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Memory’s Mind Blog Tour Kickoff: Join the Meditation Challenge + Giveaway

Greetings, friends! Welcome to the Memory’s Mind Blog/Media Launch Tour! In honor of Memory’s Mind releasing on the 18th, we have a whole week of virtual tour fun planned.

Tour Map and Overview

All week:

  • A brand new book for sale (surprise ;)).
  • Sales on nearly all my other books (50%-75% off!).
  • A 5-day meditation challenge and special giveaway (details below!)
  • A fun blog/bookstagram challenge
  • Exclusive snippets
  • Book spotlights and reviews by a number of wonderful bloggers and Instagrammers
  • Guests posts on meditation
  • Monday: A cover reveal for the next book!
  • Tuesday: A free chapter
  • Wednesday: A Bible study on the word keep
  • Thursday: Special sales and a free novel
  • Friday: Launch day!
  • Saturday: Wrap-up and giveaway winners

We’ll get into more details on all of these things in upcoming posts, but today I’d like to introduce the meditation challenge and giveaway so that you’ll be prepared to jump right in with us on Monday!

Memory’s Mind Meditation Challenge & Giveaway!

YOU ARE INVITED…
In Memory’s Mind, Kelton begins to discover the extreme importance of what he puts his mind on and the power of Biblical meditation. Along with Kelton, take the challenge to meditate on the Word of God for five days and begin to build a habit of lifetime meditation. 

THE CHALLENGE:
1. Choose a length of time that you will devote specifically and only to meditation each day this week. (Minimum: 10 minutes. Suggested: anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 hour). Let me know (you can comment below or message me through my website) what length of time you picked.
2. Choose the Scripture verse (or part of a verse) you will be meditating on. It can be any verse. It may be the same verse every day or a different verse every day. It should primarily be one verse (or one short passage) for an entire day. I will have a few suggested verses each day if you’d like guidance.
3. Meditate on your passage of Scripture for the length of time you chose. I will post some tips and ideas here on the blog.
4. Each day once you’ve completed the meditation challenge, enter the giveaway! You can enter each day, February 14-18.

THE GIVEAWAY:
You can win a special meditation prize pack! Once you’ve meditated each day, enter here.

  • An “Abide” pocket journal to carry about with you to write down anything God speaks to you at any time, just as Kelton did. (It has a pen holder, lined pages, and a bookmark!)
  • A gold pen
  • 16 Scripture cards to help you turn your mind to a verse throughout the day (three sets: The Ten Commandments, Kelton’s Favorites, and Extra Verses!)
  • A pocket New Testament to carry with you in order to access God’s Word at any moment (choose between light blue, burgundy, or brown)

THE DETAILS:
The below Scriptures are just for guidance. Feel free to pick whatever verse you like. Two “tracks” are given; feel free to pick one and stick with it, jump between them, or use these verses some days and your own other days.

Track #1: The Law (with Liliora!)
Monday, February 14: Exodus 20:1-3
Tuesday, February 15: Exodus 20:4
Wednesday, February 16: Exodus 20:5-6
Thursday, February 17: Exodus 20:7
Friday, February 18: Exodus 20:8-11

Track #2: Kelton’s favorites
Monday, February 14: James 1:21
Tuesday, February 15: Jeremiah 15:16-17
Wednesday, February 16: John 14:15
Thursday, February 17: Matthew 6:24
Friday, February 18: Matthew 6:6

IDEAS AND TIPS
The following are only suggestions and ideas for helping you meditate. Follow God’s leading!

  • It can be helpful to select a specific time of day for your focused meditation. First thing in the morning after you get out of bed is an excellent time – before your mind gets going on the things of the day. Last thing before going to sleep is a great time. Or set aside some time in the middle of the day to take a complete break from your daily work and meditate.
  • Remove distractions, or select a specific location without them. Go outside and take a walk, or find a favorite chair inside. Perhaps you want to literally “enter into your closet and shut the door.” Put your phone out of reach and focus.
  • You may find your mind wandering to other things. Practice training your mind by putting it back on the Lord the moment you notice it wandering.

Different aspects to try:

  • Saying the verse over and over (out loud is great, even if it’s just a whisper)
  • Emphasizing different words in the verse and thinking about what they mean
  • Praying the verse to God, turning it into a conversation with Him
  • Thinking about what the verse says about who God is
  • Pondering how the verse applies to your life and your relationship with God
  • Putting it in first person
  • Dwelling on what the verse would have meant to those who originally heard/read it
  • Singing the verse
  • Simply being in God’s presence through His Word – being still and knowing He is God

MEDITATION CHALLENGE CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS SO FAR

Autumn
Chelsea
Rachel
Josh
Lili
Gabi
Message me or comment if your name isn’t on the list and should be.

