R. Frederick Riddle's Blog, page 11

Blogging First Steps in Blogging

I have now begun my first steps in blogging on a new site. Having purchased a new domain from Siteground.com, I am now in the process of adding tools including plugins to the website.

For the time being, I will continue blogging on two platforms which are RFrederickRiddleBlog.com and TRBookServices.com. When I finally complete the rebuilding of my site, I hope to have a seamless transition from WordPress hosting to Siteground hosting. And a better, smoother experience for all visitors.

After the break I will tell you more.

T&R Independent Books brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

It’s Your Business is a video service to help authors learn how to set up their business. We provide free video training where you learn why you, as an author, are already a businessman or businesswoman. You also learn basics for structuring your business. Along with these videos are Learning to Write with the basics you need.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

Thus, I will publish new blogs just as always, but I will publish older blogs on the new site plus all new blogs that occur right here. In this way, I will be able to build a sturdy blog archive. In addition, I will be dividing the blogs categorically. There will be categories like blogging, church, government, and writing. This will help me keep track my blogs more efficiently.

Meanwhile, I will also be adding products to the website and eventually offering additional products and product specials. Last year, I added WooCommerce to the website and I will have it on the new website as well. All of this means that I will have more flexibility in what I offer and the price I offer my products at. It is all very exciting.

Today’s blog is somewhat small, but don’t worry. I will be able to write more content shortly.

One thing I promise to do: I will continue to keep you informed and when the new website is ready, I will provide you with a link so that you can check it out. More importantly, following me. I haven’t checked it out yet, but if able I may manually add each one of you as a follower of the new blog site. If that is not allowed, I will strongly encourage you to follow me.

The post Blogging First Steps in Blogging first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

Why I Blog

Today I want to explore the reasons why I blog. Primarily I will be looking at this subject from the author’s perspective. By the way, I want to thank those of you who have welcomed me to WordPress. It’s an exciting place to be.

Now, Why do I blog?

To answer that I must first provide some history. I didn’t start blogging until after my first novel, Refuge: The Genesis Chronicles, was published in 2003. The reason was simple: To get my name out there. If you want to sell books you need to get known and blogging is a logical marketing step.

At the time I maintained my website with AT&T. Actually, it was Yahoo & AT&T. This partnership of two giants provided a WordPress blogging platform. Although I didn’t know it at the time I was starting out with probably the best blogging platform in existence.

A newbie at blogging I didn’t know what to blog about, let alone how to blog. I decided to blog about anything that came to mind. That certainly provided me with a lot of material, but experience has since taught me that such a wide subject matter hurts rather than helps your blogging reputation.

I continued to use AT&T Yahoo Business Plan for my blogging until 2009 when AT&T and Yahoo decided to have their own separate plans. I cancelled my plan with them and moved to AT&T Small Business Solutions. This however was primarily my email account. My blogging now shifted to Godaddy.com where I created a brand new website called RFrederickRiddle (my website RFRiddle remained with AT&T Small Business Solutions). There I created a strong multi-page website and a blog.

This blog was not as strong as WordPress, but it did meet my needs. By this time I had realized that I needed to narrow my subject material. But I still was operating without any real guidance or goals. The result was that I would write for awhile about politics and then later write on Writing. Still later I might write on some other subject. This proved hurtful and discouraging.

Another twist occurred around 2011 or shortly afterward as Godaddy no longer allowed website users to have a blog directly attached to their website (my old blog was blog.rfrederickriddle). Instead, they now allow you to import an existing blog.

So I moved to Goodreads where I was originating my blog for a few years. Goodreads is an outstanding site where you can interact with other authors. But I have been disappointed in their blogging tools. Too restrictive and not very powerful. That said, it was still a valuable piece of internet real estate.

So I moved to WordPress and immediately imported my new blog into Goodreads. This proved to be a very wise move. Another move I made was to focus on Writing. This expanded in 2014 to publishing and marketing due to our founding of T&R Independent Books. I stayed with WordPress until this year and am now moving to Siteground.com. However, I will still have WordPress hosting by Siteground. So, if you see any differences, you hopefully will see improvements.

There, you have a brief (well, as brief as I could make it) history of my blogging efforts. I entered into blogging not knowing much and with no direction, but I have learned a few things along the way.

One of the things that always attracts me is the availability of Free and Premium plans. Many platforms offer this and you would be wise to check it out.

