My Proverbs Habit

I have been blessed and challenged in the last few years by reading through the book of Proverbs each month. I hear of many people that practice this, so most likely the idea is not foreign to you, either. Since Proverbs has 31 chapters, it is easy to read one chapter each day and finish the book in a month.

I enjoy taking it a step further, however, and noting a particular theme throughout the book as I go though it each month. I pick a certain theme each month, say, the tongue, and each time I come to a verse about our words, I write down my thoughts about the verse, and then copy the verse down. Its like making my own commentary on the book of Proverbs!

It is impossible to digest every verse from Proverbs in just one, superficial read-through, so by taking it one subject at a time, I can really focus on what the book has to say about that topic. One of the things you will realize the more you read through Proverbs, is how important wisdom is for the Christian. I believe there is no better way to get wisdom than to study the writings of the wisest human that ever lived!

Here is a sample of what one of my journal entries might look like (also happens to be one of my favorite verses in Proverbs):

When we talk continually, we make it easy for us to sin with our lips. We show more wisdom when we don't talk than when we do.

10:19 "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise"

As you will notice, my personal thoughts on the verse are nothing profound. Sometimes I write more than that...specific instances, or things I especially want to work on. I'm not going to share those with you, though. :) Sometimes, the verse speaks volumes for itself, and I feel there is not much I can say.

Another variation, and something I did for the first year, was I just wrote down the references to the verses that matched the topic I was studying for the month. So at the end of the month, I had a list of all the verses that talked about our words. That created a handy guide for me as well. Either way is beneficial.

Here are some of the topics I have studied so far:

Strange Woman and Wise Woman

The Tongue

Frowardness (Do you know what that word means? I didn't. Thats why I wanted to study it.)

Direct Instruction to Children

Animals Mentioned

Perhaps you would like to join me during the month of August? I am planning on noting every time a part of our body is mentioned...other than the tongue, because that study stands alone. You don't have to study the same thing as me, but choose your own topic and we can read through Proverbs together! I guarantee your Christian Walk will be challenged and blessed.

Leave me a comment and let me know what topic you pick! Have you studied Proverbs before?

Our Family - Updated

A few months back, I babbled on and on about how I had a family of 9. Seven people, a cat and a dog. I told you all about how Sheba came into our family and what we all thought...and about Killer, the cat. She makes everything interesting.

Sad story is, I don't have any picture of my whole family that are more recent than the ones on that post. Nine people/pets is a lot to get behind a camera, ok? But here are a few recent ones you might enjoy.

{ Carrie with our friend, Jaimie. She is doing her internship at our church this summer. }

{ Some of the girls }

{ Sheba is definitely getting bigger, and Killer..... }

{ Well, Killer doesn't ever change! }

My post today, however is not to continue to babble on about how I have a family of nine. No, siree, my post is sort of an "update" to that babbling post. Because I am not going to have a family of 9 anymore. Our family is now going to be 10.

When I wrote that post back in February, I was pretty sure 9 would be the limit. I wasn't anticipating reaching double digits with the 'ol family count. But nonetheless, here I am. I'm going to let you guess what you think the next addition is going to be....

I think by now you might have guessed...its a baby!! That is right, my mom is pregnant!! Believe me, we were all just as surprised as you are now. It was not something I expected to hear as a 23-year-old. We are all getting very excited to meet our new little brother or sister. (Brother, brother, brother.......)

I'll be sure to keep you updated, and I'd appreciate you keeping my mom and the baby in your prayers!

Ps. Be sure to visit this post to enter my current giveaway!!! Even if you are not planning on writing an eBook, this book has many great blogging tips and links, help understanding the world that is Twitter, and a host of other helps. You won't be disappointed!

Book Review: How To Market and Sell Your eBook: Extras and Giveaway!

***THIS GIVEAWAY IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING ENTRIES. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE WINNER!***

Ok, heres the normal drill....If you haven't read the other parts of this review, you can go read the Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4.