Will you be joining us this week in this challenge?
Do you have any questions?
What are your ideas and tips for meditating?
Are you excited?

Let me know in the comments!

Come back on Monday for the first Meditation Challenge post and the cover reveal for Romance’s Rest!

Sustainer’s Smile is HERE!

It’s Here, It’s Here!

My favorite book is out.
Happy launch day to Sustainer’s Smile. 
grab it today to celebrate. 

p.s. it’s currently on sale for 50% off because I forgot to change the price before the preorder locked. So it’s launching at just $1.99! It’ll go up to $3.99 on Saturday, so grab it now!

As the oldest sister of eight children and the mother of three, I have never NOT been around babies. My earliest memory is the day my next brother was born, and I date all of my subsequent memories (childhood, teen, and adult) by who the baby was at the time. 

So the wonder in writing a book that prominently features babies is only that it took me so long to do it. 😉   

I first drafted Sustainer’s Smile four years ago. It had been scheduled to be drafted that month for two years previously, so it was an extra-special blessing from God that the tiny, newly-created form of my first son was being molded within me as the words of this book – words of life, words of truth, words of heartache and hope and loss and suffering and smiles and babies and pregnancy woes and God’s sustaining hand – first formed themselves under my fingers.

What a blessing to experience firsthand the miracle of unborn life while penning this book. What empathy for those little humans that no physical eye has yet seen but whose hearts beat steadily with the potential of a thousand unknown futures.  

Today, as I write this, my son sits at my feet, joyfully putting together airplanes for a game and letting us know which of us gets which color. Today, he’s just as much of a blessing as he was when Sustainer’s Smile was first drafted.  

Today, Sustainer’s Smile is ready to launch into the world. One day, our children will be also. In the meantime, are we redeeming these precious moments with them? May we indeed consider little ones as God sees them: children as a blessing and babies as a reward.

Fun Features of Sustainer’s Smile: 

  • it has babies.
  • cute babies.
  • fictional babies. enjoy them without any work. 😉
  • there’s a baby squirrel.
  • The main character is Liliora and she’s my favorite of the Ellith siblings.
  • you might cry.
  • fun brother banter.
  • secrets and surprises.
  • deep spiritual messages. 

Don’t forget to join the giveaway. Or read the first chapter for free. Have you been participating in the Honor Life challenge for Instagram and blogs? It’s not too late! During the month of October, follow the prompts in the image above and share a post, photo, quote, book, or caption that somehow relates to one of the prompts. If you have a blog or social media account, please join!

Get Sustainer’s Smile

Learn the Basics

  • It’s Book Four of Truth from Taerna but it can easily be read as a standalone.
  • It’s a prolife novel.
  • It tells the story of Liliora Ellith, who makes peace with her past and discovers her future among the cradles of Taerna’s unwanted babies, born and unborn.
  • It’s a kingdom adventure fiction novel.
  • It’s clean and family-friendly, though it’s recommended for teens and up due to dealing with the issue of abortion.
  • You can get it here right now! or get the paperback.

View or Buy Sustainer’s Smile on Amazon

Read the Snippets

Liliora shook her head. “If Adon Olam wants it, I will not listen to my fears.” Yet tears welled up even in the words, and she felt her heart failing her. 

“And then we played Hide and Find Me in the hay. And Kethin couldn’t find me forever! I hid in the very back corner, and Kelton helped pile hay on me so I looked like a haystack. And then Kethin laid down in the hay to hide, but I saw his boots peeking out.”

“That’s not fair, because I’m so much bigger than you.” Kethin’s grin flashed. “The hay doesn’t cover me as well. And it takes a good deal more to cover me.”

“You still have hay in your hair.” Liliora motioned to Kethin, then to Tae.

Kethin ran his hand through his hair. “Are you teasing me?”

“No! There’s some by your ear.” Liliora set down her spoon, not going to risk spilling a bite while shaking with laughter. 

Kethin’s fingers traveled up and down and at last landed on a miniscule fragment of straw behind his right ear. “Come now, that’s hardly hay. Not like Tae, at any rate.”

“My hair is a haystack,” Tae replied, rumpling it until it stood on end.“A very dark-colored one,” Liliora agreed

See the Blurb

Suffering suffocates her soul. 

How can she ever smile again?

