Archive for the ‘Books’ Category

99¢ Fiction Sale: One Day Only!

posted on

For 24 hours we’ll be offering one of our new fiction releases for just 99¢! Pick up Debbie Gilliland’s new novel To Comfort a King for less than a buck for the Kindle or iOS devices during our one-day sale event. After Thursday the price will go up to $2.99 through the weekend and then it will return to regular price. If you need a great novel to read, check this one out! The book already has several 5-star reviews on Amazon including this one:

To Comfort a King“I had never paid any attention to the mention of the young Shunamite girl in I Kings 1:3-4. The story comes alive with great character development in a biblical setting. Enjoyable read that ended too soon!”

Synopsis: When Abishag leaves her home to fulfill the commission to comfort King David during his final months of life, she leaves behind a deaf sister, a small brother, and a father who is still grieving the death of his wife. Also left behind is Abishag’s betrothed, Joseph, who has already waited many months to claim his bride. Now, he must wait until Israel’s king no longer needs her. Torn from the comfort of her small village, Abishag is thrust into a world of unfamiliar customs, royal expectations, and palace intrigue. She is greeted suspiciously by the king’s concubines, warmly by Queen Bathsheba, and reluctantly by King David himself. Adonijah, the king’s son, is bitter over his father’s choice of Solomon as Israel’s next king. He determines to ruin Abishag to prevent her from being given as a prize to Solomon at their father’s death. Suffering personal losses, as well as scorn from much of the royal court, Abishag begins to question God’s goodness in placing her in the king’s service. Can she find someone there who understands that one who comforts the king is in great need of comfort herself? Will Abishag’s time with the king end in despair or joy?

BUY NOW: Kindle or iTunes

Pastor Issues Bible Memorization Challenge

posted on

Dr. Andrew Davis reveals techniques in new resource

For immediate release: Many Christians have at least a few Bible verses committed to memory, but Dr. Andrew Davis, senior pastor at First Baptist Church in Durham, North Carolina, is encouraging Christians to ramp up Scripture memorization. In his new book An Approach to Extended Memorization of Scripture, (Ambassador International; April 2014; $.99, eBook) Dr. Davis provides daily procedures for memorizing entire chapters and books of the Bible at one time. Davis has used these techniques to commit 35 books of the Bible to memory over the course of his ministry. He calls the practice of extended Scripture memorization “one of the most searching and rewarding exercises of spiritual and mental labor anyone could ever attempt.”

AnApproachtoExtendedMemorizationWell-known pastor Dr. John Piper used Dr. Davis’ techniques personally to commit Romans 1-8. Davis says there are many benefits to memorizing Scripture including:

  • Transforming our worldview from secular to heavenly.
  • Causing us to hate sin and fight it vigorously.
  • Helping us to withstand temptation.
  • Blessing lost people with a vivid presentation of the Gospel.
  • Gaining power and wisdom for counseling.

Earlier this year Ambassador International released Dr. Davis’ book An Infinite Journey: Growing Toward Christlikeness which provides a road map how we are to mature as Christians.

An Approach to Extended Memorization of Scripture is available as an eBook for just $.99. The goal is to make this resource readily available to help Christians enjoy the benefits of extended Scripture memorization. Readers can find additional resources including free printable Scripture memorization cards at Ambassador-International.com/memorization. “When Judgment Day comes, we will regret the waste of a single moment not used for the glory of Christ,” writes Davis. “We will, however, not regret one moment we spent diligently studying God’s Word and hiding it in our heart. We will only wish we’d spent more time doing this.”

About the Author: Dr. Andrew Davis has been Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church (FBC), Durham, NC, since 1998. He came to faith in Christ his junior year in college. In 1984, he graduated with a BSME from MIT, and worked for ten years as a mechanical engineer. Davis received his Master of Divinity degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 1990 and his PhD in Church History from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1998. Davis’s book An Infinite Journey: Growing Toward Christlikeness was published in 2014.

To connect with the author please contact publicist Alison Storm at [email protected].

– END –

99¢ Fiction Sale: One Day Only!

posted on

For 24 hours we’ll be offering one of our new fiction releases for just 99¢! Pick up Joanie Bruce’s new novel A Memory Worth Dying For for less than a buck for the Kindle or iOS devices during our one-day sale event. After Thursday the price will go up to $2.99 through the weekend and then it will return to regular price. If you love Christian suspense or just need a great novel to read, check this one out!