As if Sarah's Mae's book wasn't captivating enough....she had to go and include some extras that just push this eBook over the top! Seriously, this book is just crawling with tons and tons of helpful resources, links, and advice. (Well, not literally crawling....eww.) Sarah gives some enlightening statistics (in case I wasn't already convinced....which I was), answers more reader questions, and provides links to help with every single-wingle aspect of writing an eBook that you could possibly come up with. (I made that up...single-wingle.....how'd you like it?)

Here are just a couple examples of what you'll find in this section of the book:

"Women make up 66% of eBook power buyers" -- eBook stats

"To escape criticism -- do nothing, be nothing, say nothing." - Elbert Hubbard

"Does one make more money self-publishing or traditional publishing?"

...sorry my friend! You'll have to get the book to find out the answer!

Theres also a link called "What is a blog?" along with several other blogging links, and some helpful definitions...I finally know what "hyperlink" really means!! (Ha ha, just kidding....I knew what it meant...sorta....I mean, who doesn't know what hyperlink means? Really, I think I did know what it meant....)

Hopefully that gives you a taste of all the extremely helpful and enlightening material this book has made available to us. Sarah Mae has really outdone herself in providing this book so affordably. She makes it way easier for us newbies in the self-publishing world to dare to get our feet wet! Personally, this book has challenged me to start thinking in the direction of publishing an eBook....don't worry, when I do get it done, you'll be the first to know!

Sarah Mae has graciously made a copy of this book available to one of my lucky readers! Thats right, I am officially hosting my first...

GIVEAWAY!!!!

Um, no, I'm not excited about it, why do you ask? This is only one of the greatest books you could ever wish to own! And I'm so glad that I can be the one to give it to one of you. So heres the scoop:

• Leave a comment on this post. For fun, tell me what you think about eBooks. Are you a "move over hardback" type of person, or a traditional, library type of person? How many eBooks do you own? Have you thought about writing your own book or eBook?
• For a second entry, follow Sarah Mae's blog, and leave a comment telling me that you did. You can subscribe by RSS, follow through twitter and Google friend connect, or subscribe by email.
• Comments must be submitted by midnight on August 5th, and the winner will be announced right here on the 'ol blog on August 6th. Winner will be chosen using random.org.
• Giveaway is open to anyone worldwide that can open a PDF file. If you don't know what that is, but you have a computer, you probably can.

Good luck!

Note: I did receive my own copy of this book for review. But all opinions are completely and totally my own. What can I say, I'm cheap like that!

Book Review: How To Market and Sell Your eBook Part 4

Don't miss the Introduction, Part 1, Part 2, or Part 3! (Whew, when you get done all that, your pointer finger might be tired. Don't say I didn't warn you.)

Can I just say, that this book just keeps getting better! As I went through and read it, I just kept thinking, "This is so great!" or, "This information is just what I was wondering about!" Sarah Mae definitely covered everything.

Part 4 of the book is on Marketing, and it is jam-packed with great information and links. There are several pages of examples from websites as well...and I'm one of those people who learns way better if there is pictures. :)

Come on, doesn't that face just compel you???

Sarah gives some great ideas to not only get the word out there when your book is available, but also how to get the maximum number of people to purchase it. I found the theory behind "cycle potential" very interesting. Cycle potential goes like this: the more people that buy your ebook, the more visible your eBook is; the more visible your eBook is, the more people who will buy it. Its kind of one of those "duh" moments, but I probably never would have put it all together like that!

Sarah Mae also gives some great ideas on how to promote yourself and your eBook without being obnoxious and "me, me, me!" about it. You don't have to be pushy about it. When you talk to people, "eBook" should not be the third word to pop out of your mouth. By knowing when and where to have links to your book, you can get your name out there without it being used negatively.

There were so many great things in this part of the book, I wish I could just tell you everything. But I don't have to...Sarah Mae already did. Here is the link...go get your copy right now!

There is one more part of this book to go! Part 5: The Extras. Head back here to catch the conclusion, and also an exciting extra you won't want to miss! I don't want to spill the beans, but it starts with "g" and ends with "away." Betcha can't guess! :)

Book Review: How To Market And Sell Your eBook Part 3

Be sure you go back and read the Introduction, Part 1 and Part 2 of this new eBook. Then jump back and join us here for part 3!

