Archive for the ‘Guest Post’ Category

Love Him Anyway Blog Tour Day 1

posted on by digital

LHA-BlogTour

 

As the Chief Operating Office of Ambassador International, I don’t get to decide which books we publish, instead I have the joy of helping our authors and their books as they make their way through the publishing process. One of my favorite parts of my job, though, is the proofreading that I get to do. It helps me keep up with what we’re publishing.

I am honored to be opening the blog tour of Love Him Anyway by Abby Banks and to share with you my heart on this book. Here’s where I have to fully confess first. When I first started the {proof}reading of Love Him Anyway, I found myself thinking, Why are we publishing this book!?!? {Sorry, Abby.} The second thought that trailed not too far behind was, How am I supposed to get people to buy this book?!?! {Again, super sorry about that, Abby}. You should have seen me. Here I was trying to work, and instead I was a sobbing basket case. I couldn’t read through the tears pouring down my face! But as sad as I was, I had been “sucked in” to the story, and I couldn’t stop reading. Abby’s writing was so raw and real, she hooked me in. I am fairly certain I finished this proofreading in record time! And I can honestly tell you, I’m glad I did finish it and it’s a story that I now highly recommend.

I don’t want to give too many spoilers, but as you can find in the book description, Abby’s son, Wyatt, was paralyzed at 7-months old. {I am sure this book was especially hard for me to read because I’m “Mom” to a seven-month old son}. But this story isn’t just about Wyatt—it’s about the entire Banks family, and for me, it was a story about Abby, a fellow mom. As I read Love Him Anyway, I kept picturing the face of my baby and thinking, What if that had been me? What if MY son had become paralyzed? And this point here is what I’d like to focus on. What if it had been my son? Or, what if, instead of watching the livestream of a 5-month-old’s funeral from my living room {like I did yesterday}, I was the mom that had to stand there in the church, brokenhearted at my loss. I’m fortunate to still have my healthy, happy little 7-month old boy with me today, but I’m not guaranteed that, not even for the next five minutes. My boy belongs to Jesus first and foremost, and what Abby taught me through her story is to trust the Lord through the good times and the bad. It’s easy to say this from this side of the mountain, but my prayer is that if I ever face a trial like the Banks family, that I’ll respond as they did and cling to the Lord and “find hope in the hardest places.”

I was moved by Abby’s strength amidst the turmoil, and while she calls Wyatt her hero, I call her mine. She admits that their lives aren’t always easy and that she doesn’t always respond as she should, but that’s just a part of being human, and the overall theme you’ll find in Love Him Anyway is that the Banks family loves and trusts the Lord, despite of and through the trials they face.

You need to know in advance that Love Him Anyway is a hard read, especially if you’re a mom, but it’s such an encouragement and I highly recommend it—not because I’m the Chief Operating Officer of the company that published it—but because I believe you’ll get the same lesson from it that I did: Life may be hard sometimes, but God is good all the time and you can always find hope in those hard places. And sometimes, we need that reminder.

Love Him Anyway releases February 21, 2017 in paperback at all major retailers including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Christianbook.com. You can also purchase Love Him Anyway through Ambassador International’s online store and use the coupon code “LoveHim” for a 10% discount. Lastly, you can enter to win a free signed copy below.

And if you’re local, you can join the Banks family at the Barnes and Noble at The Shops at Greenridge on March 18th from 10am-12pm for a book signing. We’d love to have you there!

Win a signed copy of Love Him Anyway!

 

No matter where you get Love Him Anyway, just make sure you have tissues handy!

 

And stay tuned for Day 2 of the blog tour at rebelbookreviews.blogspot.com.

National Bullying Prevention Month: My Bullying Story

posted on by Susie

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Ambassador author Laura Taylor’s book EE Otter and the Bullfrog Bullies teaches kids how to biblically combat bullying. This is the final installment in Laura’s three-part series on bullying.

 

I really wasn’t planning on writing a children’s book. I spent years telling stories to my own boys. One of my younger sons, Evan, was wild about the fantastic tales of Nutty the Naughty Squirrel that I made up to help him go to sleep at night. Still, I’d never entertained the idea of writing a book for kids. I always wanted to write but thought my first adventure into publishing a book would be more along the lines of a women’s devotional.

