Kristen Nannini's Blog, page 3
July 26, 2014
Impact
In celebration of Independence day, I offered No Man Sam for free on Amazon Kindle and posted on a few sites stating that I would be donating .10 to Surviving in Numbers, an amazing organization that helps victims of rape and domestic violence.
I had 37 downloads the first day of the promotion. I prayed we would have success and posted to one more website and the downloads went wild! I am happy to say my husband and I had the privilege and opportunity to donate more than we could have ever imagined and it was the best thing ever. Not because people downloaded the book, but because their hearts were into helping others, just as ours were.
An incredible thing happened then. No Man Sam became one of the top free downloads in teenage romance (I believe it peaked at #2) and it broke the top 100 (and nearly the top 50) in free Kindle books. I'm not a known author, (and likely never be and that's cool with me), but the fact that others were downloading the book and the fact that it was becoming more visible meant more $$'s for Surviving in Numbers!
If you have a chance to check out the organization, I highly recommend it. If, by chance, you did download No Man Sam during the promotional free period, THANK YOU! It means everything that you were willing to try out a book by an unknown author and also help a cool organization in the process. It's a win-win-win all around!
I believe amazing things can happen when we step outside ourselves for a while and take a walk in someone else's shoes. Sometimes it takes walking in someone else's shoes to appreciate what we have or to realize what our purpose is and how we become changed. It's kind of like writing a fiction novel. When I get the chance to walk in a main character's shoes, it's fun, but kind of surreal at the same time because I don't like when bad things happen to them (even though I'm pulling all the strings). I'm sure that sounds weird.
The scary thing is, often, reality is worse than fiction. I helped unpack and tag new backpacks this morning in my community. 4500 kids in my area are going to have backpacks full of the pens, pencils, and notebooks they need to get a great start. 4500 kids. The reality is, 4500 kids isn't all the needy ones in my area. I wonder how the inner city kids and teachers get by. It makes me angry that every child doesn't have what they need for school. We often take what we have for granted.
If you are reading this and are able, I challenge you. Find an organization you want to be part of and volunteer or send a donation.
Remember, there can never be too many volunteers and every donation can make a difference, Heck, a dime per download eventually turned into enough money for Surviving in Numbers to be able to get into a few more schools. Every little bit counts. Some other great organizations to consider include Compassion International, Blood Water Mission, and The Wounded Warrior Project. If everyone gave a little bit more and consumed a little bit less...just IMAGINE how amazing our world could be! :)
Ok, I'll come off the soapbox on the next post...I promise. I just had to write what was on my heart.
I had 37 downloads the first day of the promotion. I prayed we would have success and posted to one more website and the downloads went wild! I am happy to say my husband and I had the privilege and opportunity to donate more than we could have ever imagined and it was the best thing ever. Not because people downloaded the book, but because their hearts were into helping others, just as ours were.
An incredible thing happened then. No Man Sam became one of the top free downloads in teenage romance (I believe it peaked at #2) and it broke the top 100 (and nearly the top 50) in free Kindle books. I'm not a known author, (and likely never be and that's cool with me), but the fact that others were downloading the book and the fact that it was becoming more visible meant more $$'s for Surviving in Numbers!
If you have a chance to check out the organization, I highly recommend it. If, by chance, you did download No Man Sam during the promotional free period, THANK YOU! It means everything that you were willing to try out a book by an unknown author and also help a cool organization in the process. It's a win-win-win all around!
I believe amazing things can happen when we step outside ourselves for a while and take a walk in someone else's shoes. Sometimes it takes walking in someone else's shoes to appreciate what we have or to realize what our purpose is and how we become changed. It's kind of like writing a fiction novel. When I get the chance to walk in a main character's shoes, it's fun, but kind of surreal at the same time because I don't like when bad things happen to them (even though I'm pulling all the strings). I'm sure that sounds weird.
The scary thing is, often, reality is worse than fiction. I helped unpack and tag new backpacks this morning in my community. 4500 kids in my area are going to have backpacks full of the pens, pencils, and notebooks they need to get a great start. 4500 kids. The reality is, 4500 kids isn't all the needy ones in my area. I wonder how the inner city kids and teachers get by. It makes me angry that every child doesn't have what they need for school. We often take what we have for granted.
If you are reading this and are able, I challenge you. Find an organization you want to be part of and volunteer or send a donation.
Remember, there can never be too many volunteers and every donation can make a difference, Heck, a dime per download eventually turned into enough money for Surviving in Numbers to be able to get into a few more schools. Every little bit counts. Some other great organizations to consider include Compassion International, Blood Water Mission, and The Wounded Warrior Project. If everyone gave a little bit more and consumed a little bit less...just IMAGINE how amazing our world could be! :)
Ok, I'll come off the soapbox on the next post...I promise. I just had to write what was on my heart.