A Memory Worth Dying ForSynopsis: “Do Not Return To Texas!” Marti Rushing gets the message, loud and clear. If she returns to Texas, her life is in danger. If she stays in Tennessee, she’s safe. But when she receives a letter telling her that Daniel, her ex-husband and the love of her life, is dying, she knows she has to defy the stalker and return to Texas to see him. Is he the one stalking her, or is it someone with a deadly, sinister motive? Ignoring the deadly warnings, she leaves for Texas, but on the way there, the attempts on her life begin. Will she be able to evade her pursuer’s attacks? Or will Daniel’s face be the last one she sees?

BUY NOW: Kindle or iTunes

Five Things About Author Joanie Bruce

posted on

Learn more about your favorite Ambassador authors with our “Five Things” series. Author Joanie Bruce wrote the recently released book A Memory Worth Dying For, available now. It’s the anticipated follow up to her first novel, Alana Candler: Marked for MurderHere are Joanie’s “five things”:

I surprised my family when I told them I had a book accepted for publication. None of my family, even my husband, knew I was writing until I was completely done with the first manuscript. Fear of being incompetent as a writer kept me from sharing with my family, but love of clean, Christian suspense/romance books kept me writing anyway. My inspiration for improving my writing style comes from being an avid reader of “how to” books—how to create characters, add conflict, build suspense, and write from the correct point of view. Many of my friends are surprised that a former first grade teacher would find writing about murder and intrigue interesting, but I find it both challenging and fun. It’s a rewarding way to honor the Lord with the abilities He has given me.

Besides being an authW by Joanie Bruceor, I’m also an artist. The Lord has blessed me with the ability to paint portraits and has given me the wonderful opportunity to have pictures hanging in the governor’s private office in Atlanta, Georgia, the late Senator Charlie Norwood’s office in Washington, D.C. and a portrait of George Bush in the private collection of George and Laura Bush in Texas. The funny thing about this talent is that I never knew I could draw—especially not portraits—until about eleven years ago. God’s timing is always perfect!

I love music and play several musical instruments: piano, pedal harp, harmonica, and a little guitar. When I was in high school, I took drum lessons and played privately for a couple of years. I have to say, though, that the piano is my favorite. When I’m upset or tired, I play for relaxation and for inspiration. I’ve written several arrangements for popular hymns, and I thoroughly enjoy making up new arrangements on the piano. There is only one problem with this skill: I hate preforming in front of others. I hardly ever write my arrangements down because I play them from memory, and I’m sure you know how memory plays tricks on you when you’re in front of a crowd.  =)

I’ve actually milked a real cow. My husband was raised in the dairy business and was managing his own dairy when we married. Before we sold the dairy cows in 2012 and changed totally to beef, we celebrated thirty-three years of running our own dairy business. I have milked cows by hand, put on automatic milking machines, run calves through the pasture trying to steer them toward the loading chute, and fed baby calves with a bottle. For this city gal, born and raised in the city, living in the country was an experience. But I have to say … country living is the BEST. I love watching the gorgeous sunrises and sunsets from our house sitting high on the hill, and watching the beef cows grazing in the pasture in front of our home. There’s nothing like country living!

I hate loud noises that scare me to death: Balloons, mouse traps, smoke alarms, canned biscuits, and thunder are not my favorite things. I make my husband replace the battery in the smoke alarm when it warns of a weak battery because I can’t stand the anticipation of waiting for that loud “beep” that surprises you when the battery is first installed. I also make him open the canned biscuits, crescent rolls, or cinnamon rolls before I cook them. That “pop” when they burst open almost gives me a heart attack.

Upstate Donkey Gains Fame With New Children’s Book

posted on

Author Donna Thornton and Illustrator Lynne Pryor both live in Upstate

For immediate release: Drupelet the donkey, named after a tiny bump of juice on a raspberry, returns for another heartwarming tale in the newly released book, The Easter Donkey (Ambassador International; April 2014; $14.99, hardcover). Along with her farm pals from the 2011 hit The Christmas Donkey, readers will enjoy a fresh telling of the Easter story while following Drupelet’s journey to understand the gifts God has given to those who accept them.