By the way, WordPress comes in two formats: .com and .org. Again personal experience and preferences would determine which you go with. In addition, there are quite a few WP hosting sites available, such as Siteground.com, Bluehost.com, and others.

This is actually individual choice. I see blogging as a marketing tool that can truly enhance your authoring experience. See the rest of this blog for more details.

All of this is part of blogging. Of course, I know there is Facebook and Twitter, but I am not eliminating them as marketing strategies. They have there place, including a relationship with my blog.

When I write a post, I publish it and I promote it on both Facebook and Twitter. I will also promote my blog in our newsletter, T&R’s Writers World.

Blogging, therefore, is more than a record of your thoughts and actions. It is an opportunity to influence people. As an author I have the opportunity to help others who may be new writers or even long-time writers.

Which brings me to the following question: Do you blog?

If not, why not?

You don’t have anything to say? I disagree. You are an author. You can write about your own journey, about your books, about the genre you are in, and a host of other related subjects. Or you can talk about other subjects that, while not directly related to your books, enhance your reputation.

There is one more reason for blogging: it lets people get to know you.

That sounds scary, but it isn’t. If you remain true to your voice (writing style) and blog with valuable information, people will get to know and trust you. That can only be good for you!

You may argue that you don’t want to market books, just write. Unfortunately that is not true any more. If you write books, you are a marketer. The question is are you a good one or a bad one?

Give blogging a try. Choose a topic that you are knowledgeable about and blog about it. And then be patient. You won’t be a blogging success immediately (although it does happen), but if you stick with it there will be long term benefits.

There are numerous blogging platforms. Investigate. Try one and if disappointed you can move on. Finding the right one for you may take time.

Rons blog 1

The post Why I Blog first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

Blogging: Why I Blog

Today I want to explore the reasons why I blog. Primarily I will be looking at this subject from the author’s perspective. By the way, I want to thank those of you who have welcomed me to WordPress. It’s an exciting place to be.

Now, Why do I blog?

To answer that I must first provide some history. I didn’t start blogging until after my first novel, Refuge: The Genesis Chronicles, was published in 2003. The reason was simple: To get my name out there. If you want to sell books you need to get known and blogging is a logical marketing step.

At the time I maintained my website with AT&T. Actually, it was Yahoo & AT&T. This partnership of two giants provided a WordPress blogging platform. Although I didn’t know it at the time I was starting out with probably the best blogging platform in existence.

A newbie at blogging I didn’t know what to blog about, let alone how to blog. I decided to blog about anything that came to mind. That certainly provided me with a lot of material, but experience has since taught me that such a wide subject matter hurts rather than helps your blogging reputation.

I continued to use AT&T Yahoo Business Plan for my blogging until 2009 when AT&T and Yahoo decided to have their own separate plans. I cancelled my plan with them and moved to AT&T Small Business Solutions. This however was primarily my email account. My blogging now shifted to Godaddy.com where I created a brand new website called RFrederickRiddle (my website RFRiddle remained with AT&T Small Business Solutions). There I created a strong multi-page website and a blog.

This blog was not as strong as WordPress, but it did meet my needs. By this time I had realized that I needed to narrow my subject material. But I still was operating without any real guidance or goals. The result was that I would write for awhile about politics and then later write on Writing. Still later I might write on some other subject. This proved hurtful and discouraging.

Another twist occurred around 2011 or shortly afterward as Godaddy no longer allowed website users to have a blog directly attached to their website (my old blog was blog.rfrederickriddle). Instead, they now allow you to import an existing blog.

So I moved to Goodreads where I was originating my blog for a few years. Goodreads is an outstanding site where you can interact with other authors. But I have been disappointed in their blogging tools. Too restrictive and not very powerful. That said, it was still a valuable piece of internet real estate.

So I moved to WordPress and immediately imported my new blog into Goodreads. This proved to be a very wise move. Another move I made was to focus on Writing. This expanded in 2014 to publishing and marketing due to our founding of T&R Independent Books. I stayed with WordPress until this year and am now moving to Siteground.com. However, I will still have WordPress hosting by Siteground. So, if you see any differences, you hopefully will see improvements.

There, you have a brief (well, as brief as I could make it) history of my blogging efforts. I entered into blogging not knowing much and with no direction, but I have learned a few things along the way.

One of the things that always attracts me is the availability of Free and Premium plans. Many platforms offer this and you would be wise to check it out.

By the way, WordPress comes in two formats: .com and .org. Again personal experience and preferences would determine which you go with. In addition, there are quite a few WP hosting sites available, such as Siteground.com, Bluehost.com, and others.

