S.D. Smith's Blog, page 10

Announcing the 2023 S. D. Smith Book Tour!

See you soon? I hope so. I’m hitting the road with my family and friends for the 2023 S. D. Smith Book Tour and I hope I get a chance to meet you and share a high five.

Many dates are still coming together, but we are thrilled to be back the Great Homeschool Conventions!

We will be announcing additional tour dates in Texas, California, and elsewhere.

But here are the GHCs we’ll be at. Use the coupon below and get your tickets today!

Get Discount Today and a Free Gift From Me!

And I’ve got some awesome news about the pricing.

I’ve got a discount code for you. Use code GREENEMBER to get $10 off admission!

Go here today and order your tickets, then let me know you did it in the comments below, and you’ll be entered for an awesome tote-bag-with-swag giveaway!

Share this post with a friend and I’ll give you a free download of our Mended Wood digital art print. Once you’ve shared this post, comment below and collect your gift by using code SDSmithGHC during checkout at our store.

More to come on this, but I hope to see during the 2023 S. D. Smith Book Tour next year!

Sam

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Christmas Shipping Deadlines

Christmas Shipping Deadlines + Free Ornament Extended!

Hey pals, just a heads up that our standard shipping deadline for Christmas orders is tomorrow. So, now is the time to grab what you want for Christmas.

December 7 | Standard ShippingDecember 15 | Faster Shipping

Speaking of, did you hear that we released the TENTH Green Ember book this year? Lots of you don’t have it yet, so grab it for a gift this Christmas. Or, better yet, get the whole set signed. Prince Lander and the Dragon War is one of my favorites, and it’s an incredibly fitting ending to the first batch of ten books. We also released Jack Zulu this year and it’s not too late to get that thrilling adventure for your story-loving kids and friends.

We are extending our FREE Christmas Ornament deal! Buy anything from our store (that ships) and we’ll send you  ($11 value) for FREE with your order! *While supplies last*

shop nowYou May Also LikeNot Force-feeding Meds, Eating a Tasty FeastIt Begins With Love

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Last chance to get a Signed First Edition of Jack Zulu

Today is the LAST DAY for signed FIRST EDITION copies of Jack Zulu at our family store! (We will still offer the signed book and t-shirt combo for a while.) Your next chance would be on our tour next year—hopefully coming to your area!

Get NowA Real Sellout

Jack Zulu is selling so well; I’m glad we signed so many thousand books! Thank you for helping us launch this exciting new book (and series)! Speaking of selling out, we are nearly out of Picket’s Sword.

Also, preferred sizes of your favorite shirts may sell out soon and we are running low on some other items. Today is a great day to get some Christmas shopping done at our family store!

Here’s what Ginny from 1000 Hours Outside has to say about Jack:

“This father-son duo have combined forces to create an enchanting, mythical world full of the types of dangers that create daring heroes and heroines. Our souls crave meaningful stories and Jack Zulu delivers in a family-friendly way through memorable characters and fearless adventures. You’ll be on the edge of your seat with this brand new page-tuner, the first book of an entire series to come!”
Ginny Yurich – 1000 Hours Outside

Get $11 Green Ember Ornament FREE

We’re sending a FREE ornament with every shippable purchase!

Thank you for being on our side and supporting us!

We’re on your side,

Sam

You May Also Like:Not Force-feeding Meds, Eating a Tasty FeastJack Zulu: Get Your Signed First Edition NOW!

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Not Force-feeding Meds, Eating a Tasty Feast

A few words about our thrilling mission and your crucial part in it…

We are a small family business in every way—small but fierce (as the bard said). We have always seen our work as coming alongside yours. So much modern-era entertainment for kids (like education, at times) is aimed at undermining parents and preying on children. Our aims could not be further from that dark design. 

We are your allies in imagination. We are on your side. 

Thank you for being our allies as well, for helping us by sharing our work with your friends. You are our ‘elite sales force.’ (Mostly moms, those heroines who make the world go.)

You have really caused what this has become, a growing and astonishing phenomenon that is reaching more and more families everyday with a good, generous gift of light and love in a world of darkness and depravity.

And it’s not force-feeding gross medicine to kids, it’s a tasty feast they love and long for. 

The Lord bless you and keep you ever in his unfailing love!

Sam

Shop our small family businessYou May Also Like:It Begins With Love2020, Am I Right? A Brief, Grateful Remembrance

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Hopeful, Hospitable Stories + FREE Green Ember Ornament

THIS WEEK we’re including our new  with every shippable order! Whether you purchase the (let’s face it, best gift possible for the young readers in your life) complete SIGNED set of Ember books, the new tote bag, the mug, a tee shirt, or anything else, we’ll send you a FREE ornament with your order!