Drupelet isn’t just a character in a book– she’s a real donkey living on an Upstate raspberry farm with a family that loves her just the way she is. Author The Easter DonkeyDonna Thornton grew to love children’s books while reading to her sons Robert and Stephen, but after they moved on to more mature stories, Donna started to write them. Her first book, The Christmas Donkey, experienced successful sales over the last three holiday seasons. “I hope The Easter Donkey is welcomed into many homes this spring,” says Thornton.

Illustrator Lynne Prior worked on the pieces for The Christmas Donkey while she battled breast cancer and partnered with Thornton again for this project. “These illustrations became very therapeutic and provided much comfort and laughter for me during a difficult time in life,” explains Lynne, who received a BFA in Studio Art from Columbia College.

For interview requests please contact publicist Alison Storm via email at [email protected].

Ambassador Author Partners with the American Widow Project

posted on

The following is a guest post from Ambassador author Beth Marshall. Her book A Time to Heal: A Grief Journal is an amazing resource for those who have lost a loved one. Beth recently partnered with the American Widow Project and hosted a workshop at the group’s Southern Hospitality Getaway.

It sounded like a typical coastal weekend as I approached the wrap around porch of the beach house. Conversation and laughter coming from inside- flip flops and sandy clothes on the rocking chairs. As the front door opened, I was introduced to twelve beautiful ladies. They had traveled from San Diego, Virginia, Minnesota, New Jersey, all over the country for a few days together at Folly Beach, SC.

American Widow ProjectIt had been a rainy start to the weekend, yet I didn’t hear the first word of complaining. I did hear about their surfing adventure and the amazing surf instructors who taught them the ropes. It was late March so I asked how they had survived the chilly Atlantic Ocean. Wet suits, they answered. One person compared the wet suit experience to trying on Spanx… only without the flattering results.

Twenty-four hours earlier most of these women were meeting for the first time; but the thread that instantly knit them together was a strong one. The event was the American Widow Project‘s Southern Hospitality Getaway. Each of these women has a story of crushing heartbreak, as she became part of a group she never expected to join- American military widows.

We introduced ourselves and started the workshop entitled, “This wasn’t supposed to happen!” What an understatement. We discussed the importance of honoring our heroes by writing about their lives.  Later we brainstormed ideas for dealing with stressful holidays- Valentine’s day, for example when it seems the world had been taken over by Hallmark cards and red hearts. A painful reminder of their new-found singleness.

We talked about the crazy things people say after a sudden death.

  • The good ones always die young.
  • At least you’re young, you can marry again.
  • I know just how you feel, my dog just died.

Seriously?  We referred to that part of the workshop as, “you can’t fix stupid.”

People from all over South Carolina sent gifts to honor our guests – beautiful music, Palmetto Moon gift cards, journals, hand crafted note cards and mug rugs, fried peanuts, pralines and shortbread-ish cookies. Southern goodness beyond words.

The American Widow Project founder and Executive Director, Taryn Davis has created an incredible environment for military widows to connect with other women who truly understand their pain. The events provide a place where it’s okay to cry; but it’s also okay to smile, laugh and embrace life again. I want to say a giant thank you to the hard-working staff, volunteers, and especially event coordinator, Danielle Schafer for making this life-changing weekend happen.

Image Credit

New Badges Available for Ambassador Book Reviewers

posted on

Are you one of the hundreds of bloggers that are a part of the Ambassador Blogger Review Program? Then we’d love to give you one of these free badges for your blog! If you’re not part of our review team, but would like to join please fill out this short form. Once you’re on the team you’ll receive emails featuring the latest Ambassador titles that are available for review based on your specified interests. Please feel free to resize these images for use on your blog or website and thank you for spreading the word about Ambassador International titles.

book-button2

Or grab this embed code: <a title=”https://ambassador-international.com/about/blogger-sign-up/” href=”https://ambassador-international.com/about/blogger-sign-up/” target=”_blank”><img alt=”book-button2″ src=”https://ambassador-international.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/book-button2.png” width=”400″ height=”400″ /></a>

book-button

You may also just copy and paste this embed code: <a title=”https://ambassador-international.com/about/blogger-sign-up/” href=”https://ambassador-international.com/about/blogger-sign-up/” target=”_blank”><img alt=”book-button” src=”https://ambassador-international.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/book-button1.png” width=”400″ height=”400″ /></a>

Book Exposes Dangers of Legalism

posted on

Pastor points readers to true holiness based on biblical motivations

For immediate release: From banning beards to requiring perfect Sunday school attendance, legalism is evident throughout the Christian community. Its results can be devastating as author Robert Pruitt points out in his new book Robots or Rebels: The Dangers of Growing Up a Legalist, and Biblical Motivations for True Holiness (Ambassador International; February 2014; $14.99, paperback.) The book is designed to help readers determine whether or not they have been adversely impacted by a legalistic family, church or parachurch ministry.