This is actually individual choice. I see blogging as a marketing tool that can truly enhance your authoring experience. See the rest of this blog for more details.

All of this is part of blogging. Of course, I know there is Facebook and Twitter, but I am not eliminating them as marketing strategies. They have there place, including a relationship with my blog.

When I write a post, I publish it and I promote it on both Facebook and Twitter. I will also promote my blog in our newsletter, T&R’s Writers World.

Blogging, therefore, is more than a record of your thoughts and actions. It is an opportunity to influence people. As an author I have the opportunity to help others who may be new writers or even long-time writers.

Which brings me to the following question: Do you blog?

If not, why not?

You don’t have anything to say? I disagree. You are an author. You can write about your own journey, about your books, about the genre you are in, and a host of other related subjects. Or you can talk about other subjects that, while not directly related to your books, enhance your reputation.

There is one more reason for blogging: it lets people get to know you.

That sounds scary, but it isn’t. If you remain true to your voice (writing style) and blog with valuable information, people will get to know and trust you. That can only be good for you!

You may argue that you don’t want to market books, just write. Unfortunately that is not true any more. If you write books, you are a marketer. The question is are you a good one or a bad one?

Give blogging a try. Choose a topic that you are knowledgeable about and blog about it. And then be patient. You won’t be a blogging success immediately (although it does happen), but if you stick with it there will be long term benefits.

There are numerous blogging platforms. Investigate. Try one and if disappointed you can move on. Finding the right one for you may take time.

The post Blogging: Why I Blog first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

Major Problem Resolved

I just got a major problem resolved. The problem was major in that if a person went to my Amazon page, scrolled down and clicked on the paperback version of my book What’s True About Christmas they were taken to another book by another author!

You see what I mean by major problem?

But it was more than that. The book it took people to when clicked had a similar title but was not one that I as a Christian wanted to be connected with. Not only would this man have gotten sales originally meant for my book, but it brought in reviews that I didn’t want either.

And on top of all that, it had the potential to damage my reputation.

After the break I will tell you what happened.

T&R Independent Books brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

It’s Your Business is a video service to help authors learn how to set up their business. We provide free video training where you learn why you, as an author, are already a businessman or businesswoman. You also learn basics for structuring your business. Along with these videos are Learning to Write with the basics you need.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

Fortunately, I have a friend who knew what I should do. Basically, it was as follows:

Goto https://kdp.Amazon.com/en_US/help/topic/G200736410Scroll down to Contact Us (yellow button)Click on Manage Your Books and SeriesClick on Republish or update a published bookClick on Phone Call UsType in phone numberClick on Request CallExplain problemDo not do a chat

I followed these instructions and the agent that I spoke to took care of the problem right away. I was told it might take 24 to 72 hours for the changes to take effect, but I noticed changes within a matter of a few hours. Needless to say, but I will, I was thoroughly pleased!

These steps should work for any problem you might have with Amazon regarding your book(s). The key is to clearly state your problem so that the agent can recognize the problem and fix it. So, before taking the steps listed above, I would suggest you first sit down and write out a description of the problem. If you have the description in front of you it is likely that you will be able to provide the agent with a brief, accurate description of it, thus facilitating a quick response and fix.

The problem was fixed for me rather quickly and now the book is available once again to potential readers. The only remaining thing is that I might change the book cover and see if that impacts sales any.

But this whole episode brought home to me a truth that I had not really considered prior to this problem happening to me. Periodically, it would be a good practice to visit your book(s) on Amazon and make sure the links work!It would truly be tragic to invest a lot of money into advertising your work only to have the potential sale go to another author.

Another advantage of doing that would be that such an examination of your book(s) would reveal any other problems that might exist with it, such as Out of Stock, wrong price, or wrong book cover. In the digital age we live in there are any number of problems that could exist. They can happen without your knowledge and cost you a ton of money. So, being proactive is a good idea.

In a previous blog post, I mentioned that I was moving my website. Well, I have made my initial step by signing up with Site Ground and buying the plan Grow Big. They have other plans, but I like this one and expect to get it up and running before my WordPress site ends in April.

By the way, I will still be using Word Press. I will be moving the entire site over to Siteground.com where I will then work on improving the design and overall look and feel of the site. My goal will be to create a site where the customers can visit, relax, and find something of value to them.