Bullying-PinterestThat all changed about five years ago. My two youngest boys, Evan and Ethan had gone on a trip and brought me back a stuffed otter. Otter’s happen to be my favorite animal so they surprised me with this sweet gift. We were going through a very difficult time back then. And I named that little, stuffed otter EE Otter (short for Evan and Ethan) and told them I was going to write a story about him.

I didn’t set out to write a story about bullies, it just popped into my head one night as I was trying to go to sleep. EE Otter and the Bullfrog Bullies. It had a catchy ring to it so I decided that would be the title of my first manuscript. That’s good, right? To have a title? At least it’s a place to begin. And being a physical education teacher I had to deal with handling issues of bullying as they arose. And, beyond that, I was actually dealing my own situation involving a bully. It seemed as if the timing were perfect.

It was a quick start. I found myself lost and falling in love with the Laurel Wood and all of EE’s little forest friends. The first few chapters came easily and I was thoroughly enjoying writing this story. Then I hit a snag. I just wasn’t sure where the story was supposed to go. EE had his bully encounter, but now what? I did know one thing for sure, that this book was to center around God’s Word and how children can apply His truths to any situation in their life because His way works. I pondered using David and Goliath for the scriptural part, but that seemed too overused. I read various passages of scripture but none seemed to be the right direction for my little otter to head.

At the same time, the situation in my personal life was escalating. I was receiving emails, calls, and text messages with insults and veiled threats and I was getting fed up and angry. Yet this bully always managed to fly under the radar. I wasn’t able to get help in stopping this and I was sick with anger and anxiety over it. There were times I prayed those imprecatory prayers like David where I asked God to just deal out His justice upon my enemy. And times I cried out to Him to heal my hurt. There were times I fired back with an angry email or text. Yet healing seemed to be so far away and so did the conclusion of EE’s story. It was New Year’s Eve and my husband and I were at church. Seated in front of us was a family that I knew had been through experiences similar to ours. I had listened as the mother talked about forgiveness and healing. It was then that God’s voice spoke to me sweetly and very clearly. “I said to love your enemies, to bless those that curse you”. I really wanted to pretend I didn’t hear that! “But I am afraid, Father.” I replied. “This person has caused so much pain and destruction in my life, in the lives of people I love, if I let down my guard I can’t protect them, I can’t protect me!” He whispered, “Child, I created mankind. I created you. I know how the heart works. I know how life is supposed to work. That is why I gave you My Word as an instruction manual. What I ask of you is because I love you and I know how to make things
work for your good. My Word says that there is no fear in love for perfect love casts out fear. I love you perfectly, Laura. So if I tell you to forgive this enemy, this one who has hurt you; if I tell you to bless this one who has cursed you, then I am telling you out of my perfect love for you. Do you trust my Love?”

It was then that I relinquished my hurt and my control over this situation. I realized that God’s word was truly Life for my living. It wasn’t a book of suggested “How To’s”, it was the essence for living well, for living life as He intended and commanded for me to live it. Forgiving didn’t come easy and the bully is not gone from our lives. Forgiving has been and continues to be a process for me, but as I learn to trust God’s love more completely it becomes easier. And as I marvelled at God’s ways, I became thankful that His ways are not my ways nor His thoughts my thoughts! I was thankful that His love was perfect and meant I didn’t have to fear doing that which He asked of me! And, in the midst this personal growing process I discovered the direction that my little friend, EE Otter would need to travel on his own adventure in dealing
with those old bullfrog bullies.

I don’t know what bullies you might be facing. I don’t know how daunting the task of forgiving someone may be for you. What I do know is that you have nothing to fear by following the words of our Savior, by putting His principles of living and loving into action. Trust His love. It has never failed anyone yet! May you be blessed and find rest in His perfect, unending love.

National Bullying Prevention Month: A Chance to be a Hero

posted on by Susie

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Ambassador author Laura Taylor’s book EE Otter and the Bullfrog Bullies teaches kids how to biblically combat bullying. This is the second installment in Laura’s three-part series on bullying. The final installment can be found HERE.

