Showing posts with label Family Matters. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family Matters. Show all posts

8.16.2012

Blogger Calls "Adopting Darrell" a "Must-Read"

In a recent post at The Old Crow's Empty Nest, blogger Narita offers her honest opinion of one of Hannibal's books, "Adopting Darrell." Narita says the story is "heartbreaking", and "amazing testimony", and a "must-read." We appreciate her time in reviewing the book. Read her review at her blog, The Old Crow's Empty Nest.

"Adopting Darell"  is the story of Carol Weishampel who joyfully opens her heart and home to angelic-looking Darrell—a "shaken", abused baby, whose horrific injuries leave him blind and retarded.
 
But adopting Darrell quickly becomes an hourly, uphill struggle, even for this seasoned mom and professional educator, who holds a doctor of education degree. This single parent and her other, subsequent adopted children literally are held hostage by Darrell's violent temper tantrums and untrainable behavior.
 
The book sheds light on questions such as: 
  • Who adopts special-needs or severely disabled children? 
  • Why and how do they take on this challenge?
  • What difference can Weishampel possibly make in the life of this uncommunicative boy? 
  • What purpose do those such as Darrell have on earth?

Weishampel's poignant search for answers to these and other profound questions leaves a helpful legacy of hope for anyone who has ever had responsibility for such a child.

6.05.2012

We Are Racing as Fast as Possible to Convert All of Its Books into Ebooks

The task is not quite as simple as it sounds, because books produced even five years ago in older publishing software have to transition through some extra (and complicated) steps to move from one medium to the other.

Still, we are finding the effort worth the time and money involved. Sometime this year we will sell more ebooks than we sell paperback books in a month. Had someone predicted that fact just six months ago, we would have thought that person delirious or something worse.

The speed at which the reading public is changing its reading style is not the only thing that's eye-popping. What's selling is equally amazing. Kay W. Moore's Christian fiction When the Heart Soars Free (published in 2000) in a matter of days went from being almost ready to retire to becoming our fastest-selling ebook. It has outdistanced all our other ebooks combined by a factor of two. It was and is a captivating Christian romance novel with a solid biblical message. Clearly God was not through using that novel, which is set in a Colorado ski lodge.

At the same time some books that have done incredibly well in print--and that we expected to do equally as well in ebook format--are still catching on as ebooks but at a slower pace. Go figure!

Clearly like all other publishers we have a lot to learn about this "brave new world" into which book publishing is rapidly entering today. We'll keep you posted as this transition continues to unfurl. Meanwhile, if you want to read our best-selling ebook, here's the link to our website which then will take you to the Kindle store for purchase. When the Heart Soars Free also is available in Barnes & Noble's Nook format and soon will be available in Apple's format also.

6.01.2012

Father's Day Discount

We're celebrating Father's Day with a special discount: 30% off and free shipping on Now My Eye Sees You by Greg Ammons, the story of one father's experience that gave him a fresh perspective on God's love. Simply use coupon code FDAY30 (expires June 17, 2012)

Three degrees in theology, years in the pastorate, daily immersion in the Scriptures: they all taught Greg Ammons head knowledge of God. But not until he and his wife, Lisa, became late-in-life, first-time parents with the birth of their son, Camden, did Greg truly "see"—experience the matchless understanding of—the God he had worshiped and served for decades.

After years of barrenness ended with his son's miracle birth, Greg suddenly began to experience love from the role of a father personally. His book draws comparisons between his relationship with his son and that of his God in such areas as obedience and disobedience, spending time together, parental pain, teaching a child to walk, the sinful nature, and a father's unconditional love.

Readers will emerge with a fresh understanding of God's boundless love for them and how His heart delights in intimate fellowship with his sons and daughters.

During his 27 years in vocational ministry Greg Ammons has preached, served as a senior pastor, taught theology at the graduate level, and advised as a church-growth consultant. Currently he is senior pastor of First Baptist Church, Garland, TX.
 

2.09.2012

Christian Romance E-Book Perfect for Last-Minute Valentine's Gift

With only five days until Valentine's Day, finding that perfect gift for your sweetheart should be at the top of the to-do list. If your significant other enjoys reading, a great gift option is our newest e-book release available for the Nook and Kindle: When the Heart Soars Free. Pair it with a few chocolate-dipped strawberries and a bouquet of flowers, and you can't go wrong. Best of all, you don't have to pay for shipping, even if you choose to buy the paperback version.