A helpless newborn…that’s exactly how twenty-four-year-old Liliora Ellith feels in her efforts to speak up on behalf of the youngest members of Taerna’s pleasure-driven society. Her tender heart for the defenseless and deep aversion to conflict throw Liliora’s soul into turmoil when tragedy opens her eyes to the quiet yet heartrending war on Taerna’s babies—both born and unborn. Adon Olam’s Word coupled with a secret in her own past fuel her determination. All she wants is to make peace with her past and discover her future among the cradles of unwanted babies. However, the challenges ahead of her threaten to send her spiraling into hopeless depression time and again. Saving innocent lives from the crush of the destroyer and raising a generation in the ways of Adon Olam seem more impossible than ever. At the very end of herself, will the sufferings of her and her babies prove to be anything less than the catalyst for complete disaster?

Enter the Giveaway

Win a signed paperback of Promise’s Prayer (Truth from Taerna #1) and other fun prizes! Enter here.

ALSO! Surprise! You can get the whole Taerna series for less than $5 this weekend! Promise’s Prayer is FREE! And the rest of the Taerna books are on sale! Run and grab the whole thing – FOUR Full-length novels for $4.97!
(PS – due to technical difficulties, it might not show up until tomorrow #timezones. But hurry! I’m putting Sustainer’s Smile up to its regular price of $3.99 on Saturday!)

Find the Rest

There’s a bookstagram/blog challenge, author interviews, character spotlights, and more!

View or Buy Sustainer’s Smile on Amazon

See the Rest of the Prolife Tour

Welcome to Write for Life! {Sustainer’s Smile and To Save a Life Launch Tour}

It’s October! That means it’s Respect Life month, it’s autumn, it’s the month Sustainer’s Smile finally launches, AND it’s time to kick off Write For Life!

What’s Write for Life?

It’s a blog and social media tour that’s scattering pro-life posts around the internet: one for each million babies whose lives have been lost since Roe v. Wade.

You see, R. M. Peterson of Life of Heritage and I wrote pro-life books that we’re releasing this month. It’s part of our calling to write books for the cause of life. And many other bloggers and social media influencers are writing and sharing pro-life posts this month as part of their calling to write for life. “Life and death are in the power of the tongue,” Scripture tells us, and I would submit that that is also true of the power of the pen. And that’s why we are writing for life.

Write for Life will last the ENTIRE MONTH of October and will include:

  • A month-long blog/bookstagram challenge #honorlifechallenge
  • A variety of pro-life posts of all sorts by 30 enthusiastic bloggers
  • Fun and/or thought-provoking social media posts throughout the month by a number of different people passionate about life
  • A cover reveal for my friend’s pro-life book To Save a Life
  • Character spotlights of characters from Sustainer’s Smile
  • A blast of release day goodies for both books!
  • Author interviews
  • Excerpts, snippets, and free chapters
  • A giveaway
  • And more!

In this post, I’ll introduce the blog/bookstagram challenge, the giveaway, and the WHOLE SCHEDULE so you can come back and catch up on posts during the month.

Blog/Bookstagram Challenge: Honor Life Challenge

Join the Honor Life challenge by posting on your blog or Instagram! Post a photo, or a quote, or a book, or a caption that features one of the prompts, and use the #honorlifechallenge hashtag. Don’t forget to link back to restinglife.com and lifeofheritage.com on a blog or tag @erikamathewsauthor and @lifeofheritage on Instagram!

Today’s prompt is Why I’m Pro-Life. I’d love to hear why you are pro-life.

Giveaway!

Yes, there’s a giveaway, and it runs all month long! Enter here so you don’t forget!

Write for Life Schedule

Bookmark this post so you can come back and read these excellent posts as they go live this month!

October 1

Erika Mathews at Resting Life – tour intro – YOU ARE HERE

Autumn Lehman at Bursting Through the Darkness – Why I’m Prolife

October 2

Erika Mathews at Resting Life – Read the First Chapter for Free

Grace A. Johnson at Of Blades and Thorns – Thank You For Taking a Stand

Katja Labonté at Little Blossoms for Jesus – Why I’m Pro-Life

October 4

Joy C. Woodbury at Discipleship With Joy – Because of His Death, We Live

Joy C. Woodbury on Instagram, Goodreads, and Pinterest

October 5

Madisyn at Madi’s Musings – Responding To Abortion Arguments, Part 1

October 6

Jen Rose at Living Outside the Lines – Sustainer’s Smile spotlight

Akira Rodriguez at With Joyful Praise – Five Ways to Get Involved in the Pro-Life Movement