The primary difference between Word Press hosting and Site Ground hosting is in the price tag and possibly other features, as well. Eventually, I plan on having three domains with a Primary domain for the website, another domain for me, and a third domain for my wife. This will allow us as authors to market our name and our books seamlessly to our potential readers and provide a direct link to the primary site.

2021 was a great year for Teresa (Tess) and me in that it moved us into a better marketing position. But I truly believe that 2022 will be our best year ever. That is because we will soon have a stronger website using tools that I am already familiar with, plus we will have the expertise of the Christian Authors Community behind us providing knowledge, experience, and support all along the way. This connection is already beneficial to us! It was through them that we learned about siteground.com and bluehost.com. That in itself was beneficial, but we have also met some great people who share our desire to write!

If you are an author or you want to be one it would be a great move for you to check them out. Go to the website and check them out. You will be impressed with what they offer. I know I was impressed!

The post Major Problem Resolved first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

Looking at Hosting Services

I am looking at Hosting Services that I might use in the near future. While there are quite a few hosting services available, I am interested in two. I will be discussing three services, the first being the one I use now and then I will take a closer look at the other two.

WORDPRESS

I love the WordPress look and feel. It enables me to write blogs such as this as well as have a modern and powerful website. Looking to the future I am leaving the WordPress hosting because of its cost.

Why do I love WordPress?

I have been an author since 2003 and have built several websites. I have learned how to do so and am confident I can do it again. But WordPress is a powerful host that provides important tools, such as Jetpack and WooCommerce plugins. They also have an amazing storefront theme that enables me to market my products with relative ease.

So why change?

I got into this problem by upgrading twice last year. First, I upgraded from Personal to Premium and later to Business. But as this year began, I realized that I was facing a large upfront cost that was less than desirable. Yet I love WordPress. What to do?

I decided to look around for a web hosting site that made use of WordPress. I found two that I liked and will discuss after the break.

T&R Independent Books brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

It’s Your Business is a video service to help authors learn how to set up their business. We provide free video training where you learn why you, as an author, are already a businessman or businesswoman. You also learn basics for structuring your business. Along with these videos are Learning to Write with the basics you need.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

The next two hosting sites offer plans that can by paid for monthly or annually, whereas WordPress is only on an annual basis. So, let’s take a look at the two finalists in my search for a hosting site.

BLUEHOST

BlueHost has 4 plans: Basic, Plus, Choice Plus, and Pro. I discuss each and note the price.

Basic Plan

This sells at a discounted price of $2.95/month for a term of 12 months. It is aimed at beginners, allows one domain, has free WordPress (WP) installation. While the price is excellent, this plan is meant for someone just getting started. I need more than it offers.

Plus Plan

This plan has everything that the Basic Plan has and more. It offers Office 365, which would be great except I already have that through Godaddy. It sells for the discounted price of $5.45/month and auto renews at #13.99/month.

Plus Choice

This plan has all that the Plus plan has, but also includes Domain Privacy and free (1 year) automated backup plus 20 GB. The plan sells for $5.45/month, auto renewing at $18.99/month.

Pro

Their top of the line plan sells at the discounted price of $5.45/month, includes 40GB, and auto renewing at $28.99/month. It includes all of Plus Choice and free automated backup with no time limit.

All of these plans included WordPress integration, which I consider a must.

SITEGROUND

SiteGround also supports WordPress and has 3 plans: Startup, Grow Big, and GoGeek.

Startup

This plan has a discounted price of $3.99 and auto renews at $14.99. It is comparable to BlueHost’s Basic Plan. It is limited to one domain and is meant for the beginner.

Grow Big

This plan has a discounted price of $6.69 and compares to Plus Choice with 20GB Web Space, 100,000 monthly visits, free WP installation, and more. Like the Plus Choice this plan provides all that I need and more.

GoGeek

The plan is at the discounted price of $10.69/month and auto renews at $39.99. It has everything offered in Grow Big but with 40GB of Web Space, 400,000 visits monthly, and other additional features.

At first glance, BlueHost is the cheapest. However, when I compared the strengths of the two hosts, I found that SiteGround is closer to my needs than BlueHost. As of this writing, I believe that SiteGround’s Grow Big is the plan I will be going with.

Doing so will enable me to have two blogs (one for me and one for my wife Tess), plus three domains.

Why 3 domains?

One will by my primary site, one will be my website which will be linked to the primary but allow people to get to know me and my books. The remaining domain will be for Tess and allow people to get to know her and her books.

I have consulted an expert in domain development and uses and he suggested the above plan that will enable Tess and me to promote our author brands plus link our books to the TR Independent Store.

