S.D. Smith's Blog, page 25
September 19, 2019
How S. D. Smith Connected With Sally Clarkson’s Family
Sally Clarkson. Clay. Joel. Sarah.
Let’s start with Sarah. I met her years ago when we both were new writers for The Rabbit Room. We did a session together at the RR conference and I was blown away by her brilliance and ability to speak so winsomely in public. I didn’t know her parents, but I met Clay and we hit it off. Then I met Sally, too. We loved them at once. I had no idea they were these incredibly popular sages, and now I’m kind of glad I didn’t. I just met them on their own merits and found them to be a profound gift of wisdom and encouragement. They have been wise guides and ever-encouraging friends ever since. Sarah was one of the very first people to read The Green Ember. It was a time when my confidence was low and the manuscript was a million miles from where it would get. Still, she saw something there that foretold the kind of response we eventually found in many others. But at that time, she was a very important voice telling me it was the right thing to proceed. To dare and share. So I did. I’ll always be grateful for her early, encouraging voice. (She blurbed my first book without any hesitation.)
A captivating story with sword-bearing rabbits, daring quests, and moments of poignant beauty, The Green Ember is a tale that will delight and inspire young readers to courage and creativity.”
–Sarah Clarkson, author of Caught Up In A Story
Years later, I was standing around a fire with Clay and Joel at Andrew Peterson’s house and we were talking about audiobooks. I was looking for a reader for The Green Ember. Joel volunteered to send in a sample and Clay talked about how Joel was the family story reader. Not long after I was listening to his warm narration and varied voices bring my story to life. My family voted. Joel got the job. Some months later, his version of The Green Ember audiobook was (for a few days) the best-selling audiobook in the world and later became a finalist for Audible’s children’s audiobook of the year.
There’s more to tell. Our bonds with the Clarksons go deep, and we are deeply grateful for them.
Sally has new books out and a podcast, a blog, and she is producing and sharing incredible content every day. Sarah is making amazing books. Joel is making books, music, and more. Nathan is making films. Joy has a podcast. Clay is writing books and music and being the kind of guy I want to be when I grow up. They are all doing so much. And we’re grateful.
God bless the Clarksons!
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September 18, 2019
Ember’s End: The Green Ember Book IV AVAILABLE FOR PREORDER NOW!
Preorder NOW ONLY AT SDSMITH.NET/STORE!
The end is here. Heather and Picket face off for the last time with their tyrannical foes in this final installment of the main Green Ember Series. The Mended Wood flickers dimly in the vision of the rabbits of Natalia, as they battle bravely for their survival and a hopeful future beyond.
My place beside you; my blood for yours, till the Green Ember…ends.
The end has come, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat with all the twists and turns you’ve come to expect from this series. Honor, sacrifice, and surprises abound in this thrilling finale.”
Carolyn Leiloglou, Author of Noah Green: Junior Zookeeper and the Garage Sale Pet (Spork 2019), Library’s Most Wanted (Pelican 2020)
Preorder NOW ONLY AT SDSMITH.NET/STORE!
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September 17, 2019
Green Ember Mugs Available in LIMITED PREORDER
This handcrafted “My Place Beside You” Oath mug is inspired by Eefaw Potter himself. Enjoy your morning tea or coffee with this beautiful piece of authentic pottery from the world of The Green Ember Series.
Preorder NOW ONLY AT SDSMITH.NET/STORE!
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The Green Ember Book IV Announcement!
Preorder the new books, along with shirts and mugs, here!
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A Green Ember Story: The First Fowler
Preorder NOW ONLY AT SDSMITH.NET/STORE!
A Green Ember story set after the attack on Cloud Mountain and the battle at Jupiter’s Crossing.
In this sequel to The Last Archer, Jo Shanks is back in action against the Preylord tyrants. Alongside Helmer and Emma, this riveting adventure sees Jo on a perilous journey where survival and the cause itself are at stake.
Faced with a calamitous quandary, the loyal band of rabbits must break out of a fatal trap and survive to breath life into the fledgling resistance.
An heir in peril. An archer hunted from the skies.
Who will hunt the hunter?
—-
The battle is on for the Mended Wood, and a perilous journey awaits the courageous band of rabbits we’ve come to love so much. With birds of prey stalking the air and wolves encamped at every turn, just how far can bravery and ingenuity take them? The First Fowler is another thrilling tale from the mind of S.D. Smith, who is at his best when helping us see the beauty of a life spent in service to a greater cause. My family cannot get enough of The Green Ember Series”
Scott James, author of The Littlest Watchman, The Expected One, Mission Accomplished, and the forthcoming children’s book Where Is Wisdom? (B&H, March 2020)
Preorder NOW ONLY AT SDSMITH.NET/STORE!
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September 13, 2019
Three Years Ago Today, The Green Ember Book II Released
It was three years ago. I remember feeling some of this follow-up pressure. What a delight it was to receive such a warm reception for this sequel. Thank you. I hope we have one more good experience together like this. Below is what I wrote on that day. –Sam 9.13.19
Dear Friends,
I have been asked a certain question hundreds of times. I’ve been asked it in person, in interviews, in emails, in blog and Facebook comments, and in letters from kids.
“When is The Green Ember sequel coming out?”
This question has served as both an inspiration to me and a force of pressure on me.