Grace A. Johnson on Goodreads, Pinterest, and email

October 7

Eva-Joy Ruth Schonhaar  – Sustainer’s Smile review

Katja Labonté on Instagram, Goodreads, Pinterest, and email

October 8 – To Save a Life Cover Reveal

Kylie Hunt at Kylie Hunt – The Film Director’s Wife – Sustainer’s Smile spotlight

Autumn Lehman at Bursting Through the Darkness – One Life At A Time

Kylie Hunt on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest

October 9

Grace A. Johnson at Of Blades and Thorns – Coming Soon: Sustainer’s Smile

Kylie Hunt at Kylie Hunt – The Film Director’s Wife – To Save a Life post

October 11

Joy C. Woodbury at Discipleship With Joy – Sustainer’s Smile review

Katja Labonté at Little Blossoms for Jesus – Sustainer’s Smile character spotlight: Liliora & Book Review

Joy C. Woodbury on Instagram, Goodreads, and Pinterest

October 12 

Madisyn at Madi’s Musings – Responding to Abortion Arguments Part 2

Lauren Compton at Novels That Encourage – Every Life Counts

Madisyn on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and MeWe

October 13

Jen Rose at Living Outside the Lines – Sustainer’s Smile character spotlight: Carita

Akira Rodriguez at With Joyful Praise – Sustainer’s Smile review

Rachel Lautermilch at The Christian Thinker – Prolife October

October 14

Vanessa Hall at Vanessa Hall – Sustainer’s Smile review

Stephanie Agnes-Crockett at Stephanie’s Ninth Suitcase – Sustainer’s Smile book review

Rachel Lautermilch at The Christian Thinker – How Does God See Children?

Katja Labonté on Instagram, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Email

Stephanie Agnes-Crockett on Facebook

October 15

Autumn Lehman at Bursting Through the Darkness – Sustainer’s Smile spotlight

Kelsey Bryant at Kelsey’s Notebook – Sustainer’s Smile character spotlight: Rita

Jen Rose on Instagram, Goodreads, and Email

October 16

Brianna Burden at Singing in the Rain – You’re Worth It

Grace A. Johnson at Book Nations – guest post by Erika Mathews: Writing Pro-Life Fiction in Today’s World

October 18

Joy C. Woodbury at Discipleship With Joy – To Save a Life review

Katja Labonté at Little Blossoms for Jesus – Sustainer’s Smile review

Rachel Lautermilch at The Christian Thinker – Old Testament Scriptures About Children

Joy C. Woodbury on Instagram, Goodreads, and Pinterest

Esther Filbrun on Facebook and Twitter

October 19

Rebekah Morris at Read Another Page – Sustainer’s Smile review

Lauren Compton at Novels That Encourage – Sustainer’s Smile author interview

Martha Abilene at Beyond the Literary Horizon – Woven Together

Madisyn on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and MeWe

Hope Ann on Instagram and Facebook

October 20

Kristina Hall at Kristina Hall – To Save a Life review

Jen Rose at Living Outside the Lines – Sustainer’s Smile review

Akira Rodriguez at With Joyful Praise – To Save a Life review

Vanessa Hall at Vanessa Hall – Why Are You Pro-Life?

Vanessa Hall on Goodreads

Faith Blum on Instagram and Facebook

October 21 – Sustainer’s Smile release day!

Erika Mathews at Resting Life – Sustainer’s Smile special author post

Kristina Hall at Kristina Hall  – Sustainer’s Smile review

Grace A. Johnson at Book Nations – author interview with Erika

Kellyn Roth at Lilacs & Reveries – Sustainer’s Smile spotlight

Martha Abilene at Beyond the Literary Horizon – Sustainer’s Smile review

Rachel Lautermilch at The Christian Thinker – New Testament Verses About Children

Katja Labonté on Instagram, Goodreads, Pinterest, and email

Lauren Compton on Goodreads

Jen Rose on Instagram, Goodreads, and email

Grace A. Johnson on Goodreads, Pinterest, and email

Kellyn Roth on Instagram and Facebook

Faith Blum on Instagram and Facebook

Kelsey Bryant on Facebook

Erika Mathews at Resting Life – To Save a Life release post

October 22 – To Save a Life celebration day! {releasing November 6}

Autumn Lehman at Bursting Through the Darkness – TSAL spotlight & author interview with Ryana