Robots or RebelsPacked with information about sources of legalism and the types of legalism, one thing readers will not find in the pages of Robots or Rebels is a list of legalistic ministries or organizations. “Isn’t that specificity one of the problems that accompanies legalism?” asks Pruitt. “Legalists want everything listed for them so they do not have to think, but this book is intended to encourage the hard work of thinking, and hopefully in a biblical way.” Some of the forms of legalism discussed in the book include:

  • Legalism is an error that equates law-keeping with salvation.
  • Legalism demands current obedience to Old Testament regulations that have been done away with by Christ.
  • Legalism is the error of creating extra-biblical standards but giving them biblical authority, thus placing them on an equal plane with truly biblical commands.

Pruitt says eventually life for these legalistic robots becomes lifeless. “The robot has been so thoroughly overwhelmed by the call for more and more stringent standards that he either cannot think biblically or he refuses to think biblically for fear of being thought of as a rebel,” writes Pruitt.  The book also dives into the characteristics of pleasure-seeking rebels who are often angry, prideful and materialistic. Pruitt aims to steer Christians away from either title, robots or rebels, into a longing to live in true holiness based on a love for Christ.

About the Author: Robert Pruitt has been serving as the pastor of Coloma Bible Church, in Coloma, MI, since the spring of 2005. Prior to that he pastored churches in Missouri, Virginia, and Kansas. In addition to his pastoral ministry he has also been involved in Christian camping ministries where he has been privileged to interact with many teenagers and pre-teens. He and his wife, Michele, have two daughters and three grandchildren.

To connect with the author please contact publicist Alison Storm at [email protected].

 

Author Shares Life’s Twisted, Unpredictable Journey in New Book

posted on

Speed Bumps and Roundabouts is about What Happens When the Road of Life Isn’t a Smooth Path

For immediate release: Pip McCracken had a plan, one that involved straight As, loads of friends, a handsome husband and angelic children. But her reality has taken her off course and head on with bullying, divorce and heart break. In Speed Bumps and Roundabouts (Ambassador International; February 2014; $14.99, paperback) McCracken explains how life is never the straightfoward journey we expect, but the scenery can be captivating. “One of my greatest wishes with my writing has always been that by telling people about the things I’ve been through, the things I’ve felt, they will know that they’re not alone,” says McCracken.

Speed Bumps and RoundaboutsMcCracken, a native of Northern Ireland now living in New Zealand, begins the book with an honest admission: she doesn’t have all the answers. She’s not writing from a place of satisfaction or even contentment, but rather from a place of brokenness. “Every day I live is part of the story of how Jesus has saved me from depression, rejection, fear, jealousy and self-pity,” she writes.

Using humor and honesty, McCracken covers a variety of topics that she’s experienced during her 26 busy years. Writing on everything from missions to singleness, readers will likely see many of their own struggles through her life. “There have been so many times when all I’ve wanted to do is stop in the midst of the crowd and cry, when I’ve felt like there’s no one to help, like nothing is working out, like it’s just too difficult,” admits McCracken. “What I want most of all is for this book to help other people keep going as well– even over the speed bumps and around the roundabouts.”

About the Author: Pip McCracken: Writer. Physio. Overanalyser. Northern Irish. Procrastinator. Lover of food, all food. Traveller. Jesus fan. Mistake maker. Hoper. Pip is originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland and has been living and working as a physiotherapist in Hamilton, New Zealand for the last five years, trying to write with every spare second she has.

To learn more about Pip McCracken visit PipMcCracken.com, or Facebook.com/PipMccrackenWriter. To receive a review copy of Speed Bumps and Roundabouts or to connect with the author please contact publicist Alison Storm by email at [email protected].