Part 3: The Details

This section of the book was very engaging! Sarah Mae broke down several specifics about getting your eBook on the market. She addressed the cost to produce it through several venues, talked about how much to sell it for, publishing, and, perhaps the most intriguing, picking a name. That seems, to me, like it would be the hardest part!

This section answered a lot of questions for me. Questions like, where can I get help if I get stuck in the publishing process?? Because I can totally see that happening to me! Another question is how much certain services cost. All of that and more is broken down very clearly and concisely.

Perhaps most important is that you do not sell yourself short in any way. If you have put a lot of value into your eBook, then you should expect nothing less out of it. Of course, if you have not put your utmost effort into this eBook, then don't expect to get much out of it. It goes both ways. Think as though you were the buyer. What do you look for when you look for a book on this subject? How much are you willing to pay? What attracts you most to a certain book? How well is your book, especially the cover, laid out?

If you really take the time and energy to make your book the best possible, it will greatly benefit you when it goes on the market.

"It's possible for any author to make their book available with little or no upfront cost and reach a global audience."

Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content for Amazon

Next part of the eBook is about your marketing strategy. See you then!

Book Review: How To Market And Sell Your eBook Part 2

STOP! Before you read any further, have you read the introduction and part 1 of this review?? I wouldn't want you coming in now without reading those posts. That would be like starting a book in the middle! How anti-climactic!

Now we are getting to the meat of this book. Part 2 is titled, "Content And Community." How are people going to hear about your book? Who will read it? Do people really want to read what I have to say??

Sarah talks about content success, and how to make what you write be just what is "in demand." Take what you are passionate about, and find the gap in literature about your subject. Chances are, if you see a gap, others do too, and they will want to read material that bridges that gap.

At the end of the chapter on content, Sarah answers these and other reader questions:

• How do you choose a topic that will sell?
• Is there an average length for an ebook?
• How much does it cost to get my book edited?
• Should I copyright my ebook?

This book is extremely practical in that Sarah gives links to some great resources to help us build our "platform" and our "tribe." (That is another great thing about eBooks, btw...you can't follow links in a real book!) How do you create a "following" of people, so that when your book comes out, there is someone there to read it? I am excited to learn from what Sarah has to say about this topic!

But do you have to have a tribe, or following of people, before writing your book? Surprisingly enough, no! When you read the chapter on "The Million Dollar Woman" you will see that it can be done. A blog or other avenue of social media is a fantastic place to start, however, and helps build that tribe that is interested in your content.

Sarah quotes Michael Hyatt, who answers the question, "How do you create a platform if you don't already have one?"

"The answer is simpler than you think: build one. It's never been more possible. For the first time in history, perhaps, you don't need a lot of money or even the right connections. What you need is something to say, a fair amount of determination, and persistence. But it is possible."

It is? But how?

Coming up next time: Part 3, "The Details." Don't miss it!

Book Review: How To Market And Sell Your eBook Part 1

I introduced you to this ebook and its author in this post. Be sure to read that post if you haven't already, then jump back here for part 1 of this book. You won't want to miss it!

Have you ever considered writing a book?

I know I have. I mean, what girl doesn't at some point of her life? Especially after watching a couple of hours of Anne of Avonlea. Gets me every time. The dream of becoming a writer is very real, but the complications of actually doing so often stop us from trying.

The recent popularity of eBooks has changed that for a lot of budding authors. Getting a book out in cyberspace is significantly easier than getting it on the shelf of a Barnes & Nobles. Our secret dream of becoming a writer may actually have a chance at fruition....but where to start? And what should I expect?

Sarah Mae's book, "How To Market And Sell Your eBook" answers those questions for us, and many more. Today I'd like to share my thoughts from the forward and part 1 of this book.

The book starts with a forward by Mac Collier, founder of #Blogchat, a quick FAQ for those wondering if its "worth it," and Sarah Mae's own story about her first ebook, "31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way." Just reading Sarah's story is inspiring. Makes me want to get writing immediately. Her book started out as just a series of blog posts, but when she realized how much this topic was being soaked up by her readers, she pulled it off her blog and turned it into an ebook. Using social media, Sarah and her readers quickly raised publicity, and in the first two months of her book being published, Sarah sold over 11,000 copies.