Maybe you’ve noticed the way the girls turn their backs on her and laugh as she approaches her locker. Maybe you’ve seen the look of fear on his face as a group of athletes saunter up the hallway and one of them hollers, “Hey guys look who it is!” Chances are pretty good that , at some time, in some place, you’ve had a front row seat to a kid being put down, laughed at, intimidated, and hurt. In other words, you’ve seen bullying in action. And you did nothing. Maybe you were too scared to speak up. Maybe you didn’t think it was that big of a deal. Maybe you were already late for class and didn’t have the time to do anything. So it went on, one more time.

Bullying-PinterestAnd somehow you missed your chance; your chance to be a hero. That’s right! Yeah, like the one you used to pretend to be when you were just a little kid, cape and all. You know, the one in the movies and the comics. The one who stands up for the little guy. The one who speaks out against injustice. The one who does it, not because he’s trying to be a hero, but because he’s trying to do the right thing. Yeah, I know, he’s got all those super powers, right? And you don’t.

Yet the fact remains that you still have the chance to be a hero. Pretty amazing, isn’t it? You don’t have to have the cape and fly, be able to smash cars with your bare hands, or shoot heat rays out of your eyeballs. You just have to be you. Yep, you! The you who decides to stand on the heroic principles of right and speak out about what’s wrong. That’s it. All it takes is a commitment to what is right and the courage to stand up and speak out when things are wrong. Statistics (yeah, you maybe should have listened a little more in math class) say that bullies stop bullying 60% of the time when a hero like you intervenes. Think about that! Over half of the situations that occur where someone is being picked on and bullied actually stop! They cease when a hero like you steps onto the scene and speaks out about what is wrong. Now that’s heroic power in action! And, I don’t need to tell you that picking on someone is wrong. I don’t need to tell you that intimidating someone else is wrong. It goes without saying that posting nasty stuff on social media about someone is wrong; that hitting, hurting, or belittling another fellow human being for any reason at all is wrong ALWAYS!

You’re smart. You already know that stuff! But here’s the thing: knowing and not doing something about it, well that’s not smart. And like I said, you’re smart! And when you take what you know and apply it to what you do then you’re smart and strong! Sure sounds like the making of a hero, huh? And you know what else is cool? The more you stand up for others, the more you speak out against wrong, the stronger you actually become yourself! And what’s more, if Jesus Christ lives inside of you, then you’re already promised His power, His wisdom, and His presence when you choose to do the right thing!

So, the next time you see someone being picked on or bullied, stand up and speak out! Taking a stand and speaking out may look different than you might imagine. It may take the form of finding an adult that you can trust and ask for their help; or simply saying, “Stop picking on her!”; It may mean that you take the time to befriend the victim of bullying, or eat lunch at her table, or walk with him to class. A simple act of kindness can set off some serious ripples that can grow into waves that might just flood that whole school of yours!

Yeah, there are a lot of ways to stand up, to speak out against bullying, but you already knew that, didn’t you? Because there’s a hero right there inside of you! Inside of everyone of you! And how cool would it be if those who think your generation is just a bunch of selfish, mean spirited and entitled kids had to sit up and take notice because of the heroes, like you, who are choosing to make a real, everyday difference? How awesome would it be that you would be known as the generation of ordinary, everyday heroes who make an extraordinary difference and defeated, once and for all, the evil arch nemesis called Bullying!

National Bullying Prevention Month: Prevention Begins with a Change of Heart

posted on by Susie

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Ambassador author Laura Taylor’s book EE Otter and the Bullfrog Bullies teaches kids how to biblically combat bullying. This is the first installment in Laura’s three-part series on bullying. The second installment can be found HERE.

 

October is many things. It is the month that ushers in the beauty of Autumn. It is blazing treetops, football games and homecoming queens, Harvest festivals and Halloween. October heightens our awareness of the beauty all around and about us. It is celebration and transition. It is the month that slowly prepares us for change as summer’s heat passes and winter cold is on its’ way.

Perhaps that is why October is the perfect month for something else. As we celebrate the beauty of God’s creation and embrace the inevitability of change that October signifies, it seems only appropriate that October would be the month chosen to heighten our awareness of the need for change regarding a very important social issue. October is National Bullying Prevention Month.