I spent nearly a decade in a long “rough draft” of The Green Ember, telling my kids aloud the earliest versions of what I would later write down for the novel. How was I supposed to follow it up at all, let alone quickly? On top of that, The Green Ember—this book I thought was likely only suited for an audience the exact size of my family—turned out to be kind of a hit with many others. We’ve reprinted more times than I can remember, seen many tens of thousands of copies sold, met with big studio executives about a possible movie, and spent days as the best-selling audiobook in the world. All in about 20 months. Holy cow! There’s been some real enthusiasm about the book, and so when people ask me about a sequel, it’s not like my kids asking for a bed-time story. It’s a lot of kids asking for a story. Pressure!
But it’s pressure because of a privilege. An amazing privilege! What author doesn’t dream about an audience eager to receive what he or she is creating next? What an incredible (almost unbelievable) honor!
So we tried to balance the urgency with a commitment to excellence. I hope we have succeeded.
There have been countless hours of work put into this new book. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the margin to write in the kind of environment where there is regular access to long stretches of uninterrupted, concentrated time. That’s pretty unlikely for a while. So, for critics of flawed sentences and my many other offenses against great writing, fear not. There’s more of the same here. I hope I have improved as a storyteller. For now, we are shipping before we’re ready. We’re hustling toward the possible and saying sayonara to the perfect.
I haven’t done this alone. To everyone on the team (you know who you are), thank you so much. For something from my heart to be so cared for and curated, savored and shared, is a priceless gift. You’re on my side, and I’m profoundly grateful.
Today’s the day. Ember Falls is finally released. The Green Ember has a sequel. It’s out there, ready to be read by, and to, eager children. These young readers will walk through darkness with my imperfect guidance, holding on to hope in the middle of the fight. Thousands of kids will continue a journey that started in my heart and head over many challenging months. They will travel. They will have a harrowing adventure. I wish I could see their faces!
To those kids who I love dearly and for whom I have heaved my heart into this tale, God bless you.
I made this for you.
Sam
P.S. Some sales stuff:
You can get the new book (or rate and review) at Amazon.
There are some genuinely great Launch Week Deals at My Store. Check it, yo.
There are sales, including Picket’s Swords, Heather’s Necklaces, and Book and Book/T-shirt Combo Deals. It’s dope.
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September 10, 2019
The End Is Near
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July 9, 2019
The Green Ember Series Recommended Reading Order
Hello! You must be one of the many eager readers searching for which book comes next in the beloved, bestselling Green Ember series. You’ve come to the right place!
S. D. Smith recommends reading the books in publication order. But if you aren’t sure, just begin with The Green Ember, and then you’re pretty safe if you keep the main series in order and The Tales of Old Natalia 1 & 2 in order.
Publication order:
The Green Ember The Black Star of Kingston (Tales of Old Natalia 1) Ember Falls: The Green Ember Book II The Last Archer: A Green Ember Story Ember Rising: The Green Ember Book III The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner (Tales of Old Natalia 2)
Find out more answers, like, “is S. D. Smith writing another Green Ember book?” at his FAQ, here.
Find out how to get a free audiobook by clicking here.
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July 2, 2019
Q2 (April-June) #GreenEmberKidArt Winners
and…. the…. winner…. is….
By Clive, age 13! Congratulations!
And…
Our Randomly Selected Kid Artist Winner for Q2 (April-June)!
By Ann age 8 , Congratulations!
Congratulations to the winners!
Follow this tag: #GreenEmberKidArt to see the wonderful art by the kids (posted by parents) on Instagram.
And here for the same tag on Facebook.
#GreenEmberKidArt 2019 Official Rules
Official Rules: To enter, simply share your child’s Green Ember art (publicly) on Instagram or Facebook. Use the hashtag #GreenEmberKidArt (along with #RabbitsWithSwords and #TheGreenEmber if you would) and tag Sam’s author account in either Facebook or Instagram (both for more entries). Please indicate the child’s age. Use of child’s first name or picture is optional, and up to parents’ judgement. Parents are entering for kids. Kids may not enter on their own. Good luck!
Quarterly Winners
1) Randomly Selected Kid Artist!
EVERYONE who does the above is entered to win this! Any age. Any skill-level. Just have fun!Prize: Wild Glee, Contagious Joy, and $20 Gift Certificate at www.SDSmith.net/Store!
2) Best #GreenEmberKidArt of the Quarter
This will be the piece judged (by our secret, unscientific formulas) to be the “best.” Age will be considered, so each will be judged against expectations appropriate for the artist’s age. Come all ye diligent artists!Prize: Unimaginable Glory, Prodigious Esteem, and $25 Gift Certificate at www.SDSmith.net/Store!
Year-End Winners
A GRAND PRIZE will be awarded in both categories at the end of the year. All quarterly winners of the “Best” Category are entered for one Grand Prize.
Everyone who posts (according to the rules) is entered for the Random Grand Prize!
Grand Prizes will include an on-line Author Visit with S. D. Smith, a signed set of the The Green Ember Series, and more!
Note: Q1 (Jan-March) Winners will be announced in April, Q2 (April-June) Winners will be announced in July, Q3 July-Sept) Winners will be announced in October, and Q4 (Oct-Dec) Winners will be announced in January. 2019 Grand Prize Winners will be announced in January as well.
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May 1, 2019
“It takes two flints to make a fire.” – Louisa May Alcott
What a privilege to work with Zach Franzen on The Green Ember Series. It’s hard to adequately express how much he has contributed to what goodness is in it. (And it goes far beyond his excellent art.) What a gift from God to me and to our readers.
What do you think of Zach’s art? Which of his Green Ember cover artwork is your favorite?
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