Grace A. Johnson at Of Blades and Thorns – To Save a Life spotlight

Kellyn Roth at Lilacs & Reveries – To Save a Life spotlight

Martha Abilene at Beyond the Literary Horizon – To Save a Life review

Katja Labonté on Instagram, Goodreads, Pinterest, and email

Lauren Compton on Goodreads

Jen Rose on Instagram, Goodreads, and email

Grace A. Johnson on Goodreads, Pinterest, and email

Kellyn Roth on Instagram and Facebook

Faith Blum on Instagram and Facebook

Kelsey Bryant on Facebook

October 23

Grace A. Johnson at Book Nations – To Save a Life spotlight

Abigail Harris at Read Review Rejoice – To Save a Life spotlight and SS character interview: Claera

Stephanie Agnes-Crockett on Facebook

Abigail Harris on Facebook and MeWe

October 25

Courtenay Burden at Sheep Among Wolves – William Wilberforce and the Pro-Life Movement

Katja Labonté at Little Blossoms for Jesus – To Save a Life review

Tara at Tower in the Plains – Why I Am Pro-Life

Tara on Instagram, Facebook, email, and Goodreads

October 26

Tara at Tower in the Plains – Sustainer’s Smile review and character spotlight: Tae

Lauren Compton at Novels That Encourage – To Save a Life review

Rebekah Morris at Read Another Page – To Save a Life review

Tara on Instagram, Facebook, email, and Goodreads

October 27

Tara at Tower in the Plains – To Save a Life review

Tara on Instagram, Facebook, email, and Goodreads

October 28

Kaitlyn Krispense at Kaitlyn Krispense, Author – Sustainer’s Smile, To Save a Life, & prolife post

Vanessa Hall at Vanessa Hall – To Save a Life spotlight

Tara on Instagram, Facebook, email, and Goodreads

October 29

Autumn Lehman at Bursting Through the Darkness – Author Interview: Erika Mathews

Kelsey Bryant at Kelsey’s Notebook – To Save a Life post

Jen Rose on Instagram, Goodreads, and email

October 30

Erika Mathews at Resting Life – tour wrapup

Grace A. Johnson at Of Blades and Thorns – To Save a Life review

November 1: Memory’s Mind (Truth from Taerna #5) cover reveal

Resting Life Book: The Cover, Preorders, and Release Date!

Friends, a gorgeous cover for an encouraging Christian living non-fiction book is being revealed today! Resting Life: Jesus’ Rest for the Busy or Burdened Believer is an upcoming release by Erika Mathews.

mock-00209

But first, all the details.

RELEASE DATE: March 20, 2020! Mark your calendars!

…but you can skip the calendar part if you preorder the ebook on Amazon. You’ll automatically get the best price, and the book will appear right on your device bright and early on release day! (And Amazon is kind enough to notify you, so you can be among the very first to read the book if you wish!)

PREORDER HERE!

But do you actually want to preorder already? What is this new book about? Is it worth your time?

ABOUT THE BOOK

Can your busy, stressful reality truly transform into the abundant, restful reality of the kingdom of God? The Bible says yes. Through rest in Christ, your life can be fulfilled, productive, peaceful, and free to give and receive love. But just what is Biblical rest, and how can it seamlessly fuse with your modern life? In Resting Life: Jesus’ Rest for the Busy or Burdened Believer, Bible teacher Erika Mathews addresses this question. Discover the unification of rest with practical daily life, relationships with others, spiritual warfare, ministry, witnessing, prayer, meditation, fruitfulness, and personal abiding. Through understanding and embracing God’s rest, you too will be uplifted, challenged, encouraged, and freed to live life as He intended—within Him.

Now go preorder. 🙂

But why preorder at all? Why not wait until the book is released? Besides the fact that you’ll automatically get the lowest price, and besides the fact that you won’t have to actually remember to order the book later, did you know that preorders stack up and count as sales on release day? Multiple preorders alert Amazon that this book is popular, and the more popular Amazon’s system sees the book is, the more people Amazon will suggest and show it to, and the higher it will rank in what people see. This means this book – and the message of this book – will be able to reach many more people. This is immensely helpful for visibility in the thousands of books for sale. So if you’d like the ebook, preordering is the way to go.

You don’t want the ebook?

There’s a place to preorder a paperback too!

You want to know more about the author first?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Erika Mathews (square) - Copy-min

Erika Mathews is an author and editor who lives in the farm country of Minnesota with her husband and children. She’s a homeschool graduate with a Bachelor’s in Communications, a Master’s in Biblical Ministries, and a passion for sharing Jesus Christ and His truth. She wrote Resting Life out of meditations and prayers during her three years at Bible School. When she’s not working with books, she enjoys reading, outdoor activities, piano and violin, organizing, and using the Oxford comma. You can connect with Erika at restinglife.com.

