S.D. Smith's Blog, page 4

Another Personal Update, Back in Stock, and Last Chance for These Specials

Another Health Update

Hey Friends,

Happy New Year and a blessed Epiphany to you all. I hope your year is going great. I appreciate your love and prayers for me. A little update is that I ended up back in the hospital with an infection stemming from my earlier surgery. I’m home again (again) and, other than losing power earlier this week in the ice/snow storm, doing pretty well. 2025 is off to an interesting start.

This winter and holiday season has been more about managing challenges for me, rather than being super intentional and on the ball with every celebration. I don’t love that, but there have been lots of cool blessings in the middle of it all. For instance, earlier this week we were welcomed by our neighbors (my sister Rebecca Mackay and brother-in-law and publisher and partner, Andrew Mackay) to keep warm by their propane fireplace. Theirs, in contrast to ours, is working. They also fed us and we played games and had a deep long talk about Holy Scripture and joked around and Andrew passed out from laughing. (For a second. He’s fine. Let nothing distract you from your focus on me ME! MEEEEEE!)

It’s a gift to be loved and welcomed and I pray you are finding good gifts amid the adventures you’re in, wherever you are.

On to a few notes about some popular items that sold out in December and are back and some holiday deals that are disappearing soon. Thank you for shopping at our family store! It means so much to me.

Back in Stock

A few of our items sold out quickly but I’m happy to report the Green Ember Character Cards and the  are back in stock!

AND we are bringing back the Christmas Special for a few more days.

*All orders $50+ get Free Standard Shipping*

The Green Ember Christmas Special has the main 4 books and the newest Green Ember book, The Lost Key. And we’re throwing in the Green Ember Character Cards along with the Oath Ornament. Originally $100, on sale for $55.

Get Christmas Special

Ending soon: $100 off the complete Green Ember audio adventures. 11 audiobooks delivered in .mp3 form, perfect for downloading to your favorite portable audio player.

Shop Now

If you listen to audiobooks, we’d love to hear how you like to listen so we can serve you better. Please take a moment to answer a few short questions:

Tell Us Here

That’s all for now. Thanks again for being so rad. Imagine we are high-fiving right now. Do it! Now I glide away and disappear behind a burning pile of Manchester United memorabilia just as a unicorn leaps into view and starts rapping. That was weird, you think. Let’s never do this again.

Stay cool. Hope we can high-five in person someday.

I’m on your side,

Sam

Here’s a picture I took earlier this week. Foreground: icy tree limb. Background: the house on whose porch The Green Ember was born.

Shop Story Warren Store

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The Lost Key Launch Giveaway

Happy Official Launch Day

It’s launch day for the new Green Ember book! The Lost Key is officially out and shipping. (From our store. Amazon sometimes lags.) I hope you love it!

I’d be so grateful if you’d go to Amazon, those infamous laggers, and add a brief review. It helps so much!

We normally do a big launch party to celebrate but, due to my recent health trouble, we are going to have to postpone that fun!

Instead of a party, we are doing a GREAT BIG GIVEAWAY!

$5,000+ in Winnings & 250+ Winners

Here’s what we’re giving away:

Christmas Special | 3 WinnersMy Place Beside You Sweatshirt | 5 WinnersMy Place Beside You T-Shirt | 5 WinnersOath Ornament | 5 WinnersCharacter Cards | 5 WinnersThe Green Writer Course | 5 WinnersStory Warren Audio Pack (The Found Boys, Mooses with Bazookas, The Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson, The Last Archer, The Black Star of Kingston, Team Burger Shed) | 50 WinnersThe Found Boys Audiobook | 50 WinnersMooses with Bazookas Audiobook | 50 WinnersThe Misadventured Summer of Tumbleweed Thompson Audiobook | 50 WinnersTeam Burger Shed Audiobook | 50 WinnersGrand Prize

One winner will receive the Grand Prize. This includes….
The Christmas Special, My Place Beside You T-Shirt & sweatshirt, Oath Ornament, Character Cards, The Green Writer Course, and the Story Warren Audio Pack.

How To Enter

HOW TO ENTER

Be following and like, comment (be creative?), and then share to stories: this Instagram post or this Facebook post

*If you don’t have social media, comment below and share this blog post.

Once you’ve done that, say so here to be entered:

enter here

Giveaway ends and winners will be announced on Monday, December 9th. Winners must be 18 or older, US address only for shippable products. May not force me to eat peas.

I hope you win!

Sam

P.S. I’m feeling much better and improving a lot! Thank you for caring and praying.

P.S.S. Get access to giveaways, deals, & a free audiobook here.

