news Archives - Page 14 of 22 - Ambassador International

Posts Tagged ‘news’

Use Declutter Now for Church Book Studies

Today’s guest post comes from Lindon & Sherry Gareis, authors of Declutter Now! Uncovering the Hidden Joy and Freedom in Your Life. They are Christian Life Coaches and small group leaders from Glendale, AZ. They’re announcing a new initiative to take Declutter Now! into churches.

Declutter Now! tackles the clutter taking up space in many areas of life. Decluttering your heart, mind, body and soul will leave you with the time, money, energy, freedom and joy that God desires for you. Less is truly more.

Declutter Now! has ‘Gone Group’! We’re delighted to have Northern Hills Community Church in Phoenix, AZ launch an eight week book study class. Each week, a new chapter is presented and discussed. Ideas are shared, truths are revealed and hearts are inspired.

Each chapter of Declutter Now! deals with a different area of life, so we cover a considerable amount of ground. The comprehensive nature of the material is ideal for group study since there’s ‘something for everyone’. Whether you need to declutter cram-packed physical spaces, harmful relationships, unhealthy eating habits, stinkin’ thinkin’, overwhelmed kids’ schedules or an unbalanced budget, most people can relate on some level, if not many. This sets the stage for insightful and provocative conversations.

We’ve found in group environments, the nature of the dialogue not only encourages personal growth, but meaningful relationship building as well. There’s a special bonding which occurs when people speak openly about their challenges and allow their weaknesses to break through. Just this past week during the current NHCC bible study, a class member shared her embarrassment over the clutter she’s living with. Her fellow class mates offered unconditional love, support and ideas void of any judgment. The acceptance and encouragement she received gave her strength to commit to the next step of her decluttering journey. Oh how we long to see her free from the bondage she’ suffering.

Declutter Now! is more than just a book. It’s a paradigm shift; a lifestyle change. A study through Declutter Now! offers inspiration to help get you from where you are to where you want to be. Group discussion takes our ideas, practical tips and life applications to an entirely new level. Unique situations can be personally addressed, support can be extended first hand and emotional connections can take root.

We encourage you to consider Declutter Now! for both individual and group study. We’d be delighted to help you construct a plan specific to your group or organization. Please contact us at [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you!

Happy Birthday George Beverly Shea!

George Beverly Shea turns 104 years old on February 1, 2013! Celebrate the life of this incredible man and musician by reading his most recent authorized biography: George Beverly Shea: Tell Me the Story, now available for the Kindle. With foreword by Franklin Graham, this book chronicles the amazing life of the man who has sung God’s word in front of more people than anyone in history.

Follow him onto crusade stages in all corners of the world including New York, London and Australia. Find out what happened when he forgot lyrics in front of a packed stadium in California. Discover personal stories about his friendship with celebrities like Johnny Cash, the Gaithers and Pat Boone.
This is the amazing account of how God used an insurance worker to spread the Gospel to every continent of the world.

In honor of his 104th birthday, the Billy Graham Library will be hosting a special tribute to Bev Shea for the next two months. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mr. Shea for his decades of service and wish him a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

“Of all the gospel singers in the world today, the one that I would rather hear than any other would be George Beverly Shea.”
-Billy Graham (Evangelist) Montreat, North Carolina

Novel Explores Life of Woman Healed by Touching Jesus’ Garment

Author Imagines Story of a Woman Who Endured Suffering and Was Healed by Faith

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: In her debut novel, Just One Touch (Ambassador International; January 2013; $11.99, paperback), author Cynthia Goyang relates the story of the woman who pushed through the crowd in order to touch Jesus’s garment. Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” – Mark 5:25-28

Cynthia Goyang takes this short Bible story and creates a story of life and death, hope and salvation, and the power of faith. Using her imagination, Goyang tells the story of this woman’s life prior to her encounter with Jesus and how it affected her life afterward. “ I hope that readers will be encouraged to replace their fear for faith and reach out to touch Jesus Christ the Lord,” says Goyang. “My beginnings, like Sapira’s, were quite humble. I grew up in a poverty-stricken, crowded household. There were complete Colorado winters that we endured without electricity in our house. But also like Sapira, my life changed dramatically when I surrendered it to Jesus.”

When a handsome, rich, young man asks to marry the poor potter’s daughter, Sapira believes that she is the luckiest girl in the world. However, her life soon begins to unravel and she loses not only her family and wealth, but her health as well. After suffering for years from a steady loss of blood, Sapira has all but given up hope until the day she hears about a man named Jesus.

About the Author: Cynthia Goyang is a Christian, wife, and mother. She and her husband Tony have three sons and enjoy spending time with their three granddaughters. She was born and raised in Denver, Colorado as the second to youngest of ten children. Cynthia met her husband while at school in Oklahoma and now resides in the West Texas town of Midland. She is an avid reader and loves to use her pencil to illustrate the Lord’s principles. Just One Touch is her debut novel.