Bullying-PinterestI am sure you’ve heard the stories, read the headlines, seen the statistics. You probably even have a story of your own. It’s not like bullies are new. No, they’ve been around since mankind decided in his heart that he could live life better apart from God and His love. And that is the heart of the matter of bullying. I could quote statistics about the numbers of kids that are bullied every year, but statistics aren’t always accurate. I wonder how many kids go home to parents who bully them but never tell; how many women are bullied by a boyfriend or husband but dare not breathe a word; or how many students hide away in the bathroom during lunchtime but won’t speak up and tell who they are afraid of? The important thing isn’t the numbers, because in my estimation, just one person being bullied by another is one too many! What is important is that behind every statistic, every victim and every bully is a heart. A heart that holds hurt, insecurity, fear, anger, violence. A heart that needs to hear and feel the love of a people who reflect the love of a Savior who himself knew a thing or two about bullies.

Where do we begin to address the issue of prevention to such a pervasive enemy? We begin with ourselves, we begin at our own heart level. As the month of October brings on seasonal transition and change, what if we allow it to begin to transition and change some of the attitudes that assist a culture of bullying. What if we stop saying that it’s just “boys being boys,” or “ kids are just mean these days,”  or “it’s just part of childhood”? What if, instead, we embrace the truths, the unchanging truths that Christ taught and expects His own kids to live by? The Maker of our hearts knows every nuance of how our hearts work, how hearts are connected to actions. Jesus addressed this very issue in Luke chapter 6. He said that it is from the overflow of the heart that the mouth speaks. Nowhere did He ever say it was okay for people to use their words or actions to bully someone. Never did He justify manipulation or intimidation. He never entertained the idea that bullying was some sort of rite of passage for children, or for anyone. Prevention begins with change. Change begins at the heart level. Change begins when we check our the temperature of our hearts against the heartbeat of His Word. When we hide His Word in our hearts and teach our children, grandchildren, neighborhood children to do the same. When we decide that He really does know what He’s talking about when He tells us how to live our lives, love our enemies, and take care of those around us that is when prevention begins!

As the cool autumn season is upon us and the transition from warm summer sun to cool autumn days has us heading to the closet for that favorite hoodie to ward off the chilly autumn morning air, why don’t we check and make sure that we’ve clothed ourselves in the wardrobe Christ commanded so that together we can ward off the chilly sting of bullying and let our hearts produce the warmth of His love?

“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so also you must forgive. Above all, put on love the perfect bond of unity” Colossians 3:12-14 (CSB)

Author Forum: How Do You Choose a Book Title?

posted on by Susie

This is the fifth of a multi-part series by guest blogger Ivy Cheng tapping into the expertise of several seasoned Ambassador authors. The first post offered tips on dealing with writer’s block. The second post covered the influence other writers can have on your work, the third discussed managing a writing schedule within a busy life and last week’s post provided insight into starting a book project.

Although we always say never judge a book by its cover, it cannot be denied that first impressions are important. When you pick up a book, the first thing you see is a book’s title and cover. It is important to find a title that grabs the reader’s attention, makes an impact, and also reflect the book itself. That is a lot of expectations heaped on just a few words.

 

Juana M9781620202913-e1414700233650ikels – Author of Choosing Him All Over Again 

I was so honored to be a guest on Elisabeth Elliot’s radio program in 1997. We had begun a writing correspondence and she mentored me through her letters. She asked me to come on her program and tell our story. After we finished taping 3 days worth of programs, she said, “Juana, you know you are going to have to write a book. Call it, “Don’t Dump Him.” I was so busy with 4 young children, and my fourth child was born totally blind and partially deaf. Twelve years went by as I was a dyed-in-the-wool stay-at-home-mother and found motherhood absolutely a calling and delightful (nothing will ever surpass it, no book—no accomplishment—nothing. I left a six-figure income with Xerox in sales to teach my children at home. When we stopped home-schooling after 13 years, I began the manuscript entitling it, you guessed it, “Don’t Dump Him.” After I was blessed with an agent, we still kept the title the same as she shopped for publishers. We decided to reverse the title to make it a more positive statement flipping it to, “Choosing Him All Over Again.”  I’m glad we offer that alternative title, and in the end my publisher chose it. That honored my husband too, for he never liked, “Don’t Dump Him!”