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New Green Ember Shipping! (+ Sam Health Update)

Brief Health Update

I am recovering at home and am making some great progress. Still a ways to go, but I am so grateful for your love and care and the prayers and messages. You are on my side, and I feel it.

Signed Copies are Going Quickly

Just a quick note to say that the newest Green Ember book, The Lost Key, is now shipping! If you preordered, it will be making its way to you very shortly.

I signed thousands of books but they are going quickly. If you didn’t snag one during the preorder, you can still get a signed copy in the Green Ember Christmas special or the Complete 11 Book Set.

Get it Before It’s Gone

Thank you so much for supporting my work and our family business!

God bless you all,

Sam

P.S. I want to hear from you: are you and your family going to read The Lost Key right away or do you have the willpower to wait until Christmas? Tell me in the comments here. Please share pictures and tag me!

P.P.S. As packages start to arrive, please open them and verify that everything is correct before Christmas. For help with orders contact orders@storywarren.com.

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Our Best Gifts for Your Precious Kids (Plus a Health Update from Sam)

A Health Update From Sam

Dear Friends, thank you so much to everyone who has been praying for me. It has been a very challenging few days, but I am recovering and really grateful that I’m not alone in this. To our surprise, I am now recovering at home. My family has been awesome. It’s a little weird that we still need to sort of show up during these days when folks tend to invest in gifts. It’s important to me as a provider (not THE Provider) for my family to try to be faithful here and honestly, even though I don’t “feel great,” I do feel great about sharing these stories we’ve worked so hard to bring to you. God is good. I’m grateful for our little team at our family business working hard to share our best with you. I am acutely aware of my frailty, and of God’s mercy, and I can say very sincerely that I love you all and I give thanks for you. —Your pal, Sam

Best Sellers

We signed many thousands of copies of The Lost Key for you a few days ago and soon they will be headed your way! While signing, my daughter asked me some questions about this new book. Here’s what it was like diving back into Green Ember and how long it took me to write The Lost Key.

In addition to The Lost Key, here is what you have been loving at our family store:

Gift Guides

With so many new and wonderful gifts at the store, we’ve put together some gift guides. If you’re looking for ways to support our small business on this Small Business Saturday, take a look!

New ArrivalsGreen Ember Fan Starter PackGreen Ember Super FanGifts for MomGifts for DadBeyond Green EmberJack Zulu FanFor the One Who Loves (or Needs) to Laugh

*All orders $50+ get Free Standard Shipping*

We are so grateful for you,

Sam

Shop Story Warren Store

P.S. McCarty Party  Join Glenn and Andrew (Story Warren Publisher, stepping in for me) at the live Tumbleweed Launch Party on YouTube or Facebook today, Saturday, at 12PM ET for a Q&A, readings, and giveaways!

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Green Ember Black Friday Deals + FREE Shipping!

A Word About Sam’s Health

*** Sam wrote this a couple of days ago, but is now in the hospital having just come through an appendectomy that had some complications. He’s doing well and is in recovery. Would you please pray for strength and healing for him? We are so thankful for you all! – Gina (Mrs. S. D. Smith)

Black Friday Deals

We’re pleased to bring you the best deals of the year at our family store!

*All orders $50+ get Free Standard Shipping*

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If you’re new to Green Ember or trying to introduce someone to Green Ember, the best deal is the Green Ember Christmas Special (signed!) with the main 4 books and the newest Green Ember book, The Lost Key. And we’re throwing in the Green Ember Character Cards along with the Oath Ornament. Originally $100, on sale for $55.

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If you already have the core four and are looking for the other stories in the series, the Green Ember Trilogies Special (signed!) is for you. Get Green Ember Old Natalia, Green Ember Archer, Character Cards, and the Oath Ornament. Originally $90, on sale for $50.

To get all the Green Ember books in the series, you can pair those two specials together for a sweet deal or get the SIGNED 11 Book Bundle.

Thank you so much for supporting our family business!

I’m on your side,

Sam

Shop Story Warren Store

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NEW Green Ember Book! The Lost Key

It’s been THREE years since the last Green Ember book, but what if the last Green Ember book wasn’t the the last Green Ember book? 

It wasn’t. All of your FAVORITE characters are back! Heather, Picket, Jo, and……Helmer!

Get New Book

The first few thousand are signed. They will go fast. Order yours NOW!

Share Our Fun Video With Your Kids!

Do me a favor and check out our launch day video and share it with your kids! Comment with their reactions, please. And share it with your friends!
Instagram — Facebook — YouTube

FREE Shipping & New Merch

We’ve also launched our family store’s Christmas Deals and we’ve got you covered for awesome gifts! We’ve got new My Place Beside You t-shirts and sweatshirts (our first ever)! We’ve also added some cool character cards that are perfect for stocking stuffers. All orders over $50 will get FREE SHIPPING.