To learn more about the author and her book, Just One Touch, visit her at cynthiagoyang.com or facebook.com/cynthia.goyang. To connect with the author, please contact publicist Alison Storm at [email protected].

Score Free eBooks for Your eReader

Were you one of the millions of people who unwrapped a new ereader this Christmas? If so, you’ll want to check out this video. Our publicist Alison Storm shares lots of resources for scoring free ebooks for your device! Did you know that research shows people who read digital books consume an average of 24 books a year while those who read print books finish 15? If your 2013 resolution is to read more, you may want to get your hands on an ereader!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year From Ambassdor!

What a year 2012 has been! At Ambassador we’ve been reflecting on some of the amazing blessings we’ve experienced this year, both personally and professionally. As a company we have welcomed some new incredible team members and interns into the office. We completely redesigned our website, allowing us to better communicate with you. We added 160 new Facebook fans, 292 Twitter followers and launched a Pinterest account. We worked with dozens of new authors, publishing a wide range of Christian books for all ages. Our authors appeared on and in major magazines, TV broadcasts and radio programs. We revamped portions of our office space, held two on-sight book fairs and attended the South Carolina Book Festival. We hosted a booth at the International Christian Retail Show, attended several writers’ conferences and met some amazing people along the way.

And like many of you, 2012 hasn’t been all roses. We’ve had our share of trials as well, but we’ve been committed to Romans 12:12: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Christmas is a wonderful time to reflect on the miracle of salvation and when it comes down to it, that’s really all that matters. As a company we’re doing our best to spread the joy of Christ throughout the world, whether it’s through the people we encounter or the books we publish. We’ll joyfully continue on that mission in 2013.

To our readers, authors, colleagues and friends– Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Children’s Book Combines Entertainment and Learning Tools

Author Teaches Kids the Meaning of the Word, Literal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Remember what it was like to be a child? To be excited about the first day of school? Not always understanding the things grown-ups say? Author Kate Hanscom does in her new children’s book Literal Lily (Ambassador International; December 2012; $14.99, hardcover) as she explores the use of language in a creative and imaginative way.

The charming story follows curly-haired Lily throughout the day as she shops for her first ever day of school. Lily’s learning experience begins when her mother exclaims, “Rise and Shine” which Lily proceeds to take literally as she adorns herself in sparkles and jewelry. As the story continues, she learns that phrases are not always taken word for word and that language can be a fun tool used to express how one feels.

Hanscom, a new mom, says the idea for the book came to her in the middle of the night while she was pregnant with her daughter Allie. “My niece served as the model for Lily and my mother-in-law illustrated the book,” Hanscom says. “So it’s truly been a family affair.” The book teaches children not only about the use of language, but also manners and daily routines through everyday scenarios and lively characters.

About the Author: Kate Hanscom resides in central Massachusetts with her husband and daughter. With the love and support of her family, Kate decided to fulfill her dream of publishing a children’s book. Self described as loving “bright colors, fancy paper, fresh-smelling candles, writing, music, swimming, making lists, flip-flops, a really good pen, and french vanilla coffee”, Hanscom allows her own personality to shine through Lily in her first children’s book.

About the Illustrator: Lynda Hansocm earned a BFA from St. John’s University and an MAT from the Rhode Island School of Design. Working as an art teacher for years, Lynda taught young children and teenagers alike how to express themselves through artistic forms. She continues expressing her passion and talent through book illustrations such as Literal Lily and previous book Tough Tommy. She lives in Northern Connecticut with her husband and credits her daughter, son, daughter-in-law, and grand-daughter as inspiration.

To learn more about the author and her book Literal Lily, visit www.katehanscom.com or www.facebook.com/KateHanscomAuthor. For interview requests please contact publicist Alison Storm at [email protected].

$2.99 Kinde Sale Ends Friday!

Now’s the time to load up your Kindle with great Christian fiction because our $2.99 sale ends on Friday! Hot new releases and old favorites are all marked down to $2.99. Enjoy great titles including:

Lukewarm by Will Montgomery: Lukewarm is an apprehensive adventure that takes place in Nashville, Tennessee through relationships seen via the eyes of freelance writer Luke Jennings, his actor/waiter roommate/best friend Blair (B) and his song-writing sister Harvi. Although Luke’s love life starts out as the least promising, he has the most developed philosophies and rules on friendship, dating and other interactions between genders. Luke wades through awkward waters with an ex-girlfriend, ring shopping with his dream girl (who’s in love with another man) and begins dating a Facebook crush. When B gets a part in a major motion picture and Harvi’s boyfriend shows her who he really is, hearts are changed and eyes are opened to new possibilities. Throughout these experiences, Luke fills the reader (and his friends) in on his astutely accurate discoveries on human behavior and post-modern love. BUY NOW

