S.D. Smith's Blog, page 40

Art as Hospitality

This is a veritable collision of amazingness. If you have a kid who loves to draw, tell stories, or really anything, then you will want to read this.

My pal Zach Franzen (illustrator for The Green Ember) is featured over at the Amongst Lovely Things blog, hosted by my friend Sarah Mackenzie, and the result is wonderful. Zach’s post is an absolute must read. I am biased, but it’s so very, very good. Here’s a sample.

Hospitality is a hallmark of a Holy imagination.

Hospitality as an artistic goal collides directly and forcefully with the cult of self-expression. C.S. Lewis famously stated: “Of every idea and of every method the Christian writer [or artist] will ask not ‘Is it mine?’ but ‘Is it good?’” By contrast, the cult of self-expression exalts in “mine” more than it exalts in “good.” Its adherents do not create art to serve others. Rather, it suggests that art and others bend to the artist.

Get over and read the whole thing. Plus, there’s a giveaway for one of Zach’s Mouse Kits. We have one and we love it, even decorating it for Christmas. 

Why It Matters

Why do the arts matter? Why does Beauty matter?

I don’t believe I have ever heard a better explanation than the song Why It Matters, by Sara Groves. I can still remember Gina coming to me years ago while I typed away at my first novel, battling discouragement (as always), and saying, “This song is what you’re doing.”

I hope so! Even if it’s just in a small way for a few people, I hope so.

We love Sara Groves in our home and this is one of many reasons why. She (like Andrew Peterson) always seems to be singing about our life. Do you have that experience too?

Thank you, Sara. Like a single cup of water, oh it matters.

Lyrics below. Here’s the record, Add to the Beauty (and it’s wonderful).

Why It Matters by Sara Groves

 

Sit with me and tell me once again

Of the story that’s been told us

Of the power that will hold us

Of the beauty, of the beauty

Why it matters

 

Speak to me until I understand

Why our thinking and creating

Why our efforts of narrating

About the beauty, of the beauty

And why it matters

 

Like the statue in the park

Of this war torn town

And it’s protest of the darkness

And the chaos all around

With its beauty, how it matters

How it matters

 

Show me the love that never fails

The compassion and attention

Midst confusion and dissension

Like small ramparts for the soul

How it matters

 

Like a single cup of water

How it matters

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Are there other songs, or expressions of soul, that are like this for you? 

Brian Regan on Reading Goodly

Reading. Regan. Really funny.

The Green Ember: Origin Movie

Sound good? Get your own copy, or buy one for all your grandkids and your less-than-grand kids.

Note: This is a slightly edited reworking of our wonderful kickstarter video created by Brian Patton. I hated for that video to only have a life that made sense as long as the kickstarter was ongoing. So I asked Brian to edit it this way and to mute the two times the word kickstarter was mentioned. The muting is momentarily a little weird, but it’s okay. It’s a good thing to share with people you believe may enjoy the book.

FYI. Here’s the place to send people who want to know about the book and where to find a copy that suits them: RIGHT HERE.

They can see buying options and read some reviews of the book. Many of the reviews are teeming with positives, much like my allergy test.

To Fast or Too Fast?

Here are two short sections from a wonderful piece about fasting (and feasting) from Peter Leithart. It’s a very positive article about the part of Christianity that is saying “no.”  A good read for modern people unaccustomed/hostile to hearing “no” and for ordinary evangelicals (like me) still a little confused about Lent. I strongly recommend it all….

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This helps us see where Adam’s fast fits in. Yahweh did give Adam a law of fasting, but only after inviting him to a feast. In the Bible, feasting is prior to, more fundamental than, fasting. “Eat, drink, and rejoice” is the first word God speaks to Adam, and it is the last word Jesus speaks to His bride. Fasting is essential to the story, but fasts are always ordered to feasts.

….

Of course, Adam didn’t want to wait. Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food, and desirable to make one wise, so she ate and Adam joined in. Adam sinned because he wanted it all now – wisdom, authority, a full belly, the whole abundant goodness of creation, now. He sinned because he grabbed for the feast. He sinned because he didn’t keep the fast, and as a result even the appetizers he already had were taken from him.

Jesus is the Last Adam because He keeps the fast. He enters a world that is no longer a garden, but a howling waste, and in that wilderness Satan tempts Him to break the fast, to be an Adam: “You’re hungry; eat this now. You deserve the accolades of the crowds; you can have it now if you jump off the temple. You want all authority in heaven and on earth, but your Father won’t give that to you unless you suffer an excruciating, shameful death; you can have it all now, no cross or self-denial required. It’s yours, and you only need to do a bit of bowing. Life, glory, power, everything you want, everything you deserve – you can have it all now.”

Jesus refused, and refused, and then refused again, and in so doing broke the power of Adamic sin. Jesus kept the fast; He waited, labored, suffered, died, and then opened His hand to receive all life, all glory and honor, all authority and dominion, that His Father had to give Him. He kept the fast, and as a result was admitted to the fullness of the kingdom’s feast, because by that time both it and He were ready.  And by resisting the devil, Jesus sets the pattern of true fasting and reveals a Lenten way of life.