Ready to preorder (Kindle) (Paperback) now?

Of course not. You came here for the cover…and so the cover you shall have.

ISN’T IT GORGEOUS?

Resting Life Front Cover 2.8.20

Design credit goes to Sarah Grace Grzy.

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And enjoy the back cover, since back covers don’t often get as much love:

Resting Life Back Cover

*Applause! Cheering! Throwing of confetti! Cookies for all!*

*Deep sigh of contentment*

mock-00415

Thank you so much for attending this reveal party. Watch Erika’s Instagram this month for release celebrations, Bible studies based on Resting Life, and giveaways. May the blessings of the Lord be upon you today!

And now you can safely preorder. 🙂

(ebook) (paperback)

A Gorgeous Cover Is Coming! (HELP NEEDED!)

The book I’ve been working on for nearly eight years has a cover reveal date!

I can’t wait to share this gorgeous cover (AND the book will be available for preorder!) on February 18, and I’d like you to help with the excitement in spreading it all over the internet. Would you be willing to post the cover for Resting Life: Jesus’ Rest for the Busy or Burdened Believer on social media or your blog? More information here – click to sign up: https://forms.gle/yvrGfuEBbmg5ije98

 

THANK YOU! I can’t wait for you to have this book in your hands!

 

 

When Singles and Couples Are One

Over the summer, I (Erika) had the privilege of reading an advance copy of a little book with a big message. If you’re a single person, this might be greatly encouraging to you; if you’re a married person who’s ever struggled with contentment or with relating to your single friends, this might be for you as well.
In this post, I’m introducing the book and the author, sharing my review of the book, and letting the author speak in her own words on the topic of the relationship between single and married friends. I’m also sharing her giveaway and her generous offer for free copies of her book.

Erika’s Review

This is a beautiful and realistic little story of a single woman’s life and struggles. Although singles will be able to relate to and find encouragement from this story, as a now-married woman, I also fully enjoyed this book. Contentment struggles definitely aren’t limited to singles, and the lessons Stephanie learned in this story are heart struggles of many.

I loved the atypical plot, the realistic up and downs of Stephanie’s life and heart, and her turning to God – not once, but over and over. This book well portrays a believer’s daily walk with God – contentment requires daily abiding. Professionally told and engagingly narrated, this is a story for women who are seeking God.

About the Release
Are you a single who has been in this singleness journey a little longer than you anticipated? This week is the release of Amanda Tero’s contemporary fiction novella Wedding Score. Main character Stephanie is there with you as she’s suddenly thrown into a season of
discontentment and impatience. Told in a whimsical, honest style, Wedding Score is a 1-2 hour short read that leaves readers feeling understood and hopeful.

 

About Wedding Score

Most girls dream of their wedding days. Except me. I’m too busy practicing piano and being the live soundtrack for everyone else’s weddings to think about my own. 

I’ve survived most of my twenties with harmonious chords and pleasant days. So why is it that now, at twenty-seven, a discordant feeling presents itself? 

Is there a solid solution to loneliness when there is absolutely no potential husband on the horizon?

A CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN SHORT READ

Goodreads | Amazon | Signed paperback

In Amanda’s Own Words
Guest post from the author

While everyone around this table had been busy marrying and having kids, here I was, the oldest of the group, still single. I had kids all right—like fifty I saw each week. But I sent them home after a half hour lesson to pound out piano pieces away from me. It wasn’t the same as raising darlings like these sitting around the table.

Who remembers their late-teen/early-twenty years when there seemed a sudden boom of peers getting married… and then having kids? And wasn’t that such a weird thing? It’s when you and your friends stopped walking in the exact same season of life. Life for a single doesn’t usually change drastically, but once your single friend marries, she now has a husband and, for many of them, children. For so many of us, there is this awkward in-between season as we try to adjust to friends who are on a different path than us.

One of the lessons I’ve had to learn as a single is to appreciate friends who aren’t walking in the exact same season as I. In return, I have been blessed by so many of these friends! But then and again, I’ve also had those awkward moments when I’m stuck in a group of people with whom I really can’t identify. Much of this, I realize, was my fault; but some of it could have been helped by those who married before me. I could make an entire list of negative “please don’t do this to us singles,” but instead, I want to focus on the positive things I have found from my friendships with married people and how they have blessed me personally.

1) They don’t act like they’re on a “higher level” than I am, just because they’re married.