May 18, 2014
YANovelWriter: Life Lessons and Such.
YANovelWriter: Life Lessons and Such.: Hi! Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kristen Nannini, author of No Man Sam , and soon-to-be author of a Young Adult trilo...
Life Lessons and Such.
Hi!
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kristen Nannini, author of No Man Sam, and soon-to-be author of a Young Adult trilogy which is currently nameless. :) I love to write, to reach people, to go to the beach, and to play with my rescue puppy, and hang out with my husband. Although I'm new to blogging, I'm also new to going to the gym and I'm hoping both new things in my life work out as favorably as those I've been doing for some time. Thanks so much for checking out my blog! I've tried this blog thing once before and didn't succeed. Now, like the gym, I feel I'm up for a challenge!
I wanted to come up with a list of things I've learned, and re-learned over the past several years. I think it helps to look at where I'm at now, versus where I've been and the lessons that have been learned along the way. I believe the past has a tendency to repeat and these lessons have proved beneficial to me, so hopefully this list will be helpful to someone else. I'm sure many might disagree with some of the statements below. If you disagree, feel free to comment. I would love to hear your opinions. I just hope something on this list hits home for someone. Hopefully what I've learned in my time on this earth will help someone else :)
1. True forgiveness takes a gargantuan amount of courage.
2. Love is all around us, as is God.
3. Taking time to figure out what someone else is thinking is useless. Just ask or move on.
4. Sometimes we hurt others unintentionally. If every possible effort has been made to mend fences, we must move on. Hurt feelings are valid, but if there is no sense of forgiveness or acceptance of remorse, moving on is the only option we have.
5. It is much easier to forgive an enemy than it is to forgive a friend.
6. Communication is the key to living harmoniously. If we close the door, there is no way for new ideas to flow, bridges to be built, or relationships to be strengthened.
7. When life gives you lemons and you've no where to turn, figure out how to get yourself out and then tell/write about it. Someone else will be in that same place in the future.
8. Just saying hello and checking in with someone on your mind can mean all the difference in the world.
9. Hindsight is always 20/20 but if we choose to live in the past, we will never be able to live for today.
10. Love is an amazing thing. It grows and changes and sometimes seems to take on a life of its own. When someone seems to deserve love the least, that's usually when they need it the most.
11. Change is never easy, but it's inevitable. Embrace it and grow from it and you will never feel forced into anything.
12. Money is a vicious and lovely thing. Spend it wisely and be wise and save some too. You can never be too wise when it comes to money, but it's easy to become too careless. Take care of your money so you can take care of yourself.
13. Growing plants takes time and love. Growing weeds takes inaction.
14. Sometimes it's better to listen to someone who you believe is wrong than take the energy to prove them wrong. Sometimes people just need to be heard with no judgment.
15. Music is an awesome thing. It can raise you up or bring you down so many levels. Choose your music wisely.
16. Enemies are only yours when you choose to create them. Regardless of who you believe is your enemy, treat them with kindness and love. You may one day make a friend, but at the very least, will have no hate in your heart to consume you.
17. Respect is something that should always be given blindly. A homeless man deserves as much respect as a business man. I guarantee the homeless man will appreciate it more. Never take someone else's respect for granted. It is so easily lost.
18. Always put yourself in someone else's shoes. In most cases, I'm very grateful and thankful to be stepping back into mine. Appreciate every gift you have regardless of how small or insignificant that may seem.
19. Freedom is something we should never, ever take for granted.
20. Sometimes when bad things turn out exactly as you expected, it sucks to be right. At the same time it's an excellent opportunity to reflect on what you've learned. Maybe it warrants expecting something different/better.
21. Drunk driving is a horrible thing which often affects people who don't drive drunk or drink very little themselves. If you have a friend or family member that needs help, getting them that help could save an untold amount of innocent lives.
22. People aren't perfect. They make mistakes and screw things up. You are no better or worse than said "people". We are all beautifully and perfectly imperfect.
23. Sometimes there is nothing you can do or say to foster forgiveness. Then again, maybe the friendship was a farce in the first place or not worth the effort you applied.
24. Life ebbs and flows. It's always changing and never constant. Appreciate every sunrise and what God has given you.
25. Having the change to reach people through books is an amazing and powerful thing!
26. Growing older doesn't hurt.
27. Growing wiser is a blessing.
28. We are the creators of our own destinies. Take hold of what you love and never let go, regardless of what anyone thinks.