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Again, please read it all.

Art: Paul Gustave Doré – The Temptation of Jesus

Hey Sam, How Did The Green Ember Free Kindle Deal Go?

Or, As We Say in West Virginia, Pretty Dadgum Good

Well, thanks to you all spreading the word, we were able to give The Green Ember ebook to 15,450 people. That’s great!

We didn’t know what to expect, or really how to tell what success meant, but I think this can only be described as incredibly successful. It’s exciting to think of thousands of families meeting Heather and Picket and sharing their adventure. I’m a little worn out (already!) by some aspects of this author gig, but what continues to thrill me is telling stories to real children. I love hearing from these kids, getting their letters, and seeing their wonderful drawings. It’s a wonderful part of this journey for me. So 15,000 new readers to me means a bunch of kids. I love that.

Team Effort

I’m so grateful that so many of you have joined us on this adventure, and have been by our sides lending a hand at every turn. You can’t imagine how incredibly encouraging it is to have such fine friends. It’s hard to thank everyone individually, but I see your posts, your recommendations, your zeal to help us with this little project. I see and I’m encouraged and grateful. It’s a great advantage to have such saddlepals along for the adventure. We are so thankful. Serious business. Thank you!

The illusion that I can do this thing on my own has certainly vanished. My family, my publisher Andrew Mackay, our amazing team at Story Warren, and all our many friends, old and new have done so much. This is an incredible team. God has been very good to me in all this.

What’s the knock-on effect of this giveaway?

We hope that connecting to so many new readers means many will stick around for future stories. We hope and believe that many will buy print (or audio) copies and stay connected with our newsletter. We’re seeing that happen to some degree already, but we’ll have to wait and see how effective the Give Thousands of Books Away for Free strategy proves to be over time. I think it was a good decision.

Getting High

The book got really high, to #15 at one point, in the entire (free) kindle store and #1 in several categories, including all children’s books. It still (for the moment at least) ranks highly on the paid side of Amazon kindle sales, and is currently #1 in Christians Fantasy. Now that’s not the biggest deal in the world, but it means something. It means people keep buying the book–not in great numbers, certainly, but they do keep buying it. I’m glad for that!

Okay, I just wanted to give those who helped out so much an update.

Thanks for being on our side. There are more adventures ahead!

Free Kindle Days, My Birthday, Nonessential Oils, Audible & Audiobook Deal, and So Much Less!

February News

I can’t believe I didn’t receive more angry postcards about my discussion of Essential Oils last month. That was some weak outrage. Come on, aren’t you people mad about stuff and eager to spew venom online? Enough about you, let’s talk about me. Seriously, do you know how weird it is to talk about yourself a lot? I try to disassociate from it a little so I can survive. That’s healthy, right?

Talking About Talking About Myself

The honest truth (as opposed to the dishonest truth) is that there are two things happening when I “promote myself” on social media and in newsletters etc. One is that I’m hesitant and really reluctant, so I can agonize over it. Strangely, I think that’s when I’m most vulnerable to pride. Other times I’m listening to those voices of people I trust who remind me that this is a vocation I should not be ashamed of and that a healthy, if difficult, part of this job is communicating about what’s happening. And that includes genuine excitement. It’s a challenge, but I need to keep on it, finding a good balance that informs and (hopefully) engages, but doesn’t feel like a constant assault.

Feel free to write me with good advice about this.

Audible, and an Extension of the $5 Audiobook Deal

Audible listeners (like me) can pick up a copy of The Green Ember now for a credit. If you do, please consider leaving a nice review.

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[REDACTED]  THIS IS THE PART WHERE I HAD AN AWESOME OFFER FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS ….Mend your ways!

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Nonessential Oils Business Flourishing

Our Nonessential Oils business is flourishing and our graphics guy (Will Smith) has designed a logo. It’s all legit now.

And now, an E.O. joke.

Q: Do you know what the Essential Oils user at the hospital said to the nurse?

A: Nothing. Essential Oils users never have to go to the hospital because Essential Oils.

Free Days on Kindle: Need Your Help!

Yep, we’re doing a few of those. It’s kind of a pain (reluctant self talking), but also a great way to share the book beyond our intensely loyal and deeply intelligent audience. And all flattery aside, we can definitely use your help. So I’m asking if you’ll please do the following.

Tweet
Share on Facebook
Share on any groups/forums you may be a part of (where appropriate)

What you’re sharing is a free book, so don’t be shy!

If you want help, here’s a message our crew has carefully crafted after hours of research on the internet…

A great book for kids & families is FREE today on Kindle. #TheGreenEmber by @SDSmith_, a new story with an old soul. http://bit.ly/TGEeBook

 

Just copy and paste! Maybe share this picture (by Will Smith).

Or come up with your own, original take. Anyway, we’d be so grateful if you would consider sharing that on one or all three days of the giveaway.

This is only for the next two days! So, please go ahead and share the free joy.