When the Heart Soars Free is a the storybook romance of two ski experts who meet in a picturesque mountain wonderland. The two have everything going for them as their romance blossoms. But hidden past pain casts a disturbing shadow over their magical idyll. A shattering betrayal leaves their once-bright, shared future in ruins. You'll experience a tender search for restoration and healing in this heart-touching contemporary romance--a passionate story of conflict, loss, and faith. 

Although the book is fiction, it contains the struggles, fears, failure, and victories of countless real people. It's the kind of inspirational and unforgettable story that mothers can pass on to their daughters, pastors to their parishioners, counselors to their clients, and one friend to another to help them learn healthier ways to live. Its powerful imagery and suspenseful plot, with characters so authentically drawn that you expect them to walk into the room at any minute, sweep readers along from chapter to delightful chapter, leaving them profoundly sorry when the story ends. 

1.13.2012

Every Life Is Precious

Each year one Sunday in January is designated as Sanctity of Human Life Sunday (SOHLS). On and around this day, many churches and other organizations sponsor activities and events to focus on the intrinsic value of human life and the fundamental right to life.  The day is scheduled in connection with the January 22 anniversary of the Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton decisions, which were handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1973. (Read more about SOHLS here and the preciousness of life here. Watch a video about the sanctity of life here.)

In honor of Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, here are three books that honor life.

Proclaiming the Pro-Life Message by Larry L. Lewis, editor

January 22, 1973, truly was a day of infamy for the United States of America. On that day the U.S. Supreme Court, in the Roe v. Wade decision, opened the floodgates of the evils of abortion throughout the country. Since then, millions of innocent babies have died at the hands of abortionists.


Evangelical Christian leaders at first were slow to respond to this tragedy. But when they did, the Evangelical community became the most potent force in the fight against abortion and other anti-life positions being advocated by the abortionists.


Proclaiming the Pro-Life Message draws together the very best of what has been written and preached by these Evangelical leaders during the past 26 years. The editor, Larry Lewis, former president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Home Mission Board, led the charge against abortion in the SBC.


The list of authors reads like a Who's Who Among Evangelicals in the Pro-Life Movement: Chuck Colson, W.A. Criswell, Jimmy Draper, Carol Everett, Gerald Harris, O.S. Hawkins, Jim Henry, Ron Herrod, Junior Hill, Anthony Jordan, D. James Kennedy, Beverly LaHaye, Adrian Rogers, George Sweeting, Kristen White, and Sylvia Boothe. Each articulates his or her perspective on what being pro-life today means and what Evangelical Christians must do to eradicate this evil from our land. All royalties for the sale of this book go to Alternatives to Abortion at the SBC's North American Mission Board.



(Now available as an ebook for Kindle, Nook, and iPad)
Even surrounded by the love and security of the only family she had ever known, Kay Moore wondered constantly about her unknown past. Her search for information and connection led Kay to other adoptees, adoptive parents, and birth families. She discovered that her feelings were the shared legacy of people everywhere who want the whole truth about who they are. Their stories, told here, yield a wealth of inspiration and practical direction, which Kay presents with a sensitivity possible only from one who has "been through it" herself.

In the book, the author knows what questions you'll need to answer for a successful search and includes a listing of resources you can use along the way. You'll see just how to pull together the missing pieces in your own past and fully discover your God-given heritage.

Reporter Kay Moore’s three-part newspaper series on finding her birthfamily was a widely read installment in the Houston Chronicle and was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Kay has spoken widely on the subject of adoption. She is a graduate of Baylor University. She and her husband, Louis, are parents of two children.

 Adopting Darrell by Carol V. Weishampel

Carol Weishampel joyfully opens her heart and home to angelic-looking Darrell—a "shaken", abused baby, whose horrific injuries leave him blind and retarded.

But adopting Darrell quickly becomes an hourly, uphill struggle, even for this seasoned mom and professional educator, who holds a doctor of education degree. This single parent and her other, subsequent adopted children literally are held hostage by Darrell's violent temper tantrums and untrainable behavior.

What difference can Weishampel possibly make in the life of this uncommunicative boy? What purpose do those such as Darrell have on earth? Weishampel's poignant search for answers to these and other profound questions leaves a helpful legacy of hope for anyone who has ever had responsibility for such a child.




12.10.2010

    More Christmas Gift Ideas--Only Two Weeks Left!


For the Intellectual

Created to be Spiritual and Jesus Restores True Spirituality by Joe Tarry
In a conversational tone, Joe takes readers through first the Old Testament and, in his second book in the series, the New Testament, showing how Satan tries to thwart God's plan for His people.