Thank you so much for supporting my work and our family business!

God bless you all,

Sam

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All The Little Things + eBooks

Hey Friends,

I hope you are having a wonderful week. I pray that we’ll all remember who and Whose we are and that we will look to bless and not curse everywhere we live and work and worship and show up.

It’s a big week for little things. Do them! Hug your kids. Make a good meal and eat it with loved ones. Teach a child to read, or ride a bike. Clean your room. Write a poem. Read your Bible. Text your discouraged friend. Don’t violate the 9th commandment. Eat a cookie. Love your neighbor. Pray for leaders, present and future. Take out the trash. Shoot some hoops. Kiss your beloved. Give to the poor.

Do the work you have been called to. It’s small and simple and (usually) unknown and it is cosmically important. Thank you for doing the little things. God sees. I know what you’re doing matters—especially when it involves blessing kids.

I’m working on my calling, which is to love and serve and bless families with soul-shaping, memory-making, darkness-shaking adventures. And I am stoked about that work!

Earlier this week I finished up recording an audiobook. More on that soon! (If you’d like, take a guess at what the book is here.)

Get These eBooks

November 6-8 | Free

Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key

November 6-10 | $0.99

Team Burger Shed ,  Jack Zulu and the Girl with Golden Wings ,  Mooses with Bazookas

That’s it for me. God bless you all! Keep your chin up.

I’m on your side,

Sam

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My First Book with a Traditional Publisher!

I’m so excited to share this with you! The Found Boys will make you laugh, cry, and spur on crucial conversations about loving your neighbor.

This will be my first time partnering with a traditional publisher, and I’m very happy to be working alongside Harvest House.

Learn More

I told my kids the Green Ember stories and they’re about keeping faith amid chaos.

I told them this story, The Found Boys, and it’s a fun adventure about friendship and forgiveness. 

What are you feeding your kids—souls?

It’s easy to find examples all over of strife and bitterness and hatred, and plenty of parents are happy to eat from that septic snack shack and feed their kids there too.

But not you.

You love your kids and you want to give them good nourishing food—good food for their souls. This book, The Found Boys, is for you.

It’s an exciting adventure about friendship and forgiveness. Like The Green Ember, it started in my home as a gift to my kids.

It’s a new story with an old soul, from my home to yours.

Limited Signed First Editions

Signed first editions are available! You can get them at Christianbook or at our store.

I am so happy to share this story with you. My intention is to give you a gift, to love and serve you with a delightful, moving, inspiring, and soul-shaping adventure.

Get Found Boys

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Two New Books From our Family Business | Tumbleweed Thompson

TWO New Books!

Dear Friends,

Parents often ask me what I’d recommend their family reads after The Green Ember and my other books. These are families who love Little House and Anne of Green Gables and Tom Sawyer and other classic, enchanting stories. Well, we have got you covered in a big way.

I am so happy to share that our family business, Story Warren, is releasing TWO books for you!

Please take a moment to watch this video and pre-order yours today:

Pre-order now to get it signed!pre-order nowWelcome to the Tumbleweed Thompson Adventures

Author Glenn McCarty takes readers on wild-west adventures from the American frontier. Follow Eugene Appleton, a pastor’s kid who doesn’t usually find himself in much trouble, until he meets a new friend: Tumbleweed Thompson. Eugene, Tumbleweed, and their friend, Charlotte, find themselves in adventure after adventure, most often because of Tumbleweed’s own machinations.

For families who love the action and humor of series like the Green Ember, the Wingfeather Saga, Mr. Limoncello’s Library, and the Mysterious Benedict Society, the Tumbleweed Thompson Adventures provide fast-paced, hijinks-filled middle-grade novels with the added beauty of the American west and the classic feel of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn.

I Highly Recommend This Author

I’ve known Glenn for many years and am a BIG fan of his work. He’s an amazing writer and a fantastic guy. My whole family loves Tumbleweed Thompson so much. Trust me, you want these books for your family!

Thank you for supporting us on day one by placing your order today.

We’re on your side,

Sam

shop tumbleweed thompson

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Green Ember Kid Art Winners | 2024 Q3

It’s time to announce the winners for this quarter’s Green Ember Kid Art contest! Watch the video.

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… 

Chloe, age 14!

Cole BlackstarRandomly 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…

Egan, age 8!

“Picket Packslayer! Created with stuff found at his grandparents’ farm.“

Congratulations to these winners!

We had so many wonderful submissions!! Here are some of them:

Check out this video for more!

The contest for the next quarter starts now. 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.

2024Q1 WinnersQ2 Winners2023Q1 WinnersQ2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners2022Q2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners

We look forward to seeing your submissions!

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