 

From Driftwood to SapphireKathy Howard – Author of From Dishes to Snow and From Driftwood to Sapphire

That’s funny you should ask, because I have no process. Though they are not all published yet, by God’s goodness, I have written three books. All three were different when it came to finding a title. From Dishes to Snow was originally titled ‘The Little Red House,’ but that didn’t pop. Not until I was reworking a scene at the end of the book and the words just came out, did I realize that those words needed to be on the front cover as well. From Driftwood to Sapphire’s title came in the middle of writing it. I knew I wanted the sequel to have the same type of title, so I intentionally thought of driftwood and sapphire and did my best to work it into the story. The third novel’s title came before the first word was typed. Since it has not yet been published, I’ll keep its name a mystery for now. 😉 So, the process for creating a title? For me, there is none. The title shows up on its own time table.

Grace in the Middle

Wendy Duke – Author of Grace in the Middle

Choosing a title is definitely tricky.  I wanted the title to convey the message of the story, but also connect a stranger  to the story when he / she picks it up off of a shelf in a bookstore. I’m drawn to bold titles, lyrical titles, and memorable titles.  You want people to remember the name of the book when they talk about it or share it with others. And the title and cover have to tie so closely together; a strong or intriguing title with a cover equally as strong and intriguing is a powerful draw.

 

An9781620202692-197x306drea Rodgers –Author of The 20th Christmas

I always find that coming up with a title is one of the hardest parts of writing a book, what was your process for creating a title?

I really have no one to credit for my titles except God! Every other title I’ve come up with in my life was a struggle (and really terrible titles, haha), but The 20th Christmas were the words I saw when I opened my eyes after having the dream. A similar situation happened with Caged Dove–I was walking around my house with the laundry basket and that title just came to me. When I looked up Scripture about doves, I had chills–Psalm 55:6 fits my book to a T. I knew there was no better way to begin Caged Dove than with that Bible verse!

 

 

 

Are you ready to start writing your own book? Go and comment on our Facebook page and tell us all about it!

 

Author Forum: How Do You Start Writing a Book?

posted on by Susie

This is the fourth of a multi-part series by guest blogger Ivy Cheng tapping into the expertise of several seasoned Ambassador authors. The first post offered tips on dealing with writer’s block. The second post covered the influence other writers can have on your work and the third discussed managing a writing schedule within a busy life.

I once had a friend who told me “everyone has a story, but not all of them can write it.” I think this is a very true statement. Everyone is unique in their own way, and everyone has a story to tell. However, not everyone has the time, patience, or skill to write their story. The ability to write an entire book requires intense devotion. It is a daunting task to sit in front of a blank screen and start writing a book. And so, we ask some of our authors what was the spark that made them write those first few words.

 

Juana M9781620202913-e1414700233650ikels – Author of Choosing Him All Over Again 

The short answer is it was a call from God. By that I mean, that I knew to write it was to be obedient to what He wanted me to do. Knowing that it was God’s will for my life with my husband’s full blessing gave me strength and endurance when the going got rough—and it did get rough. It took me a year and half to write the rough draft, another year and a half to get a Christian agent, then another two years to get a Christian publisher, and finally one year before I held the book in my hand. When the book finally arrived, I will never forget my husband’s prayer with me. We held the book in our hands, and he prayed that if one person could be brought closer to Christ or have a stronger marriage—just one person more complete in all the will of God—it would be worth it. So beautiful to hear the man that I left all those years ago to pray over Choosing Him All Over Again.

From Driftwood to SapphireKathy Howard – Author of From Dishes to Snow and From Driftwood to Sapphire

From Dishes to Snow was written after we decided to homeschool our girls. I wanted to do something that would share Jesus and hopefully make enough money to pay for the kids’ curriculum. I prayed over every writing day, never knowing what the characters would do or say. I had no idea what the plot would be, only that I wanted to use my family’s mountain house as the setting. As a child, I remember hiking, daydreaming about different stories involving our precious mountain. In 2013/2014, I was given the chance to daydream again, only this time, others were privy to those dreams as the story came alive on paper.