We’re all believers, walking the Christian life together. And we can share wisdom from the different paths we’re walking. They were once single, so they know some of the struggles we singles face. I’m not married, but I’m observant, and I have learned things from talking to older, wiser married couples, and can discuss matters that are relevant to married couples. It can really hurt to be viewed as a single who “doesn’t know anything about marriage” just because I haven’t experienced it (and likewise, I can also hurt married couples by pretending they “don’t know anything about being single” because they didn’t have to wait as long as I did). So a mutual respect between singles and married couples is a huge blessing.

2) They are interested in my life.

As a single, it can be difficult to only talk about marriage and raising kids (sometimes emotionally, but also because I can’t identify as closely with those subjects). So when a married couple discusses things that apply to my life and not just theirs, it means a lot to me. At the same time, I have also learned to talk about subjects that don’t apply to me—such as raising children (I kind of had that one easy, as I’m fifth of twelve children)—and how important it is to listen even if I have no clue what to say about a wife whose husband is going through a drastic job change.

3) They aren’t always matching me up.

Okay, okay, I had to add this one. My married siblings and friends totally tease about finding a guy for me or setting me up on a blind date, but I know they’re doing it in fun. Ultimately, they encourage me to stay content and wait on the Lord’s timing.

4) They aren’t afraid to live honestly.

I have observed two kinds of Christian couples: those who gush about how wonderful married life is and pretend that trials never happen, and those who are realistic in portraying that marriage is hard work and they don’t always get along with their spouse. Now, I realize there is a very fine line between living transparently and then women gossiping about and slandering their husbands. I do not condone the latter, but I have been very blessed by the couples who have been open about marriage not being perfect. Because of that, I feel that I have very realistic expectations of marriage—and yes, sometimes it helps me to appreciate the singleness season in which God has me. I know second-hand just how hard marriage can be and it isn’t something I want to just jump into without God leading me there!

5) We journey through life together.

There isn’t anything wrong with having a “singles only” game night or a “married couples” get-together… unless you never merge the two. I mean, take it from a single gal: married couples like to have just as much fun as us singles and just because they’re married doesn’t mean they’ve grown out of loving a good round of Taboo or Scattegories (refer back to point one, where I mentioned I’m observant ;)). I’m going to be openly honest and admit that some of the get-togethers I’ve been at would have been very dull if only singles had been invited. So, if you’re in a group that separates the two, totally merge them together!

I would love to hear thoughts from other married or single women—how have you been blessed by having a friend in a different season of life than you? What would you say to the single? What would you say to the married woman?

About Amanda

Amanda Tero began her love for words at a young age—reading anything she could get her hands on and penning short stories as young as age eight. Since graduation, she has honed her writing skills by dedicated practice and study of the writing craft. She began her journey of publication with a few short stories that she had written for her sisters and continued to add to her collection with other
short stories, novellas, and novels. It is her utmost desire to write that which not only pleases her Lord and Savior, but also draws the reader into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.

 

Connect with Amanda
| Website | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Blog | Goodreads | Amazon | 
amandaterobooks@gmail.com
Giveaway
Amanda is giving away paperbacks, yes…
But she really wants to share this story with as many readers as possible. So, for release week, she’ll be sending eBooks to anyone who wants one! So hop over and submit your email for a free eBook!
 
Visit Amanda’s blog for a complete list of bloggers and special tour information.

Resting Life: Jesus’ Rest for the Busy or Burdened Believer

Status: in the midst of a final proofread and formatting. Cover design coming up next – then publication!

Currently 47,000 words long.

 

Promising Prayer (or, Don’t Buy My Books Today)

Promise’s Prayer has been published for two years! This calls for a celebration, so as a gift to you this week, I’ve reduced to the ebook price to less than a dollar in case you’ve been interested in checking it out.

But I have something to share on the theme of Promise’s Prayer that’s far more important. If you can only help me on my writing journey in one way, don’t buy my books, review them, or even share them with others. Do this instead.

 Read more

Introducing . . . Restful Readers!

This month I’ve been participating in #WIPJoy, a social media event where I post daily about my Work In Progress, responding to a specific prompt. I’ve been posting about Victory’s Voice, Book 2 in Truth from Taerna.

Yesterday’s prompt was quite difficult for me.

wipjoy26

It isn’t that I don’t have supportive family. It isn’t that I don’t have awesome online writing friends and blog followers. I do. I could shout out to all of you. You truly add something to my life as an author. Some of you in particular have been extremely encouraging and supportive for various writing projects I’ve done as well as in my spiritual life. Thank you! I thank God for you.

It’s just that upon careful pondering, there really wasn’t anyone in particular who stood out as a reason I keep writing Victory’s Voice specifically.