Evolution: How a Theory Made a Monkey Out of Man by Sam McCormick
After years of believing evolution fit into his biblical views, Sam was introduced to surprising information that sparked a three-year exhaustive study of the theories of evolution and six-day creation. He has compiled his findings in this easy-to-read book.

My Professor Says the Bible is a Myth by Thomas B. Tribelhorn
This explosive book exposes the claims against the Bible as a gross distortion of the evidence. Dr. Tribelhorn brings a lifetime of experience and intensive study in Israel to bring the reader face-to-face with the real facts.

For the History Buff
Historical Atlas of Texas Methodism by William Carson Hardt and John Wesley Hardt
This is a superb exposition of how the Methodist faith came to Texas and how that faith shaped—and was shaped by—historic movements in the Lone State State and nation.

Manley Beasley: Man of Faith -- Instrument of Power by Ron Owens
From intensive care units to the pulpits of America and beyond, Brother Manley, as he was known to the thousands of lives he touched, goes on living through the testimonies and teachings found in this book that some are saying is destined to become a classic.

For the Fiction Fanatic
The Daughter of No One by Viola Palmer
This story is the rapidly moving fiction book of a young girl living on the border of Nicaragua and Honduras.

When the Heart Soars Free by Kay Moore
A storybook romance blooms when two ski experts meet in a picturesque mountain wonderland.

A Father's Betrayal by Ashley Williams
He used to call me his son. Now he calls me his prisoner. Alone . . . Betrayed . . . Forgotten . . . But faith in God never can be broken. Follow this fictional story.



For the Poetry-Lover

So by Martha Bible Smith
Even at 93 years of age Martha Bible Smith is not afraid to delve into "the life of the mind". In this volume-her second book of poetry to be published-Smith poignantly and profoundly explores themes of family, friends, memories, aging, and even current events.

For the Mission-Minded
On the Go for the Lord by William D. Bailey
Dr. Bailey's travels have taken him literally around the world. In this, his third volume, Dr. Bailey brings his travels up to date as of late 2010.

Misadventures in Travel: A Missionary's Experience in Brazil by Paula Edwards
Assigned as itinerant mappers, Van and Paula were to travel the Brazilian coastline and identify fishing villages that needed churches planted there. Nothing could have prepared them for the adventure that followed.

No Retreat--No Regrets by Jamie and Lea Peters
For Jamie and Lea Peters the overwhelming passion that seizes them day-in and day-out is for the continent of Africa and the souls there that do not know Jesus as Savior.


Still looking for other ideas? Check these out here.

10.18.2010

     93-Year-Old Releases Poetry About Life, Love, & Faith


Even at 93 years of age Martha Bible Smith is not afraid to delve into "the life of the mind". She ponders life's mysteries, pours her heart out through verse, and with grace and depth faces the aging process. In this volume, So,--her second book of poetry to be published--Smith poignantly and profoundly explores themes of family, friends, memories, aging, and even current events. Divided into four sections (So, Sew, Sow, and Soak), each grouping reflects Smith's fervor for life, her love of family and friends, and her deep faith in God.

Pride in being a Southerner is readily apparent in this lady born in Tennessee and reared in Mississippi. A graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and Southern Methodist University, for 31 years Martha was a teacher and counselor. For 11 years she was an entrepreneur of antique jewelry on the square in Historic Downtown Garland, TX. She is a mother of two sons, a grandmother of four, and a great-grandmother of two. Her hobbies are reading, writing, and researching. The fourth "r" is reminiscing. Her late husband was Jasper C. Smith, jewelry in Dallas and Washington, D.C. Martha is 93 years young.

7.16.2010

    Hannibal Author Featured in Hometown Paper


After an interview with Kim Everett, editor at
The Garland Texan, Kay Moore was featured in her hometown newspaper yesterday. The article discusses her two most recent books, Way Back in the Country and Way Back in the Country Garden, and her reasons for writing down these family stories and recipes.

Read the article here on The Garland Texan's website.

7.12.2010

    Author Kay Moore Details Her Real Motive for Holding This     Past Weekend's Book Signing in Cooper, TX


You can read all of Kay Moore's blog post at The Newfangled Country Gar
dener.

Here's a glimpse into the post:

OK, I'll admit it. I had an ulterior motive.

Naturally, I scheduled my book-signing this past weekend in Delta County because I needed to launch my book there--the setting for Way Back in the Country Garden--the place in which the main characters, The Three Little Red-Haired Miller Girls, grew up.

Eight years ago, when I launched my first book, Way Back in the Country, the prequel to the new one, we had a fantastic party on the Cooper square at a gift shop there. It was a fitting way to kick off my new book in the locale in which the book's events happened. Of course we'd want to do it all over again in 2010 with the birth of the new title.