This move from WordPress will be as smooth as possible and allow you to visit our store seamlessly. I will continue to update you on the website move.

The post Looking at Hosting Services first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

Moving in New Directions

We are moving in new directions. Six words, but they are the springboard to what could very well be one of the most exciting years in business yet!

Founded in 2014, T&R Independent Books has gone through several changes, but except for our founding year, this will be the biggest.

Why?

Because we believe that God has opened some doors for us. We are not barging through like bulls in a China shop. Each step will be carefully thought out. Fortunately, we have an advisor or perhaps advisors who will be assisting us.

There are several legs to this change, but we will explore them on the other side of the break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

It’s Your Business is a video service to help authors learn how to set up their business. We provide free video training where you learn why you, as an author, are already a businessman or businesswoman. You also learn basics for structuring your business. Along with these videos are Learning to Write with the basics you need.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

Books

Tess and I plan to continue writing books. Tess has already authored her first novel and is now writing an inspirational book. Knowing my own growth as an author, I expect to see her grow year by year in the number of books and the type.

As for me, I have finished the World That Was series and an working on two other fictional series. The first is Moses The Friend of God and the second will be about Daniel. That one may be a standalone.

In addition, I am now writing nonfiction books. The Facts About series a variety of issues, people, and activities. The series What’s True About is a series that will look at various Christian doctrines, practices, and the like, providing readers with a brief, concise understanding.

We are also marketing our nonfiction a little differently. Whereas our novels are primarily 6×9 format, the nonfiction format is 5×8. This smaller size enables readers to more easily carry the books with them.

Logo

It may be time to change our logo. Nothing wrong with it as it is except that it is perhaps too narrow. We want our customers to see the logo and immediately equate it with both our business and with us as authors.

With that in mind we are in the process of redesigning it.

TR Writing Services

TR Writing Services was founded in 2019, but our new vision for this subdivision is undergoing changes. My vision for 2022 is that this subdivision be focused primarily in the local market with an emphasis on churches and those in the ministry.

This is not written in stone, but we want to be an encouragement and a resource for churches, evangelists, missionaries, and the like. The idea is to encourage, and help them in writing, editing, and publishing their books.

Whether this service will be available online is yet to be determined, but if it is it will be different than previously. One reason for development is that we have found another resource, the Christian Authors Community, which provides the kind of service we were building toward. But instead of reinventing the wheel, we are thinking of referring people to this excellent service.

Website

Our website needs a facelift. Actually, it is not a bad looking site, but because of some of the changes being evaluated, we may need to change the overall appearance of the website.

This could involve a move from our current Word Press location, although not entirely. Aside from a redesign of the website, it is possible that we will shift to a different host, yet one that is partnered with Word Press.

The upshot of such a move would be to allow us to continue with our Word Press look and feel, but at the same time enable us to do more and save money in the process.

One of the concepts we are considering is actually an outgrowth of our current site. When designing the current site and, for that matter the previous site, there has been in the back of my mind the idea that when a customer visits our site, he or she will have an experience that is similar to landing on a publisher’s website. There the visitor will have the opportunity to research the various authors without going through the entire site.

We only have two authors, so that is not a big job. But what we would like to do is make it possible for you to visit our author pages directly or to go to the store. Our books will be linked to the store and the store will be linked to the author pages.

It sounds like a done deal, but I have yet to really dig down and discover whether we can accomplish this goal seamlessly. So, the possibility is that we will grow in steps.

As we write more books our bookstore will also grow. And as noted in Books, we already have been making steps for growth. And through it all we will provide a customer friendly shopping experience.

T&R Independent Books is the privately owned business by Tess and R. Frederick Riddle, authors located in Port Charlotte, Florida. Our website is located at https://rfrederickriddleblog.com/.

The post Moving in New Directions first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

Anniversary of the January 6, 2021

In a couple of days, the anniversary of the January 6, 2021, D.C. riot will be upon us. Fanned by the Press, the riot still seems fresh in our minds. While the U.S. House Select Committee has been an utter failure, if you watch or read the news you can still see that liberals are trying their best to make this a political knockout punch for the upcoming election. But polls indicate that the public isn’t buying what they are selling.

Why?

Well, let’s take a closer look.

Still called an insurrection by liberal demagogues, it was actually a short to medium riot. It began about 12:40 p.m., some 30 minutes before President Trump ended his speech, and wasn’t over until 8 p.m. That’s less than 8 hours, which seems rather short compared to the many riots our nation had endured during 2021.