*digital downloads excluded, ends 11/29

Hopeful, Hospitable Stories

Christmas approaches, Thanksgiving (in the USA) is in a few days, and I love this time of year. It may be different and challenging this year for many of us, but it’s a wonderful season.

Advent, a season of reflection and fasting and giving is just around the corner, and I love that it precedes the festive season of Christmastide. I love that Christmas is about being met by the divine in the midst of darkness. I love that, even though we feel like our culture is about as messy as it can get, God himself came into our mess to bless and redeem us. We get to celebrate that. And I love that for most of us, this involves giving!

I’d be happy if you chose to shop our Christmas sale for some of your gifts, but regardless, I hope this season is (maybe unexpectedly) awesome for your family. I hope it’s a time of togetherness and memory-making, of weathering the storms side-by-side, and growing in the adventure.

This weekend I had the pleasure of hearing stories from excited fans. I heard from moms who cried reading the stories with their families, and from kids who told me the Ember books shaped their childhood. I also heard from a mom who is so happy that her son gets to see and read about a main character who looks like him.

These kinds of responses are what excite me. I’m on a mission to love and serve kids. Families. Your family. Your kids. I’m eager to keep it going as long as I can. Because these stories are HOPEFUL. And they are HOSPITABLE.

Black Friday, Sepia Saturday, White Wednesday, and Magenta Monday

We don’t usually do Black Friday or Sepia Saturdays or White Wednesday or Magenta Monday sales. HOWEVER, we do have the best deals of the year at our store right now.

No pressure. It helps us a bunch when you order from our store, naturally. But our business is built on creating stories you actually want and on you loving and feeling good about what you buy from us.

Honestly, I can get tired of self-promotion pretty quickly so here is how I make it fun for all of us:

But in all seriousness, I do LOVE sharing stories that threaten the darkness with little sparks of light that may grow into great blazes in the hearts of children. You are our allies, and we see it when you back our books and share them in your creative, enthusiastic ways.

Thank you!

It’s a gift to know we are not alone. God bless you all.

Sam

You May Also Like: New Green Ember Merch!The TENTH Green Ember Book is Here! Order Yours Now!Prince Lander LANDS | From Our Hands to Yours

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S. D. Smith LIVE in North Carolina with Goldberry Books

Hey Friends!

I’m excited to attend a special live event hosted by Goldberry Books in Concord, NC this weekend.

We’ll celebrate the release of my new series with a special launch party extravaganza at the Cabbarus Arts Council’s state-of-the-art theater!

At this event there will be:

live Q&Aoriginal songsaudience-involved gamesplenty of nonsense

Word on the street is, this promises to be the bookish event of the season!

Tickets are sold out. For future events, please subscribe to my newsletter to be the first to know so you can snag tickets before they’re gone!

#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; width:600px;} /* Add your own Mailchimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Subscribe * indicates required Email Address * (function($) {window.fnames = new Array(); window.ftypes = new Array();fnames[0]='EMAIL';ftypes[0]='email';fnames[1]='FNAME';ftypes[1]='text';fnames[3]='MMERGE3';ftypes[3]='text';fnames[2]='MMERGE2';ftypes[2]='zip';fnames[4]='MMERGE4';ftypes[4]='text';fnames[5]='COMPANY';ftypes[5]='text';fnames[6]='ADDRESS';ftypes[6]='address';}(jQuery));var $mcj = jQuery.noConflict(true);Withywindle by Goldberry

Check out the Withywindle podcast. It’s a whimsical show for kids who love books and words and other such things. I’ve been on a few times and it’s always a hoot.

S.D. Smith Explains HimselfQuestionpaTWOza

Let me know in the comments if I’ll be seeing you in North Carolina!

Sam

Shop S. D. Smith Store

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Jack Zulu Official Launch Day!

Hey Pals!

It’s Jack Zulu OFFICIAL LAUNCH Day! YEEEEAH! SO fun. I love this book and I am so grateful I got to write it with my son, Josiah. I spent most of last week with young J. C. on the road and it was so much fun. He’s a great guy and has been an absolute joy to work with. I’m super proud of him. Thank you for helping us spread the word about this new series and for supporting our launch!

Get Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key

To celebrate we had a live party on our YouTube channel! Watch the replay. It was cool. I may or may not have crushed him at Galaga, ate pizza, answered questions and GAVE AWAY LOTS OF AMAZING STUFF.

Help Us Out?Read more

You KNOW we’re on your side. And I know you’re on our side. If you’re keen to help, please leave a great/brief review on Amazon for Jack Zulu. If you buy the ebook or paperback there, it will power your review even more. But please leave a review. It helps so much!

