revealed, Samantha’s world turns upside down and her trust in God is tested. Find it here.

Grace in the Middle: “You are beautiful, little girl of mine,” Wendy Duke whispered over her newborn daughter. It was a still moment amidst the turmoil of birth defects and a life-threatening illness. Grace in the Middle is a memoir recounting one young couple’s struggle to hold on to an unraveling faith during the greatest crisis of their lives. Heartbreaking, triumphant, and funny in just the right places, this inspiring story is an authentic reflection on battling and overcoming physical illness and disability, resisting the dark doubts that plague us in the midst of tragedy, and trusting the faithfulness of God through the deep twists and turns of life. Find it here.

Rebecca Stubbs: Rebecca Stubbs, the beloved daughter of a conscientious village vicar in Victorian England, has always enjoyed a sheltered, idyllic childhood. Her parents work tirelessly for their small farm community, aiding both the church and the poor. When an unexpected outbreak of fever rages through the town, Rebecca must face growing up alone. As she matures into womanhood, Rebecca finds that she is ill-prepared for her new world. With no home, no family, and few prospects, she is determined to make her own way in life. As a housemaid at Barton Manor, she struggles to find her place in a world of double standards and man-made rules. Can she keep her faith strong amidst a lonely life of domestic service? Must she always be a bystander, watching other people’s lives unfold and flourish? Or is there something else in store for her servant heart? Find it here.

Celebrate Life: Every day is a gift that we have been given from God and that’s something to celebrate! God blesses us daily with so many good things and sometimes we just need to slow down, look around at His creation, and enjoy the blessings He has given us! This book helps you celebrate those good things with your mate, your children, your church family, and your friends. It gives you ideas to plan a day once a month to do something fun and exciting with those you love and care for. Each celebration includes a theme, verses to read and meditate on, and recipes to make your celebrating special! Being together is such a good way to encourage each other, laugh with each other, and make some memories for years to come! Hopefully the ideas in this book will help you and even maybe spark a few ideas of your own! It might take a little extra work on your part, but it will be worth it! God is always good and we are always loved. Everyday is a gift He has given us and we get to choose how we live it. Let’s celebrate it! Find it here.

He Knows Her Name: There are an estimated 20 million orphans in the country of India. Thanks to Kelly and Scott Parkison, that number has decreased by one. Having promised to never return to India after her experience on the reality show The Amazing Race, Kelly never dreamed she would one day be a mother to a beautiful Indian girl named Lyla. This is the amazing and true story of how God uses the most unlikely circumstances for His greater purpose. Calling the Parkison’s adoption story a rollercoaster ride of emotion would be an understatement. After almost every major decision in the Parkison’s adoption process, God put a twist in their carefully laid plans only to lead them to greater opportunities. Faced with an overwhelming amount of fundraising, mountains of adoption paperwork, an unexpected pregnancy, a medical issue to patch with their new daughter, and the adjustment of bringing their child into a new culture, the Parkisons clung to God through their whirlwind adoption of Lyla. Their heartwarming story is a beautiful testament to the gift of adoption on this earth and the love of God for all of us as His children. Find it here.

Military Spouse Appreciation Day Twitter Party!

posted on

TwitterPartyWhat: Twitter Party! We are celebrating YOU on Military Spouse Appreciation Day!
When: May 12, 2017 at 8:00pm EST
Where: Twitter: Follow Ambassador International #AIchat to join the party
Chat with military spouses and authors Carrie Daws, The Warriors Bride: Biblical Strategies to Help the Military Spouse Thrive, and Hope Griffin, Finding Joy: The Year Apart that Made Me a Better Wife.

Win prizes! We will have patriotic giveaways and copies of these amazing books for our twitter party guests. Join the party and tweet your comments and questions to the authors for a chance to win!

 

RSVP below and be entered for a prize!

Military Spouse Appreciation Day Twitter Party!

Five Things about Abby Banks of “Love Him Anyway”

posted on

Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “Five Things” series. Abby Banks is the author of “Love Him Anyway” a powerful memoir about her son, Wyatt’s battle with a rare autoimmune disease. Here are Abby’s “five things”:

I love family movie night. Friday night is special at my house. It’s family movie night, and I look forward to it all week. We rent a movie, pop popcorn, shut all the lights off, and curl up under quilts on the couch. Each week a different family member gets to pick a movie. We don’t worry about cleaning up the kitchen or finishing the laundry. Friday is the one night of the week that is reserved for family time only. I’m trying to soak in every second of it before my kids figure out that I’m not as cool as they think I am. I’m expecting them to invite their dates to our family movie night when they get older. My ten-year-old currently agrees.

DSC_6298 copyI love minivans. I love driving a minivan. I realize that probably classifies me as being old and boring, but seriously, there is nothing I would rather drive. They’re comfy, convenient, and fit all my favorite people. All my son’s medical equipment fits easily in the back, and it’s the perfect height. I don’t have to hurt my back or strain to lift the kids in and out. I love that I only have to push a button to open and close the doors, and I can still open the sunroof and turn up the music to pretend like I’m young and trendy.

I was a liver donor. If you’ve already read Love Him Anyway, you know this about me already, but it’s worth repeating. At the age of 21, I became a liver donor for an amazing 9-year-old boy named Austin. God orchestrated the neatest series of events that allowed me to be an organ donor. It was none of my own doing. I had graduated from college a semester early. I had a job that allowed me the flexibility to make a quick decision. I was the right blood type, and I was young enough to hop in a car and head to Charleston, SC without fully understanding what I was getting myself into.

Becoming a little part of Austin was one of the greatest experiences of my life. That precious, redheaded boy gave me far more than I could have ever given him. God called Austin home not long after I donated my liver to him, and it was an honor for me to give my daughter his name. She was born exactly 9 years and one day after he celebrated his first day in Heaven. Her birth date is no coincidence, and I know she was meant to bear his name.

Hockey is my favorite sport. I’m a total sports junkie. As a little girl, I dreamed of being a sportscaster for ESPN. I watched it every day and soaked in as much trivia as I could. I was drawn into anything competitive, but hockey stole my heart. I love the speed, agility, and toughness of it. I was able to get an internship with the Greenville Grrrowl hockey team during college. I ended up spending six seasons working in media relations for the team. I loved every second of it, but the best part was when the Grrrowl won the 2002 Kelley Cup, the ECHL equivalent to the Stanley Cup. I even got my own championship ring.

I hate scary movies and medical dramas. I don’t understand the allure of scary movies and haunted houses. Fear is an emotion that I want to avoid at all cost. I certainly am not going to pay and willingly sit through something that’s sole purpose is to scare me. My husband, Jason, likes to say that people who love scary movies don’t spend enough time alone in the dark.Love Him Anyway

I can’t watch medical dramas either. I’ve spent too much time in a hospital, and they hit too close to home. My heart just can’t handle the stress. Instead of relaxing on the couch in front of the television, I find myself exhausted and mentally drained from medical dramas. I want entertainment to be as escape from reality, not a reminder of how difficult it can be. My television viewing primarily consists of sports, Disney movies, and comedies. Actually, that would be a lie. My television view currently consists of whatever the kids are watching. Currently, Mickey and the Roadster Racers is on repeat at our house.