But the irresponsible press and leftwing politicians saw and still see opportunity in calling it an insurrection. In my book The Facts About the Insurrection, I not only provide a definition of what an insurrection is, but I report on the ‘weapons’ that were used. The facts point to a riot, but an insurrection is more politically correct.

Before and since the book was written the U.S. House Select Committee has been “investigating”. With all their publicity they have failed to prove their case that it was an insurrection and they have muddied the waters with baseless claims.

We will explore more on the other side of the break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

It’s Your Business is a video service to help authors learn how to set up their business. We provide free video training where you learn why you, as an author, are already a businessman or businesswoman. You also learn basics for structuring your business. Along with these videos are Learning to Write with the basics you need.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

The Facts About the Insurrection remains relevant. It not only sheds light on what happened but explores events occurring before the riot. And it raises questions that have never been answered.

I read an article on January 2, 2022 from the Associated Press. The AP was once a proud beacon of truth that Americans could trust. But not anymore. Today you constantly see reporters mixing their opinions within an article, thus making it appear that their opinion is actually fact.

I challenge to read any article about that day by an AP writer and not come across the phrase ‘a baseless claim’ or something similar. That is an opinion, not a fact.

Oh, once in a while it might actually be true, but in most cases it is the writer’s opinion. And that is just one easy example.

It is a sad day when you can’t believe the Press who are supposed to be above politics, but to this day you still see articles coming from reporters featured in the Associated Press proclaiming what amounts to opinions as facts, as stated above. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind reporters stating opinions, they have a right to have opinions, but when they write their articles that are loaded with opinions and call them facts, that is too much!

Apparently, our colleges and other educational institutions no longer teach ethics in journalism. At least ethics in news reporting. And for a representative democracy such as ours, we need the Press to be honest and trustworthy, something I find increasingly difficult to find.

The Facts About the Insurrection includes facts and my opinions. And the reader will know the difference. There are a lot of conspiracy theories being expressed on the Internet. Some of these have merit and should be investigated by our police, but others have gotten outlandish.

In my book I take a brief look at a few theories. There is still merit in a couple of them and one is not a theory at all, but rests on facts unearthed in the digital world and is being reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Want to know more? Check out The Facts About the Insurrection at our bookstore at https://rfrederickriddleblog.com/shop/. Look for a coupon code.

News about TR Services

TR Services was founded to provide authors, including novices and established authors, information and help without breaking your bank. We are planning to move into a new phase shortly and we will announce as soon as we know what our plans are going forward more details.

The post Anniversary of the January 6, 2021 first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

When Should I Change Direction?

When should I change direction? That question covers a multitude of interests both personal and professional, but we are concerned with our writing careers. The quick answer to that is anytime, but that is not always true.

Another answer is on New Year’s Day or early in the new year. New Year’s Day is a great time for a person to pause and reevaluate things, whether personal or professional. But in reality, the best time can be described as anytime that you are made aware of one or more of the following:

Disappointing Results : This can be real or imagined. In either case, you need to examine and reevaluate priorities and how you are doing things. Financial Obligations : This is something you should look at both personally and professionally. Hopefully, you track your budget. Do you have a budget? If not, why not? Budgets help keep you on your toes, whereas operating without one can lead to serious financial problems. Been there, done that. God’s Leading : It is possible that even if you have had a stellar year, God may lead you to change. Be open to God’s leading all the time . Pray and seek His will daily. Check whether He is leading you to change or continue.

We will explore more on the other side of the break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

Sometimes, God leads you in a direction you are not familiar with or even one you don’t want to go. But if you know God is leading a certain direction, it is always safest to obey and follow.

In my case, I am currently contemplating major changes. This year has been marked with open and closed doors. There have been good and disappointing results. So, it is imperative that I examine things and seek God’s will about what to do.

I won’t go into what these changes are yet because some are still in flux. But I will say this, that the changes I am thinking about may look bad on the outside, but I am seeing them as steps first of all in the direction that God wants me to go. And these steps require changes to position us to have a successful 2022.

Have you stopped to take a look at your business? What about the book you are writing? Is it moving along or have you hit a wall? And if you hit a wall, how do you plan to overcome it?

What about your website? Is it good or does it need improvement? Are you focusing on international marketing, national marketing, or Local marketing? Or are you doing a combination?

Change is not a bad thing nor need it be a difficult thing. I am already working on different scenarios so when decision time arrives, I will be ready. Will you be ready?