"How To Market and Sell Your eBook" discusses and lays this all out for us, but hang on. We aren't to that part yet.

Part 1 talks about the popularity of ebooks today, and the "Million Dollar Woman" that made it work for her. I don't want to give that story away, but it is fascinating! I didn't realize before that with so little effort, you can easily make money and accomplish your goal of self-publishing. You just need to take the time to write it, and have a vision for the possibilities that are out there. Don't sell yourself short! As Sarah Mae puts it, "The eBook field is wide open for your content. What are you going to do about it?"

I'd be the first one to admit that ebooks don't have the "romance" of an authentic, hardcover book. I've been a bit leery of ebooks and Kindles and those things that (to me) threatened to do away with that great smell of paper and ink. For me, opening up a new book is just as exciting as opening the seal on a new can of coffee grounds. You know what I mean. On a rainy day, I just couldn't picture curling up with a good Kindle. Are they going to serve me virtual cups of coffee to go with it??

Its true that ebooks can not take the place of real books, but I don't think they will try to. I do think that ebooks are a good, cheap way to get information we need, without breaking the bank. If I want to read a book that I'm not really sure I'll like, I'd much rather only pay a few dollars for it. And if I want information on how to produce my own ebook, I'd like to read that information from an ebook, written by an author that has done it with success. Seems to make sense to me.

You can read more about Sarah Mae and her eBooks at her blog, Like a Warm Cup of Coffee. Stay tuned, part 2 of this review coming soon!

My New Friend

Nothing says, "Welcome to Florida" like a visit from your friendly neighborhood lizard.

This "little" buddy was just hanging out on the side of the mission one day. I walked out to the mailbox and boom! He scared the tar outta me! We have little lizards all over the place, and regularly have to throw them out of our house. But this baby? I had no idea that they can grow so big!!

I find myself thinking, what would I do if he found his way inside???? EEEEEKK!!!!!

From the inside of the window, he appeared to be a little over 3 feet long, including his tail. PLENTY big enough for me.

Wanna come visit?

Ps. Book review is coming soon. Promise. I haven't forgotten.

Exciting New Ebook about Ebooks!

Have you ever visited Sarah Mae? She is the woman behind the inspirational blog, Like a Warm Cup of Coffee. See what I mean? Just the name is inspirational. Anything that mentions coffee in the title just has to be good. And this blog is no exception.

Sarah Mae wrote the best-selling ebook, "31 Days To Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way." This book started out as a series of blog posts, but when Sarah realized the need these posts were meeting in the lives of her readers, she turned them into an ebook. Instantly her book was a smashing success. She sold over 11,000 copies in the first two months. Wow!

Just this week, Sarah launched a new ebook, "How To Market and Sell Your eBook." Coming from a woman that sold over 11,000 copies of her first eBook in two months, I have a feeling I want to hear what she has to say. How about you?

Sarah Mae has graciously given me a copy of this new eBook to review and share with you. In the next couple of days, I will begin reviewing that book and blogging about my thoughts as I go through it. I have begun reading it, and I can say already that Sarah's writing style is very engaging and easy to read. Oh, you want proof? Well just head on over to Like a Warm Cup of Coffee and browse through Sarah's posts and articles. To catch a glimpse of her heart, I recommend this post. Another series of posts I really appreciated reading through are these Ladies of Wisdom Interviews.

Take this opportunity to get to know Sarah and her blog. You can read an interview with Sarah Mae if you go over to this blog. And in a couple days, I'll be introducing you to her newest eBook, How to Market and Sell your eBook. (I like saying that, can you tell?) You really will want to stay tuned in the next couple of weeks, because at the end of this review I will be telling you about something that starts with "g" and ends with "away." Betcha can't guess what it is!!!

After you've finished clicking around over at Sarah's blog, come back and tell me what you appreciate most about Sarah and "Like a Warm Cup of Coffee." (Warning: be prepared to stay over there a few hours. Because one cup of coffee just isn't enough.)

PS. UPDATE: Go here to read part 1 of this review!!