Consider it a birthday present to me.

Yep, I’m Even Older

Today I’m 38. I’m not sad. I’m so grateful. This has been a wonderful year where I’ve been overwhelmed by the love and support of an energetically encouraging group of people. Among them, you.

We named our third son Micah, and his birthday is coming up soon as well. I love the name Micah because it means “Who is like the LORD?” The answer is an eternal silence. No one is like our God, who pardons sinners, who delivers justice, who sent his son to rescue rebels and remake the world.  I love being a part of the New Creation and I long with al my heart for the New World. Oh kingdom come, Immanuel.

Public Speaking in Public/Author Visits

I’m headed to Charlotte in late February and Memphis in early March. If you have a class/homeschool group/whatever that would like a visit from me for some reason, let me know. Thanks!

Things of the Month Things

Book of the Month: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Uster. Gina has been reading this to us for the past few weeks and it has been so fun for us all. It’s hilarious and clever. And speaking of Read-alouds…

Podcast of the Month: The Read-Aloud Revival. I listen to a few pods, mostly about soccer and the Bible, but this has become my new favorite. I’m slightly biased because I’m scheduled to appear on it soon, but I was a fan first. Sarah Mackenzie is a fantastic host, with lots of vision and insight. But the best thing about the pod is Sarah’s infectious cheerfulness and humility. It’s a winsome, informative invitation (no guilt, no pressure) to make reading a central part of our family culture. It’s great.

Quote of the Month: “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”  –Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Music of the Month: Son of Laughter/Chris Slaten. I love this guy and I love his music. Do yourself a huge favor and get his EP. Amazing.

Okay, thanks for getting this far in the newsletter. It’s like finishing a boring marathon where most of the eaters are asleep. Oh, yeah, didn’t you know it was a hot-dog eating marathon?

Peace to you,

Sam

The Green Ember is Currently Free! (Please Spread the Word.)

That’s right: FREE. As in, gratis.

For the next three days, a person may virtually waltz into the virtual Kindle Store and, without offending virtue, walk out (with thegoods) without paying. It’s legal shoplifting, and I’m asking if you’ll do it.

You’ve probably seen these things.

There’s a way in which they don’t help: people getting the thing you nearly killed yourself to produce for free, thereby constituting a substantial loss in profits.

On the other hand, it gets your book into a lot of hands, and maybe hearts, and then maybe people want a print copy. And if they love the story maybe they tell others about it. The hope is that word spreads.

That’s where you come in. 

Can you help us spread the word? If you loved the book, or you just want to help, please share this info for the next few days on social media.

Here’s a suggested Twitter tweet:

A great book for kids & families is FREE today on Kindle. #TheGreenEmber by @SDSmith_, a new story with an old soul. http://bit.ly/TGEeBook

And here’s one for Facebook:

There’s a great book for kids & families called #TheGreenEmber by S. D. Smith. It’s FREE today on Kindle. If you love a good adventure full of truth, beauty, and goodness, get this new story with an old soul. Like I said, it’s FREE, but not for long.   http://bit.ly/TGEeBook #RabbitsWithSwords

Or best of all, make it your own.

Thanks for being on our side!

Free Extended Preview of The Green Ember Audiobook (Available on Audible, Amazon, & Our Store)

Get The Green Ember on Audible. :::::::: Get The Green Ember at our store.

Below I’ll share how you can get the audiobook for half-off an already very low price (for a few days only).

We’re so excited about The Green Ember audiobook. I love audiobooks, listen to them all the time, and I’m so happy with how this turned out. Joel Clarkson nailed the narration performance. He did all the voices so well (I keep hearing from kids who love different ones best). He produced the project as well and it’s top-notch. But wait, there’s more. Joel also composed original music for the intro and the ending of the book. I love it. I think you will too.

Okay, here’s how you can get half-off the audiobook. Two easy things.

1) Sign-Up for my newsletter here.

2) Do a short (or long) review of the book at Amazon.

Then all you need to do is go to our store (HERE) and when you checkout use the code REVIEWEDIT and you’ll get the audiobook for a mere 5 American dollars.

Note: This offer expires on Friday the 13th. February 13, 2015.

Okay, here’s your free preview. Gather the kids around and give them a generous helping of #RabbitsWithSwords. I hope you enjoy it!

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Image doctored awesomely by Will Smith.

“Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as author and reader!” –Sam Sith

“Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as author and reader!” –Sam Sith

Great news! Our book is back in stock at Amazon. FINALLY!

We’ve been waiting for this for a while. I’m sorry for those who had to wait. Get your own copy now!

And if you’re not signed up for my newsletter, please do right here. It’ll be worth it. It’s fun. Ya gotta believe me, ma!

And while you’re there,  how about leaving a review for your ol’ pal, Sam Sith…er, Smith?

Okay, I’m done telling you stuff and asking you for stuff. Feel free to get back to that TV show where the thing happens and then it’s like, what just happened and all we’re like, uh uh! No Way! and stuff.

 

May the Farce be with you.