New Year’s is a good time to reevaluate your life, business, and activities to see where you’ve come in the last 12 months and where you want to go during the next 12 months. As a businessperson you need to know where you’ve been and where you want to be, so take the time. It will be worth it!

If you would like to comment on this article, please do.

If there is the slightest chance that you might write a book, whether many or just one, visit us and take advantage of our knowledge. The information is free and helpful. Periodically, I will either upgrade the videos or add additional ones for your perusal.

While changes may take place soon, I will still be here providing you the benefit of my knowledge and pointing you to helpful sources to build your business.

The post When Should I Change Direction? first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

When Was Jesus Born?

When Was Jesus Born? This is a legitimate question. We have grown up with December 25th as the time we celebrate Christmas. And I imagine this date will remain constant.

But what is the truth?

We will explore more on the other side of the break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

The following is an excerpt from What’s True About Christmas.

The birth of Jesus is celebrated on December 25th, but the actual birth is now believed to have been September 11, 3 BC[1] (Tishri 1 or Feast of Tabernacles). There are many reasons for this date, and I will be covering some if not all of them. The purpose for this is not to do away with Christmas, an unlikely event, but to bring knowledge to the table so that when we celebrate Christmas we do so with a true understanding of our Savior’s birth and of the events surrounding it.

In the truthinscripture.net article that I researched, one of the reasons for this date is that Tishri 1 (see Ancient Jewish Calendar) is the first day of the new year (Civil year).

Also, in Revelation 12:1-6 we have a future event taking place. But scholars have noticed that in verse 6 it reads, ‘And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place…’.

Because of the word ‘hath’ it is believed that verses 1-6 describe the birth of Christ[2]. Too deep for this book, but the evidence points to a period between August 27th and September 15th. And further evidence points to September 11th between 6:18 pm (sunset) and 7:39 pm (moonset). This is a worthwhile study for someone who truly wants to know and understand when our Savior was born. This date is also interesting since it is the same date that the World Trade Center was destroyed.

Any significance? Perhaps Satan wanted to hide the fact that the date was Jesus’ birth date. However, that is just speculation, but I thought it interesting.

There is additional evidence regarding the Magi that will be touched upon in the chapter The Magi.

The year 3 BC aligns itself with other scriptures, such as Luke 2:1-5, which says,

‘And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.’

The Roman king Augustus Caesar announced a taxation during the second governorship of Syria which was of Cyrenius. This taxation was also a time of registration when people would proclaim their oath of allegiance to Rome.[3] This then is why Joseph and Mary went to Bethlehem.

Further, Bethlehem was only 6 miles from Jerusalem where Joseph would be required to visit in two weeks after Jesus’ birth for the Feast of Tabernacles, which commemorated the 40-year long sojourn of the Israelites when they left Egypt for the Promised Land. All Jewish men were required by Jewish law to attend the Feast of Tabernacles.

While the distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem was a mere 70 miles, the mode of travel made it much more difficult than it would be today. It is likely that he had a donkey upon which Mary rode since she was now in her ninth month. How many hours or days it took we are not told. But traveling on foot with her riding on a donkey and in her ninth month suggests it could have taken at least four days, possibly more. It would have been very hard on her.

But when they finally arrived and saw the crowds, Joseph realized with a sickening reality they would have a problem finding a place to live. He stopped and looked at Mary, who was obviously in pain.

“Stay here while I step aside to pray,” he said.

She watched as he made his way to a nearby tree where he knelt and prayed. While he sought God’s guidance, she looked at the small city. It was her first time ever visiting Joseph’s ancestral home of Bethlehem.

The sight of the small village overflowing with people was discouraging. But it was the odor that touched her nostrils that was truly depressing.

The smell consisted of a mixture of sheep dung, human sweat, and meals being prepared. The combination made her a little nauseous.

Joseph returned.

“We shall go in and seek a room. Perchance God has prepared a place for us.”

She nodded and they continued into the city.

That excerpt should have given you some food for thought. The book goes on to talk about the shepherds, the sheep, and the nativity scene itself. It is available on Amazon in both print and eBook. If you want it for Christmas then the eBook is the purchase to make. If you simply want it and don’t care about the arrival date, then you might consider the print version.

Speaking of which, the print version can also be purchased at T&R Bookstore where all our books are discounted. Grab yourself a copy and learn more about Christmas! This book may not answer all questions, but it will answer the date of  His birth, and much more!

Have a Blessed Christmas!