Grace in the Middle

Wendy Duke – Author of Grace in the Middle

Encouragement from other people motivated me highly, but I also just had a deep conviction that our story of pain and struggle could help someone else in their own difficult circumstances. I had flashbacks of sitting in doctors’ waiting rooms, alone and scared, and decided to write our story to help encourage people in the same shoes. This has been my greatest desire for this book: to help struggling families deal with the difficulties of having a child with an illness or other traumatic circumstances. King Solomon said our words have the power of life and death, and I wanted to use mine to speak life over people who need to hear life and light and hope.

 

 

An9781620202692-197x306drea Rodgers –Author of The 20th Christmas

My first book, The 20th Christmas, came to me in a dream. I’ve been writing stories since childhood and that had never happened to me before–but I started scribbling down what I remembered and a month later the manuscript was completed! My next book, Cage The Dove (coming this fall), was inspired by real-life events that I went through in junior high, so the story idea has been on my mind for over two decades. God gave me too many signs for me to put it off any longer.

Are you ready to start writing your own book? Go and comment on our Facebook page and tell us all about it!

 

National Pet Fire Safety Day: Author Provides Expert Tips

posted on by Nicole

Did you know that National Pet Fire Safety Day is in July? Today author Maria Bostian  (What Should Daisy Do?) has put together a collection of tips for families to keep their pets and homes safe from threat of fire.

Did you know that an estimated 500,000 pets are affected annually by home fires and that nearly 1,000 house fires each year are accidentally started by the homeowners’ pets? While difficult to think about, these are true statistics released by the National Fire Protection Association.

What Should Daisy DoWhat can be done to keep your pets safe from the devastating effects of fire? Raise awareness? Begin conversations with pet owners? The National Volunteer Fire Council, the American Kennel Club and ADT Security Services did just that! They joined forces in the late 2000s to make July 15th National Pet Fire Safety Day.  Their goal was to spread awareness about how pets can start home fires, but more importantly, how to prevent them.

I would have never even thought about the need for a pet fire safety day, however, as the Public Information Officer for my fire department, I’ve been to several fires where pets were the cause of the fire (One was caused by pets moving knobs on the stove.) and have witnessed the terrible loss of pets from unintentional fires started by humans (some of these incidents I’ll never forget!).

Often times, fire safety is an afterthought. But let’s change that! Starting today, let’s make it a priority – for us and for our pets!

What poses safety concerns for your pets? Both my husband and I teach fire safety though our work in local fire departments so we make every effort to be fire safe. But even our house poses some dangers. We do light candles, but try to keep them out of reach of our indoor cats. Long gone is the coffee table with an array of candles. We learned years ago that was a disaster waiting to happen. Now days, we use far more battery-operated candles and when we do have open flame candles we keep them out of reach of the cats (and their swishy tails).

METADATA-STARTOur outdoor pets need consideration, too. The hubby loves his fire pit and so do our animals! Jeff has been really good to build it up off the ground and with a rocky base to prevent any grass fires. He keeps the seating area away from the pit and has taught our animals to back away from the flames. Still, we have a couple curious cats seem drawn to the light and heat sometimes and he’s there to shoo them away before they too close!

What about the pets in your care? Do you use open flamed candles in the home? What about cigarettes? Need deep-dish ash trays? Do you have a home escape plan and when’s the last time you practiced it? Are your pets familiar with the sound of your working smoke alarms? WOW! These seem like so many things to consider. While it seems like a lot to take in – take baby steps! Start by taking time to talk about fire safety with your family and proceed from there. Your family (and your pets) will be glad that you did! Neela sure did!

METADATA-START

Below are several tips on how to prevent your beloved pet from starting a fire, as well as, how to keep your pets safe. For more pet fire safety information, feel free to contact me or your local fire department.