Amazon SLOW, Smith Fam FAST

So, Amazon does have the Kindle edition up. Way to go, guys!. But they also have had many thousands of physical Jack Zulus on their dock for a long time, but they don’t seem to be processing them. So, their launch day copies—which should be at people’s houses TODAY—do not appear to be shipping yet. Opinion: They kind of stink. We shipped out copies ahead of schedule (go team!) and so many of you already have signed copies. That’s cool. But it would also be cool if you didn’t cancel your orders. But do what you gotta do. We are shipping from my store now.

Audiobook Update

It’s coming, but we’ve had some unexpected delays. You’ll hear it here first when it’s ready! And you will LOVE it. It’s amazing. Can’t wait to share our narrator. He’s incredible!

Thanks for making this Jack Zulu official launch extra special!

Your friend and mine,

Sam

Shop S. D. Smith StoreYou May Also LikeSome Advice, Encouragement, and My Blessing, SonJack Zulu COVER REVEAL!New Green Ember Merch!

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New Green Ember Merch!

Thank you for such a wonderful reception for Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key. Thank you for giving this new book and new series a chance. It’s fun to have my son along for this journey and for him to experience the welcome you’ve so often given me. God bless you!

There’s still time to order a SIGNED first edition!

Green Ember MerchGet Yours Now!“I’ve preordered my signed copy. Now what?”

Thank you for supporting us on day one! While you wait, there are a few things you can do:

SHARE: Share about this book with your friends online & offline. You are our “elite sales force.” Thank you!

SWAG UP: Grab some brand new Green Ember merch!

WATCH: We’ve compiled some videos about Jack Zulu into this playlist.

LISTEN & READ: Here are some recent interviews Josiah and I have done:

Read moreSam & Josiah Smith, Authors of Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key | Plumfield MomsWriting with SD & JC Smith | Destination AreteNurturing Creativity in Your Homeschool | 10 Minutes to a Better HomeschoolAn Award Winning Illustrator and His Tag Along Dad | Reshelving AlexandriaPerfectionism Paralyzes Us | SD Smith & JC Smith, Jack Zulu Series Co-Authors | 1000 Hours OutsideHow A Father And Son Came Together To Tell Stories About ‘Virtue And Hope’ | The Federalist

Find Interviews Here

FAQ

Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about Jack Zulu.

Will this be available on Kindle? Yes, on official release day, November 15th.Will this be available on Audiobook? Yes, hopefully near release day, Audiobook reader is INCREDIBLE.When will this be available internationally? You can preorder now. Our shop ships internationally.Are there rabbits in this book? No, but there are swords.Another sword shirt? Yes, we are apparently incapable of creating anything else.Is your son faster than you? I can neither confirm nor deny, regardless of this video evidence.

Thanks so much for your support!

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Green Ember Costumes Come to Life

Some of this year’s Green Ember costumes! 

I LOVE seeing these kids dress up as characters that began in our little family’s stories. 

It’s an answer to prayer, that these tales would be a blessing that blows past the boundaries of our home and hospitably welcomes many, many kids hungry for soul food and keen for vintage adventures rooted in Reality! 

Read more

Thank you, Father, for this privilege. 

More, please. 

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Green Ember Kid Art | Q3 Winners

Hey Green Ember Fans, it’s time to announce this quarter’s Green Ember Kid Art Winners!

But first we’d like to thank everyone who took the time to create and submit. We received submissions in various formats such as ink, pencil, crayon, paint, woodworking, mosaic, and more!

It was difficult to choose a winner but we’ve selected 2.

Best Green Ember Kid Art

The FIRST prize goes to the Best #GreenEmberKidArt, judged according to the artist’s age. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate at the S. D. Smith Store (along with Unimaginable Glory & Prodigious Esteem). 

And the winner is… 

Amei, Age 8!

Randomly Selected Kid Artist

For our next prize: Wild Glee, Contagious Joy, and $20 Gift Certificate at the S. D. Smith Store, everyone who submits art is entered.

And the winner is…

Ariella, Age 12!

Congratulations to these winners!

We had so many wonderful submissions that made it hard to choose a winner! Here are some of them: Check out this video for more!

The contest for the next quarter starts now so here are the official rules:

To enter, submit your art here.

If you have social media, please share your child’s Green Ember art (publicly) on social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube). Use the hashtag #GreenEmberKidArt (along with #RabbitsWithSwords and #TheGreenEmber if you would) and tag S. D. Smith on either Facebook or Instagram. YouTube submissions may be featured in our playlist here.

Art can include but is not limited to pictures of Green Ember drawings, paintings, songs, poems, animation, sculptures, woodwork, crochet art, and MORE! We love seeing your creativity.

Please submit 1 original piece per quarter. If you have more than one, hold onto it until our next quarterly contest opens up (every 3 months). The next contest ends in December and winners will be announced in January.

2022 Q2 Winners2022 Q3 Winners

We look forward to seeing your submissions!

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