If you would like to comment on this article, please do.

If there is the slightest chance that you might write a book, whether many or just one, visit us and take advantage of our knowledge. The information is free and helpful, and our plans are designed for your budget. Periodically, I will either upgrade the videos or add additional ones for your perusal.

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

Oh, and if you email us inquiring about our services, we will provide you a free copy of our book on writing plus a brochure about our business.

Below are some links you may want to check out.

[1]truthinscripture.net/2017/01/02/jesus...

[2]truthinscripture.net/2016/12/28/jesus...

[3]truthinscripture.net/2017/01/05/jesus...

The post When Was Jesus Born? first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.

Reflections on Experience Bethlehem

I have decided to share with you some reflections on Experience Bethlehem which our church performed this past weekend. The first thought is the powerful response of our community. Originally scheduled for 4 performances per night on Friday and Saturday night. Because of the community interest it was expanded to Thursday night and 3 additional performances.

The Lord provided nice weather, we were performing within a thousand seat tent, that added to the overall success. In addition to that was the involvement of our people. We are a small church of a little over 100 members and some 80 members were involved as actors, and support personnel such as Parking Lot, Welcome Center, Props, Costumes, and more. That was awesome.

We will explore more on the other side of the break.

TR-WritingServices.com brings you this blog post or podcast to keep you informed on the issues of today. Authors need to stay informed so that they can relate to their readers facts as well as entertain them with their imagination.

 TR-WritingServices.com is a service dedicated to help authors reach their potential as independent writers. Knowing the world you live in and work in is essential to being a good writer, thus the need for the free flow of information.

To discover how we can help you be the writer you want to be, write to us at marketing@tr-indbkstore.com. We will respond with a free copy of our Guide to Writing plus a brochure detailing our plans. We won’t ask for your credit card or any money, but we will send you these items for free.

Check us out and get your career moving.

Now back to the article.

The presentation from start to finish was special. I think everyone involved was touched. It wasn’t just a play, but the story of Jesus’ birth, life, and death. Usually lost in our modern society’s commercialized Christmas celebrations, the story of Jesus’ birth, life, and death is a powerful reminder of God’s love for mankind!

We live in a world where we have an aggressive Russian dictator, a weak President, rioting in our cities across the nation, media mayhem, and a general turning away from God. But God still rules, and He still loves us. So, it is important that we pause and remember what God did for us.

Being a Christian has rarely been popular. We have a world of history of persecution that attests to that fact. But having a God Who loves us, and the Son of God Who loved us enough to die for us, helps us live for Him and serve Him.

It is easy to forget that the Babe in the manger grew up to die on cross for our sins and rose 3 days and 3 nights later Victor over sin and death! He now sits on the right hand of God the Father and intercedes on our behalf!

Another important fact brought out in the play was that although Jewish priests and Roman soldiers were physically involved in the death of our Savior, it was Christ who dismissed His spirit because man could not kill God. He had to do it as seen in Luke 23:45-46.

Experience Bethlehem captured the true meaning of Christmas and resulted in many people making decisions for Christ, including salvation. Many of the visitors who walked the streets of Bethlehem expressed their thanks.

The play expresses visually what my book, What’s True About Christmas, does in a literary way. Christmas is so much more than a nativity scene. As pointed out in my book, the nativity scene only tells part of the story.

The true story began before the foundations of the world were laid. God knew that man (Adam) would sin and would need a Savior. God also knew He would send His Son Jesus Christ to be the Savior, that Jesus would pay for our sins with His life, and rise again triumphant over sin and death!

I hope that as we draw closer to the celebration of His birth, that likely occurred in September of 3 B.C., that we look to Him for salvation, guidance, strength, and joy.

If you would like to see a video of Experience Bethlehem, click here.

Have a Blessed Christmas!

If you would like to comment on this article, please do.

If there is the slightest chance that you might write a book, whether many or just one, visit us and take advantage of our knowledge. The information is free and helpful, and our plans are designed for your budget. Periodically, I will either upgrade the videos or add additional ones for your perusal.

We are proud to be able to offer you the best possible experience at TR Independent Bookstore. Whether you are living in Southwest Florida or elsewhere in the United States, we want to be your local bookstore. We are located on the internet at tr-writingservices.com. Drop in and check us out.

Oh, and if you email us inquiring about our services, we will provide you a free copy of our book on writing plus a brochure about our business.

The post Reflections on Experience Bethlehem first appeared on T&R Independent Bookstore.