29. Great courage and resilience can often be found in a person who actively chooses to remain silent.
30. Puppies are incredible creatures. It is a joy and a privilege to have one.
One pooped puppy :)Thanks for visiting. Have an incredible day!
Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kristen Nannini, author of No Man Sam, and soon-to-be author of a Young Adult trilogy which is currently nameless. :) I love to write, to reach people, to go to the beach, and to play with my rescue puppy, and hang out with my husband. Although I'm new to blogging, I'm also new to going to the gym and I'm hoping both new things in my life work out as favorably as those I've been doing for some time. Thanks so much for checking out my blog! I've tried this blog thing once before and didn't succeed. Now, like the gym, I feel I'm up for a challenge!I wanted to come up with a list of things I've learned, and re-learned over the past several years. I think it helps to look at where I'm at now, versus where I've been and the lessons that have been learned along the way. I believe the past has a tendency to repeat and these lessons have proved beneficial to me, so hopefully this list will be helpful to someone else. I'm sure many might disagree with some of the statements below. If you disagree, feel free to comment. I would love to hear your opinions. I just hope something on this list hits home for someone. Hopefully what I've learned in my time on this earth will help someone else :)
1. True forgiveness takes a gargantuan amount of courage.
2. Love is all around us, as is God.
3. Taking time to figure out what someone else is thinking is useless. Just ask or move on.
4. Sometimes we hurt others unintentionally. If every possible effort has been made to mend fences, we must move on. Hurt feelings are valid, but if there is no sense of forgiveness or acceptance of remorse, moving on is the only option we have.
5. It is much easier to forgive an enemy than it is to forgive a friend.
6. Communication is the key to living harmoniously. If we close the door, there is no way for new ideas to flow, bridges to be built, or relationships to be strengthened.
7. When life gives you lemons and you've no where to turn, figure out how to get yourself out and then tell/write about it. Someone else will be in that same place in the future.
8. Just saying hello and checking in with someone on your mind can mean all the difference in the world.
9. Hindsight is always 20/20 but if we choose to live in the past, we will never be able to live for today.
10. Love is an amazing thing. It grows and changes and sometimes seems to take on a life of its own. When someone seems to deserve love the least, that's usually when they need it the most.
11. Change is never easy, but it's inevitable. Embrace it and grow from it and you will never feel forced into anything.
12. Money is a vicious and lovely thing. Spend it wisely and be wise and save some too. You can never be too wise when it comes to money, but it's easy to become too careless. Take care of your money so you can take care of yourself.
13. Growing plants takes time and love. Growing weeds takes inaction.
14. Sometimes it's better to listen to someone who you believe is wrong than take the energy to prove them wrong. Sometimes people just need to be heard with no judgment.
15. Music is an awesome thing. It can raise you up or bring you down so many levels. Choose your music wisely.
16. Enemies are only yours when you choose to create them. Regardless of who you believe is your enemy, treat them with kindness and love. You may one day make a friend, but at the very least, will have no hate in your heart to consume you.
17. Respect is something that should always be given blindly. A homeless man deserves as much respect as a business man. I guarantee the homeless man will appreciate it more. Never take someone else's respect for granted. It is so easily lost.
18. Always put yourself in someone else's shoes. In most cases, I'm very grateful and thankful to be stepping back into mine. Appreciate every gift you have regardless of how small or insignificant that may seem.
19. Freedom is something we should never, ever take for granted.
20. Sometimes when bad things turn out exactly as you expected, it sucks to be right. At the same time it's an excellent opportunity to reflect on what you've learned. Maybe it warrants expecting something different/better.
21. Drunk driving is a horrible thing which often affects people who don't drive drunk or drink very little themselves. If you have a friend or family member that needs help, getting them that help could save an untold amount of innocent lives.
22. People aren't perfect. They make mistakes and screw things up. You are no better or worse than said "people". We are all beautifully and perfectly imperfect.
23. Sometimes there is nothing you can do or say to foster forgiveness. Then again, maybe the friendship was a farce in the first place or not worth the effort you applied.
24. Life ebbs and flows. It's always changing and never constant. Appreciate every sunrise and what God has given you.
25. Having the change to reach people through books is an amazing and powerful thing!
26. Growing older doesn't hurt.
27. Growing wiser is a blessing.
28. We are the creators of our own destinies. Take hold of what you love and never let go, regardless of what anyone thinks.
29. Great courage and resilience can often be found in a person who actively chooses to remain silent.
30. Puppies are incredible creatures. It is a joy and a privilege to have one.
One pooped puppy :)Thanks for visiting. Have an incredible day!