Debbie Grider and the folks at The Prairie Rose Flowers & Gifts, Cooper's dynamite new shop right in front of the Delta County Courthouse, were thrilled to be hosts for the 2010 launch. On Saturday they extended wonderful hospitality and gave us a great place to serve cookies made from recipes out of the new book (and Sparkling Holiday Punch from Way Back in the Country).
But truthfully, my sub-reason for heading to Cooper this pa st weekend went well beyond that of any book promotion...

To find out her real reason for going to Cooper, read her blog at The Newfangled Country Gardener. In the meantime, check out these photos from her book signing, which include both family and friends who came out to support her.



7.08.2010

    Kay Moore's Interview on Arizona Midday

If you were in Arizona on June 25, you might have caught a glimpse of Hannibal author Kay Moore on Arizona Midday. If you missed it, you can watch her segment here. During the interview, Kay discusses why gardening is so popular, mentions her new book Way Back in the Country Garden, and prepares the Tangy Orange and Pecan Salad recipe from her book.



*Video copyright of Arizona Midday


6.11.2010

    Kay Moore Featured in Well-Known Sue Watkins' Column


In an always-well-written column, longtime Garland resident Sue Watkins (pictu
red at right) details the goings-on of the area and the people. In her recent post to the NeighborsGo.com website, Sue discussed Kay's new book, Way Back in the Country Garden. Read her post at the NeighborsGo site.

Way Back in the Country Garden, in the days of long ago, families decided
what was for supper by dispatching a youngster out to the family patch of dirt to see what was fresh and ready for pickin’.

The Three Red-Haired Miller Girls, who grew up with modest means, nevertheless believed they were rich because the garden’s yield was so plentiful and because their creative Mama wielded her kitchen magic to make a meal fit for royalty.


Introduced in Kay Moore’s previous book,
Way Back in the Country, the lively Miller Girls again draw readers into their growing-up world in farm-rich Delta County, TX, where a stringent economic era–not unlike today’s tight times–saw people turn to the earth to put food on the table for their loved ones.

With home gardening surging in popularity as frugal people become more resourceful, this six-generation recipe collection and accompanying lore will inspire others to cook this garden-fresh way and ideally preserve their own family food stories as well. Now, join the Miller Girls, Mama and Papa, Grandma Harris, and all the generations hence in rollicking yarns that have love, family, and faith as common denominators and show how food evocatively bonds us to our life experiences.


5.17.2010

    New Book Looks at Backyard Gardens and Homespun Cooking


With the Great Recession prompting many to till their yards to produce food for the family’s mealtimes, a new book, Way Back in the Country Garden, reminisces about days in which our forebears relied almost totally on the family garden instead of the convenient grocery store.



The book, by Kay Wheeler Moore, is a blend of stories about six generations of a family and their recipes developed from the food that is home-grown.

Way Back in the Country Garden is a sequel to Moore’s popular Way Back in the Country, published in 2002. That book encouraged people not only to preserve their families’ legendary recipes but also to preserve the lore about the people who popularized these recipes within a family.

As with the previous book, Moore tells the stories through the lives of the Three Red-Haired Miller Girls (her mother and two aunts), who grew up in farm-rich Delta County, TX, (in East Texas between Commerce and Paris), as well as through the generations surrounding them.

The lively Miller Girls, reared with modest means, nevertheless believed they were rich because their garden’s yield was so plentiful and because their creative Mama used her kitchen magic to make a meal fit for royalty.
Today, with frugal people becoming more resourceful, the family garden is so popular that even the prices of seeds and plants have inflated. Even the wife of U.S. President Barack Obama, as an example for others, is growing vegetables in her own White House garden.

The book contains an ample recipe collection for breakfast foods; relishes, appetizers, and jellies; salads; beverages, soups, and stews; vegetable sides; main dishes; and desserts—all to be prepared with produce fresh from the garden.

Kay Wheeler Moore is a Pulitzer-Prize nominee who stirred up her heirloom cornbread from Way Back in the Country on live TV while she promoted preserving family history through recipes. Her other previous books are When the Heart Soars Free, a book of Christian fiction, and Gathering the Missing Pieces in an Adopted Life, based on her Houston Chronicle newspaper series. Read about her and her husband's current experiences of cooking with homegrown ingredients at The Newfangled Country Gardener.