Victory’s Voice is a unique book. It wasn’t supposed to be at all. After starting and scrapping at least four or five different plots and sets of characters, the entire month was a struggle just to get words on the page. Plot problems abounded. Since then, it’s been a mess of editing, re-classifying (it’s no longer fantasy, and none of my books will be fantasy, but that’s a post for another time), re-editing, and now re-plotting and rewriting. Plot elements don’t want to fall into place. The ending is elusive. It’s been three and a half years of hauling this wagon uphill by hand.

So . . . what does keep me going?

  1. Wanting to publish future books in the series. Specifically, Sustainer’s Smile (Book 4), though Memory’s Mind (5) is also high on the list. I can’t wait to get Sustainer’s Smile out into the world, but first comes Victory’s Voice.
  2. The importance of the message. The power of spoken words isn’t widely addressed in this culture, and it deserves to be known.
  3. Most importantly, God. I believe this is a book He’s called me to write, and I will not let the enemy win.

That said, it’s still an uphill road.

A road that would be easier with a team to keep cheering me on. A team who loves my books. A team who periodically reminds me why I do this crazy thing called writing.

God created community, and God created fellowship.

And that’s what inspired me to finally take the plunge and create Restful Readers.

(Never mind that I intended to do so two years ago but was afraid no one would be interested. I’m still a bit afraid of that, to be honest, but I’m doing it anyway.)

Introducing . . .

Restful Readers!

My brand new author street team! I’m excited about this and can’t wait to connect there. There are several options for joining; you can join one or all! We’re headquartered in a closed Facebook group, we’ll chat in a private Google Hangouts group, and there’s an email list – plus I’ll add a Goodreads group if there’s enough reader interest.

RestfulReaders (1)

Click Here to Join!

Restful Readers Is For You If:

You’ve enjoyed a book of mine and are willing to spread the word!

(Bonus if you’re looking forward to more books from me!)

What Restful Readers Get:

  • First Access to:
    • Short stories, tie-in Taerna stories, devotionals, and more!
    • ARCs (Advance Reader Copies – reading my books pre-publication)
    • Beta reading
    • Big news: titles, covers, ideas, and secret projects
    • Sneak peeks! Excerpts and perhaps even whole chapters
    • Sales, discounts, and free books
  • Bonus content: behind-the-scenes information, day-to-day glimpses of my writing process, freebies, and more
  • Exclusive contests
  • The opportunity to influence book content: vote on a poll, suggest a character name, and more!
  • Your name in print: shout-out in the acknowledgements section of my books (with your permission)
  • Your blog/social media supported and promoted on my channels (as you wish)
  • Fun, relaxing bookish chat!

What To Expect:

Periodically I’ll post “missions” for you to complete. I’ll let you know exactly what to do and what to expect, and I’ll make it as easy as possible for you to complete. I am motivated as an author by reader feedback. Supportive readers can push me through a few thousand more words!

I need both ongoing support and event support; that is, support leading up to and during a book release as well as ongoing support.

You can support my books any way you prefer, but here’s a few ideas to get you started. You’re free to do any of them at any time, and I’ll also periodically pick specific ones to highlight and simplify for you if you prefer to just follow along with me.

  • TALK TO ME. Ask me when the next book is coming out, say what you’re looking forward to, ask for writing updates, or just talk about my books in general. This motivates me to keep writing!
  • Leave reviews. Amazon. Goodreads. Your blog. Anywhere and everywhere. Extremely important for an indie author.
  • Sign up for my newsletter at restinglife.com
  • Word-of-mouth. This is the best way to help me get my books out there!
  • Like, comment on, and share my social media posts to help them reach more people.
  • Request that your library carry my book.
  • Beta read, or sign up for a blog tour or cover reveal.
  • Gift my books for Christmas, birthdays, or other occasions (buy directly from me).
  • Share your reviews. Tell other people why you liked my book.
  • Share others’ reviews or posts about my book.
  • Random shout-outs. Fangirl or fanboy over my books over the internet. Instagram my books.
  • Host me for an interview or guest post on your blog.
  • If you really love my books, get extra creative: post fan art, write fan fiction, make a YouTube review, have a Taerna-themed party, pester your bookstore to carry my books, read my book for a book club—the ideas are endless . . . basically make noise about the book!

Click Here to Join!

I’m excited to connect with those who have loved my work!

Your turn! Have you had a project as stubborn as Victory’s Voice? Do you have good support and fellowship? What makes you want to read Victory’s Voice? Will you be joining Restful Readers?

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