Word Praize

Good Girl Book Club Online Interview

WP: Word Praize family, please welcome Marina Woods, founder and CEO of Good Girl Book Club Online. Welcome Marina!

MW: I’m blushing. Hello, Hello! Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

WP: Your site has always held a special place in my heart since it was one of the first Christian book clubs I found on the Net. Tell us a little about GGBC and what you offer to your readers.

MW: Oh, my. That’s awesome. How can I tell a “little” about GGBC when there is so much to offer. (Smiling) GGBC is an online book club for today’s aspiring young and adult Christian woman. GGBC offers everything from fiction and nonfiction book reviews from some of today’s bestselling as well as up and coming authors; a GOOD GIRL pick which is the fiction book selection of the month (this book is read and discussed by the online discussion list), an online magazine where Christian book and music lovers are able to have an up close and personal look at their favorite Christian authors and music artists, an online Bible study where participants study and discuss a selected study each quarter that leads them back to the Word of God, contests, and finally GG YA which is a reading community/ezine for Christian girls ages 13-17 years old.

In the YA community teen books, movies and music are featured, reviewed, excerpted and YA authors provide “spiritual insight and encouragement” to help teens cope in today’s society. There is also an opt-in mailing list for those who do not want daily or weekly discussion but want to stay in the know for both areas. I encourage your readers with daughters to check it out.

WP: Wow! Bible study, youth resources, women's resources and an email list. GGBC definitely has a lot to offer. What about the chats and interviews with your feature authors? Who are some of the past GGBC picks and how have readers reacted to the interaction?

MW: How did I forget author chats and interviews?! GG Picks and chats have included Sharon Ewell Foster, Victoria Christopher Murray, Michele Stimpson, Aisha Ford, Ted Dekker, Stephanie Perry Moore and Mike Absolm just to name a few. Our fall chat calendar will be released soon and will include more nonfiction authors as well as some old favorites.

WP: What about those beautiful banners and flash promos on your site? Can authors or publishers advertise on GGBC? How would they do so? Briefly explain the literary support services offered by GGBC.

MW: Thank for the compliment! GGBC is blessed to have a wonderful and talented graphic and web designer. Yes, authors and publishers can advertise on GGBC affordably, efficiently and effectively. GGBC provides worldwide exposure for authors all day; every day unlike print publications where a person “may” see an ad or review once and forget about it—GGBC has a surplus of Christian book lovers who visit the site daily and many more than once a day so ad promos are always “catchy” and seen. GGBC advertisers always receive a great reaction. The good news about this is—this means people are buying and reading good books. Advertising can be reached: advertising@goodgirlbookclubonline.com

By the way, for a limited time your readers and subscribers email advertising@goodgirlbookclubonline.com and say Mary from Word Praize recommended it they receive an exclusive offer.

WP: With growing interest in national face-to-face clubs like Glory Girls and Go On! Girls, do you see GGBC ever expanding in that direction, a network of face-to-face clubs? Or do you think the Internet provides a special interface that your club captures best?

MW: This is a step we are prayerfully considering. We receive a lot of queries about this very subject. I think what GGBC provides is a special interface as you mentioned but we strive to keep a pulse on what our loyal members and visitors want. Sometimes readers want both or one of the other. Also, I believe the reason God gave me this vision for such a time as this is because GGBC is able to reach those who may not otherwise be able to participate in face to face book clubs such as stay at home Mom’s, people who work odd shifts, college students, the homebound, sick and shut in, those in shelters and/or prisons as well as those who live in Canada and other countries.

GGBC reaches the whole world and we love that! Its fun, it’s free and it’s convenient. God has definitely given us a global and enlarged vision and we are working on some great ideas to bring members and visitors together so stay tuned! It warms my heart when I receive letters from women in rural areas who say, “Thanks for being a voice in the wilderness” as well as women who have just accepted Christ in their hearts and minds and want to find edifying and entertaining books to read that actually make them feel hopeful and positive. Let’s not forget the contemporary and urban career woman who may be battling an illness and needs to feel a sense of community as they try to keep the faith.

Anytime, day or night, whatever the need or reason, goodgirlbookclubonline.com always has a light on. It’s a place of refuge and restoration as we continue to provide uplifting articles, books, reviews and interviews for every aspiring Christian woman around the world! I give God the glory for all is has done and continues to do.

WP: Thanks so much for sharing with us today, Marina. I'm a member of GGBC and always enjoy your uplifting newsletters and great contests (I recently won a book myself. What a blessing!)

MW: It is great reading with friends and we consider you a loyal friend of GGBC. In fact, you are family and I am glad you had the opportunity to participate in (and win) such a great contest. God bless you and Word Praize richly!