Prevent your pet from starting fires:

  • Extinguish open flames – Pets are generally curious and will investigate cooking appliances, candles, or even a fire in your fireplace. Ensure your pet is not left unattended around an open flame and make sure to thoroughly extinguish any open flame before leaving your home.
  • Remove stove knobs – Be sure to remove stove knobs or protect them with covers before leaving the house. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), a stove or cook top is the number one piece of equipment involved in pet-started fires.
  • Invest in flameless candles – These candles contain a light bulb rather than an open flame, and take the danger out of your pet knocking over a candle. Cats are notorious for starting fires when their tails turn over lit candles.
  • Beware of water bowls on wooden decks – Do not leave a glass water bowl for your pet outside on a wooden deck. The sun’s rays when filtered through the glass and water can actually heat up and ignite the wooden deck beneath it. Choose stainless steel or ceramic bowls instead.

Keep your pets safe:

  • Keep Pets Near Entrances When Away From Home – Keep collars on pets and leashes at the ready in case firefighters need to rescue your pet. When leaving pets home alone, keep them in areas or rooms near entrances where firefighters can easily find them.
  • Secure Young Pets – Especially with young puppies, keep them confined away from potential fire-starting hazards when you are away from home such as in crates or behind baby gates in secure areas.
  • Since Pets Left Alone Can’t Escape a Burning Home – Consider using monitored smoke alarms which are connected to a monitoring center so emergency responders can be contacted when you’re not home. These systems provide an added layer of protection beyond battery-operated smoke alarms.
  • Use a Pet Finder Sticker – Consider using a pet finder sticker on or near the front door so that emergency workers will know that there are pets inside. Include names if possible so that crews can call pets by name when searching for them. Don’t have a fancy sticker? That’s ok! Simply write the information on piece of paper and secure it to a window.

Include Your Pets in Your Disaster Plan:

  • Determine Which Adult Family Member will be Responsible for Each Pet.
  • Know Where Your Pets Hide! – This may be the first place they go if there is fire or smoke.
  • IF you are safe from topic smoke and flames, plan on bringing your pet carriers with you when you evacuate the home.
  • In the event of a fire, you may have to stay in a shelter or hotel for several days. – If this happens, chances are that you may not be able to bring your pets with you. Talk to a friend or family member in advance to secure lodging/care for your pets in the event of an emergency. 

 

Free Webinar: 5 Things You Can Do To Gain Favor With The Media

posted on by Susie

The following is a guest post from Mary Lu Saylor, a 30 year veteran in television news. On Thursday, November 13 she’s co-hosting a free webinar entitled “5 Things You Can Do To Gain Favor With the Media.”

I was asked by the folks at Ambassador International to provide a little insight for authors to promote their books.   I have a background in journalism and have been on the Mary Lu Saylorreceiving end of all sorts of information from organizations, businesses, and even publishing houses touting their latest offerings. I also am an avid reader.

Quick tips to promote your message:

  • Make connections with your local TV stations and offer to do a live interview (it really isn’t as scary as you think!) They may have a day time talk show or slots open during their morning, noon, or weekend newscasts.
  • See if your local newspaper will do a feature on you.
  • Local radio stations occasionally will feature people who are doing unique things in the community.

In your pitch to these outlets either via telephone, email, or snail mail make sure the information you provide is short and concise.   Give them the who, what, when, where, and why. Most importantly, make sure you tell them you are available.

Insight from authors

I reached out to two authors that I know and they have this advice for you:

Christian author Margaret Feinberg:

“As far as promoting books, we think it’s important for authors to know they are the plan. They are the editing plan. The marketing plan. The design plan. Everything. Authors shouldn’t think that if they sign with a traditional house everything will be taken care of. They need to be intentional about building and maintaining a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, and others. They are the marketing plan. Great content is everything.”

Christian author Dwayne Morris:

“My greatest promotional tool was guest-posting on other people’s blogs. I connected with several people who have big platforms and they allowed me to speak into the lives of their audience. They also posted links to my book. (These include Michael Hyatt and Michael Nichols.) The bottom line…make connections with people and serve them and their audience. If you help enough people get what they want, you’ll eventually get what you want.”

I’m one of the presenters for an upcoming webinar “5 Things You Can Do To Gain Favor With The Media” which will give you more ideas about successfully delivering your message. Click here to sign up for the November 13 event.

I’d love to hear from you! Email me ([email protected]) for a free tip sheet with more detail on some of the items I’ve outlined above.

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Ambassador Author Partners with the American Widow Project

posted on by Susie

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.

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