Finding Tom by Simeon Harrar: In a small southern town Tom Weston collapsed in a heap on the red earth. She couldn’t be gone. He wasn’t ready to say goodbye. He closed his eyes and saw again the stiff corpse laying in the bed upstairs. This was not a dream. A tale of grief, faith, and hope, Finding Tom follows the life of teenager Tom Weston as he strives to make sense of his shattered world. Given an opportunity to escape Podunk Greenwood and his past, he finds himself at the gates of the highly prestigious Locklear University. Tom and wealthy roommate, Charles Montgomery, are fatefully paired to tackle the pressures of school, family, and their impending futures as they join a mysterious secret society together. When blonde bombshell Julia Stine walks into the picture things only get more confusing. BUY NOW

Simmer Down, Mr. C by Scott Bitely: As a naïve undergraduate, Ted Carter has big dreams. Though TV did nothing to prepare him for his role as an educator, it certainly inspired him. Fresh out of college, Ted is ready to impact eager-to-learn minds. As summer fades, and September inches closer, he reluctantly accepts the only job he’s offered: a sixth grade teaching position in his hometown of Coleman, a small, quiet village tucked away in the hills of northern Michigan. A wild ride of unexpected trials and awkward moments as a raw first-year teacher ensues. BUY NOW

The Color of My Heart by Sarah Martin Boyd: Living in the foothills of North Carolina, Laura Carter has it all: a nice home, wonderful adoptive parents, two lovely teenage daughters, and a to-die-for handsome husband. As they celebrate freedom on the Fourth of July, she’s certain that nothing could ever shatter her perfect American life: Or could it? An unexpected letter from her great-grandmother brings Laura face-to-face with her birth family. At their first, shocking meeting, she receives a stack of diaries that trace a heartbreaking voyage from Africa to Jekyll Island, Georgia, via a slave ship. Thanks to the missionary who lived with her ancestors in Africa and taught them how to speak and write English, Laura holds in her hands a gripping record of their lives. Could the realities of her mixed-race heritage destroy her family? BUY NOW

New Book Shares Fictional Account of Devastating 1913 Ohio Flood

Author Shares Story Through the Eyes of 12-year-old Maggie

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Heavy rains in March of 1913 created what is still known as the greatest natural disaster in Ohio history. Dayton flood levies broke putting downtown under 20 feet of water, gas lines ruptured sparking a series of fires and in the end at least 428 people were killed. A century after this devastating natural disaster author Crystal Hoblit is transporting readers back in time through the pages of her new book, Catching Raindrops (Ambassador International; November 2012; $ 9.99, paperback).

The book shares the disaster through the eyes of 12-year-old Maggie, visiting family in Dayton when the flood strikes. Maggie endures heart-wrenching tragedy and harrowing danger as she attempts to escape the devastation. “I’ve lived in Ohio my whole life,” explains author Crystal Hoblit. “I’ve always been intrigued by this event in Ohio history and I wanted to teach a new generation about what happened through this piece of historical fiction.” Catching Raindrops also includes important life lessons about living each day to the fullest. “We should cherish every moment and always believe that God is there around us,” says Hoblit.

Crystal Hoblit lives in the flat, but lovely area of southwest Ohio. Catching Raindrops is her first novel, a project she has been working on for five years.

To learn more about the author Crystal Hoblit and Catching Raindrops, visit Facebook.com/CrystalHoblit. For interview requests please contact publicist Alison Storm at [email protected].

Novel Explores the Power of Writing Upon One’s Inner Journey

Young Author Addresses Relatable Topics of Grief, Faith, and Hope

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Although set in 1950’s America, author Simeon Harrar’s first novel Finding Tom (Ambassador International; November 2012; $13.99, paperback) addresses issues that are still relevant today for people of all ages. Harrar explores the question of where one is most likely to find and be closest to God while simultaneously demonstrating the cathartic power of writing.

Protagonist Tom Weston grows up in rural America until his world is turned upside down by the death of his mother. Floundering Tom has no goals for the future until an unexpected writing contest leads him to an equally unexpected mentor. His path takes him to the prestigious Locklear University where he finds himself a stranger in a new world in which all of his peers come from a very different background. Encouraged by his mentor, Dr. Emory, Tom turns to writing as a means of expression. While addressing issues from loss and change to peer pressure and finding your first love, Harrar attempts to demonstrate the power of writing in discovering God and thus oneself.

Harrar’s passion for writing and desire to inspire young Christians led him to publish his first novel. “I hope that Finding Tom will be a breath of fresh air for those of you who are like me and love stories but also want depth and literary merit,” he states.

Born to missionary parents, Simeon Harrar lived his early years in Senegal, North Africa and Papua New Guinea before attending Erskine College. He worked as a missionary in Thailand with families affected by human trafficking before getting married. He now lives in Pittsburgh where he is earning his Master’s degree with the hopes of becoming a bi-vocational church planter.

To learn more about the author Simeon Harrar and Finding Tom, visit simeonharrar.com. For interview requests please contact publicist Alison Storm at [email protected].

Ambassador International Books

Get Published

About Ambassador