[Editor's Note: Since this interview, GGBC has created the Christian Author's Network (CAN) to connect media and event planners with writers. Check it out!]

12-month 2005 Marketing Calendar

Here is one author's marketing calendar to get us thinking about opportunities for 2005. Insert or omit dates which relate to you and your books.

12-month 2005 Marketing Calendar that Boost Sales
Written By: Sharron Senter

The following is my 12-month promotional marketing calendar. Keep it
handy, as you'll need to refer to it throughout the coming year when
forecasting your promotional messages. By no means is this list
exhaustive. In fact, you should add to it based on your industry-
related activities. There are many holidays throughout the year that
may be a natural tie-in with your product or service, such as
National Book Week in January, if you're an author or editorial-
related service or American Heart Month in February, if you sell
health-related services or products.

My calendar list focuses on the major holidays when most Americans
have been trained to spend extra money or participate in a
ceremonial activity. Generally speaking, you want to link your
marketing promotions to a time of year when customers have their
wallets out. Thus, you're simply positioning your product or service
as the perfect gift or solution for the celebrated event.

Be Prepared
You can never be too early in preparing your marketing campaigns.
For example, in order for the typical small business owner to
prepare for a Valentine's Day direct mail campaign, you'll need to
get most of your materials printed and ready to go by the third week
in January and in the mailstream by the last week in January,
certainly no later than the first week in February. I recommend you
plan two months in advance. Thus, you should start planning your
Mother's Day campaign in early March. Obviously, the more involved
the campaign, the more lead time. What's more, some advertising
vehicles have extensive lead times, specifically magazines that need
your camera-ready ad approximately 6 weeks [possibly more or less]
before publication, and newspaper inserts also require a reservation
approximately 6-8 weeks before publication.

Unique Angle
Your promotional angle is the key to standing out from your
competition. People are going to buy gifts at Christmas, without a
doubt. But what makes your service or product so interesting, that
shoppers should hand over their money to you instead of the myriad
of other stores? Find a creative answer, and you'll grow your
business.

JANUARY
- New Year's Day, and the proceeding two weeks -- Launch your
marketing messages the last week of December.
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day -- Although not a big gift-giving
time, this is a great time to spread a non- profit message.

FEBRUARY
- Valentine's Day -- Launch your marketing messages the last week in
January. **Popular Gift- giving Time**
- President's Day

MARCH
- St. Patrick's Day

APRIL
- April Fools Day
- Daylight Savings Begins
- Easter **Popular Gift-giving Time**
- Secretaries Days **Popular Gift-giving Time**

MAY
- Mother's Day -- Launch your marketing messages approximately 3
weeks before. **Popular Gift-giving Time**
- Memorial Day

JUNE
- Father's Day **Popular Gift-giving Time** Launch your marketing
messages approximately 3 weeks before.
- Graduation **Popular Gift-giving Time** Launch your marketing
messages approximately 3 weeks before.

JULY
- Independence Day
- Back to School -- Although not a holiday, it's certainly a popular
time to find wallets open and increased spending, particularly by
moms and teenagers.

AUGUST
- Dog days of summer
- Back to School continued

SEPTEMBER
- Back to School -- Marketing messages can continue through the
first week of September.
- Labor Day
- Grandparent's Day

OCTOBER
- Columbus Day
- Halloween **Popular Gift-giving Time**
- Holiday preparation should be 1/4 completed, seriously. Launch
your first holiday message immediately after Halloween. This message
will generally go to your current customer base, offering them an
exclusive early-bird holiday special to expire in early November.
- Daylight Savings Ends

NOVEMBER
- Thanksgiving **Popular Gift-giving Time**
- Your Holiday advertising is in full swing
- Election Day
- Veteran's Day

DECEMBER
- Christmas Day **Popular Gift-giving Time**
- Hanukkah **Popular Gift-giving Time**
- New Year's Eve -- Launch New Year's message late the second week
in December.

About the Author
Sharron Senter is a New-England based marketing consultant, speaker,
writer and founder of Senter & Associates, a marketing
communications firm that helps small businesses deploy low-cost
online and offline marketing tactics. Senter is well known for her
free monthly emailed marketing tips found at
http://www.sharronsenter.com

Seven Ways to Start Moving to a Big Goal Today

Seven Ways to Start Moving to a Big Goal Today by Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D

Are you facing a huge task? Do you have half-finished
projects waiting in a folder? Ideas you haven't had time
to develop?  Here are seven ways to start moving toward
new goals -- today.

1. Work small.

You're faced with a huge projectŠand you wonder if you'll
ever have a big chunk of time to focus on getting it done.
Or you don't have time to work out for an hour so you skip
the gym.