9.14.2009

Win a Copy of "Families of the Bible"

Thanks to Marina at the Energizer Bunny's Mommy Reports blog, two lucky readers will each win a copy of Families of the Bible: How They Coped with Today's Problems. Written by Howard Hovde and Louis Moore, this book allows readers to "see the [biblical] stories in a different light and in a way that you can parallel your situation to that of theirs", says Marina in her blog post.

From now until September 26, readers can visit Marina's blog and enter to win the book. She will post the winners' names on her blog as well as notify them personally. Stop by Energizer Bunny's Mommy Report to read Marina's review of the blog and enter her contest.

7.27.2009

Review of "Families of the Bible"

In a series of posts, popular blogger SelahV will be reviewing the new book, Families of the Bible: How They Coped with Today's Problems by Howard Hovde and Louis Moore. She wrote a great introduction to the reviews on her blog SelahVToday.

In the introduction, SelahV focused on the issue of 'what am I passing on' and discussed some of the everyday things that she has passed on to her daughter. She includes a quote from Families of the Bible about how patterns often repeat within families. In upcoming posts on her blog, SelahV will offer a "sampling" from the book. Please visit her blog at SelahVToday.typepad.com.

She has also posted her first part of the review of the book on her blog. In her review, SelahV says, "
I see the evaluations and observations they [Howard Hovde and Louis Moore] make from biblical families and relationships as extremely helpful for today's families and individuals--especially those who cannot understand how to fit their square peg into a round hole of extended family interactions."

7.17.2009

'Families of the Bible' Authors and Their Wives

This last week in Garland, TX, authors of Families of the Bible: How They Coped with Today's Issues, Howard Hovde and Louis Moore met with one another and their wives for a chat and a quick photo. Dr. Hovde and his wife, Carole, are seated on the couch and Louis Moore and his wife, Kay, are standing in the background.

These two families met first in Louisville, KY, at the church in which Dr. Hovde was associate pastor. After both families moved to Houston, the friendship grew.

7.16.2009

Hannibal Author Quoted in Religion Story in Wisconsin

Louis Moore, co-author of Families of the Bible: How They Coped with Today's Issues and author of Witness to the Truth: Lessons learned by a veteran journalist through four decades of watching the church, was quoted in a religion story July 10 in the La Crosse Tribune in Wisconsin. The article, written by reporter Chris Hubbuch, discusses a pastor in West Salem, Wisconsin, who stepped down from his congregation after misleading church members about his relationship with a married woman. Read the entire article on the La Crosse Tribune website.

Louis Moore spent nearly four decades observing religious life as an award-winning, globe-trotting religion editor with the Houston Chronicle, a media executive in a major religious denomination, and a newspaper editor. He is also a publisher and a former president of the Religion Newswriters Association, the organization for religion reporters on secular newspapers in the United States and Canada.

6.23.2009

New Book Offers Parenting Tips From Biblical Families


Biblical families are excellent role models for coping with today's family problems, say co-authors of this new book, which examines how families of the Bible serve as role models for families now.

Family relationships have always been difficult, regardless of the time in history, the authors say. Too often today modern families erroneously conclude they are confronting matters with which no one has dealt with before. Instead, the authors say similarities between past and present situations abound.

In Families of the Bible: How They Coped with Today’s Issues, Howard Hovde and Louis Moore examine biblical families’ lives and offer practical tips for parents of modern-day homes.
In this matter-of-fact look at the lessons that can be learned from biblical families, Hovde and Moore inspect 12 different familial situations from the Bible and extract the important connections with issues in today’s society.

The authors begin with a study of the family system and analyze why problems occur within families. Hovde and Moore then tackle topics such as murder, grief, infertility, sibling rivalry, adoption, the loss of a child, the importance of a spiritual family, empty nests and more. To learn how parents should interact with each other and with their children to provide the best home life possible, Hovde and Moore dive into the lives of Cain and Abel, Abraham, Jacob and Esau, Moses, David, the Prodigal Son, Paul and others.

Hovde and Moore hope this unique material will “make the journey with family easier and more exciting.” This book is perfect for parents who need help within their family, but Families of the Bible could also be helpful as a basis for a sermon series or a Bible study, or as a device used within premarital or marital counseling sessions.

Howard Hovde, Ed.D. (left) has been a marriage and family therapist, a pastor, and director of the Laity Lodge Retreat Center in Kerrville, TX. He is a popular speaker at seminars conferences, and programs on marriage and family life. He and his wife, Carole, live in Kerrville.

Louis Moore (right) has been a newspaper reporter editor, book author, and media manager for a religious denomination. He and his wife, Kay, have led marriage enrichment retreats for couples throughout the United States and internationally. They live in Garland, TX.