Fifteen minutes a day, three to five times a week, will add
up over a month and a year. Some people write novels,
graduate dissertations and major reports in fifteen-minute
bites.  Fifteen minutes at the gym, three or four times a
week, will build fitness faster than an hour every so often.

Best of all, you'll keep momentum going.  And one day you'll
find yourself stretching your fifteen minutes to two or
three hoursŠand one day you're done.

2. Make a play break a priority.

Tired people waste time.  They end up rewriting, fixing
mistakes and getting irritated with people who want to help.
  A play break can turn your life around.

3. Start with a warm-up.

Athletes don't try to run with cold muscles and often you
can gain momentum with a small stretch.   Edit a few
paragraphs from yesterday's work. Take notes from an article
you need for the project.   But beware: Some activities are
distractions, not warm-ups! Email is the major danger here.

4. Choose tomorrow's task - today.

When there's a lot to do, you save time and energy by moving
directly to the task you've identified as today's Most
Important. Plan tomorrow's beginning before you quit today.

5. Choose enlightened action over mindless pounding on the
wall. When you've been working hard but getting nowhere,
review your game plan.  Maybe you need a new product. Or you
need to direct your services to a new target market.  Or you
haven't figured out the best way to sequence your actions to
save energy.

6. Make your first draft rough but complete.

It's almost always easier to revise than to start from
scratch. But I see dozens of people slave over the first
paragraph of a report, seeking perfection before moving on.
Once you've drafted the entire project, you'll have a better
sense of how to refine Chapter 1.


7. Get rid of projects you don't want to do. Often resistance
means, "I'm not interested."  Are you writing a book because
somebody said, "You really should do some writingŠ" Or
working on projects you outgrew five years ago?  You may be
able to find a replacement project, hire help, or accomplish
your goal by doing what you love.

*******************************************************************
Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., is an author, speaker and
career/business consultant, who specializes in working with
midlife, mid-career professionals.
Your Next Move Ezine: Read one each week and watch
your choices grow!
  mailto:subscribe@cathygoodwin.com
http://www.cathygoodwin.com
http://www.movinglady.com
Contact: mailto:cathy@cathygoodwin.com

WINGS OF GRACE review

We talked on the list about the great praises for Vanessa Davis Griggs' new novel WINGS OF GRACE. Well, here's one of those rave reviews. Check it out!

Donna Conger Interview

WP: Donna, welcome to Word Praize! We’re so glad to have you. You've written books in different genres from inspirational to mainstream. Share a little with us about your writing and how you incorporate your faith into your work regardless of the market.



DC:  Thanks! I’m honored to be here! Well, I wrote my first novel over sixteen years ago, when my kids were in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade. I sent it out to more than three dozen Christian publishers. I’d get feedback, sometimes in the form of a letter, sometimes a phone call. They loved what they read, but would tell me that it was either too intense, or they didn’t know how to market it. One editor said that my main character haunted her. She even dreamt about her once. Another well known, highly respected agent who rejected me called me shortly after reading the first three chapters, and haltingly asked if I’d send the rest of the novel, because his wife was dying to find out what happened to the heroine. One vanity company offered to publish the novel for a mere $16,000.



I finally went to my mentor with my frustrations. Obviously I had something, but it was like a sneeze that wouldn't come out. I’d get close and then, nothing. He’d been published. He was also a pastor, but he’d been the Dean of Students at Gordon College, a liberal arts Christian school in Massachusetts. After listening to my extended whining, he told me that the Lord was telling me that I had a gift, and that perhaps I was not sowing my seed in the right place. There are people blessed and called to write Christian fiction. He believed that there was enough books that “preached to the choir”.

He said he would like to see gifted Christian writers willing to write secular fiction with a Christian message. After all, Satan camouflages his message in cartoons, movies, TV shows, and books. Why can’t Christians do the same? So I began to write secular romance. The Lord has blessed it, despite shock from Christians who believe that I should write “all Christian, all the time. There’s a taboo about Christians writing secular romance. Many believe it’s full of steamy bodice ripping sex scenes. My hero and heroine do have love scenes, but only after they are married. It’s true that I don’t close the bedroom door, but many readers have told me that the love scenes are beautiful, focusing on the emotion between two people who are truly in love after a harrowing adventure.



WP:Forgotten, your Christian romance has received rave reviews. Tell us a little about Sylvia Tandino, who wakes up to find herself with a wonderful life she doesn't remember.



DC: I am tickled and gratified by the reviews, but it’s even sweeter because of my long journey to get the work in print. I always felt there was something special and important about the novel, so that’s why I kept going in my quest to get it published. Sylvia is based on me. Most first novels are in some part based on the author, and so many people are stunned to find out that, like Sylvia, I also have retrograde amnesia. Readers are free to ask me any questions they wish about my lack of memory. I don’t remember the first fourteen years of my life. I don’t know why, but I’m okay with it. It could have been anything from emotional trauma to a hit on the head. That’s the thing about retrograde amnesia; you don’t remember what happened to cause you to lose your memory.



However, I’ve never been financially wealthy. I thought about what it would be like to be a Christian who loses her memory of people, of Scripture, and of so much else, but still retains a strong sense of Jesus Christ. Sylvia has everything money can buy, but no memories. She’s married to a godly, rich man. But there are secrets, lots of them, and she has to discover them. Hard to do when your mind is unstable and foggy and you can’t be sure where you’ve been or who you know. To find out what happened to her, Sylvia has to delve into her painful past and deal with what she finds with the help of the Lord, her friends, even her servants. There are miracles in the book, coupled by Scriptural truths and insights that other people, even if they aren’t fabulously rich, can relate to in their walk with the Lord.  I lived in poverty for more than ten years of my marriage, including a one month stint as a homeless family. I lived in a tent with my husband and three kids. We used the bathroom of a friend, and slept in a van at night when it was cold. And yet, I would rework my novel and add the lovely things that have blessed so many now, straight from God’s heart into mine.



WP: Wow. The background alone of that novel would make a novel as is. Retrograde amnesia, huh? Now you've got my mind turning. And working on a novel in a homeless shelter? You're a writer to the core. Thank God that your gifts and experiences are being shared with the world. No doubt your skills in the futuristic and suspense genres helped spin such an exciting plot. How has your publishing journey been? What would do you want most for your readers to take away from your books?



DC: Even though I wrote the Christian novel first and then the other secular books featured on my site, I do think that you’re right about some buried mental skills in weaving suspense and futuristic plots. I love watching and reading mysteries. And I’ve done a fair amount of watching Star Trek and Star Wars, as well as reading C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” and fantasy with spiritual themes. Eventually, this fed into the desire to write a science fiction romance. "The Green Moon" is a romance set in the future, where electronic communication has replaced paper and made it illegal.

My Biblical worldview is mixed thoroughly and deeply in my secular fiction. Even though I don’t specifically use God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit, my books involve characters who are driven by a need to balance things out. My characters educate the powers that be, take on criminals, and outsmart and outwit the obstacles in their way. They use common sense, but they just want things to be right. One reader told me that while the couple in “VetCop” are not strictly Christian characters, she expected to see them in church on Sunday, because they just had that good steward, clean living quality to them. "The Last Lesson" tackles some issues without being preachy--homosexuality, cancer, and obsession, while a beautiful romance unfolds in the midst of an unsolved murder. The characters are caught up in a world that betrays them, but they do the right thing anyway.



Despite five books in print, a few with my agent, and many, many more in my head, my journey has been long and unglamorous. Practically speaking, there have been many tears, many rejections, and many cruel editors, Christians included. I’ve written way more books than have been published. But what keeps me going are the miracles. I know that I have a calling, and nothing God calls you to do is without hurdles. So when I get a “yes”, it’s truly a victory. I’m even more blessed when I do get a contract because I’m self taught. I’ve never taken a writing class. I had a lot of learning to do, but God put people in my path to help me, to instruct me, and to guide me.

My books are all published by print on demand companies and small presses. Last year (2003), I began praying about an agent so I could move to the big time. It had not been more than a few weeks when it all came together on a silver platter. The Ferguson Literary Agency works only on referrals, but I had gotten information in a miraculous way. I wrote the agent, Cheryl Ferguson, and then a few weeks later, she called me. She noticed that I grew up in Kansas, and to make a long story short, we discovered that we went to high school together! Plus, she is an on fire Christian and highly respected in the romance field. I have to believe that God orchestrated that jump for me, and that He will continue to do so.



If I had to sum up what I want my readers to take away from my books, it’s the following: Any amount of theology can now be smuggled into people's minds under the cover of romance without their knowing it." C.S. Lewis said that, which is very appropriate, concerning that I cut my literary teeth on his secular works. So stay tuned for a mixture of Donna Conger Christian and secular books that will continue to carry out my mentor’s challenge and God’s calling to be all things to  all men--and women--alike.



WP: What an interesting quote! We'll keep an eye out for where this wonderful vision will lead you next. Again, Donna, thanks so much for your time. I hope that everyone will drop by www.DonnaConger.com and read the excerpt for FORGOTTEN. We've enjoyed having you and look to hearing more great things from you in the future.