WIN/WIN - Two Opportunities to Publish the Book God Placed on Your Heart! |
| FaithWriters July 2015
"News & Information for the Write Brained Christian" Devotional & Newest Member E-books Included |
| | The Writing Challenge Will Improve Your Writing! Congratulations to the Best of Best Challenge Winners 2015
First place and $300: I SURRENDER ALL CHALLENGE
B'rikh hu By Ann Grover
Hana fusses, searching for my shrivelled breast, and I offer myself, for whatever comfort she may draw from me. I cannot fill her belly, and I draw from her instead. Her small, innocent life nourishes my despair and my hope.
Lev is gone, swallowed by the forest or the enemy, I know not which. I only know he will never come home to us.
I plead, weeping, to G-d, to save my Hana, save us all. Make the war go away, leaving us with our life as it was before, with bright geraniums on the step and bread baking in the oven. Lev planting grain and Hana sleeping in her basket in the garden. Let the air vibrate with the sound of birds, not echoing gunshots, the resinous aroma of pine trees drifting on the breeze, not the stench of blood and terror.
G-d, King of the Universe, can do this. He can create something from nothing. He is able to close the mouths of lions and halt the sun. It is a small thing for Him to turn away our enemy; one glance from His fiery eyes would send them running like cowering, yelping dogs back to Gehinnom where they were spawned.
The answer comes, like the softly whispering arrival of spring, a dragonfly tapping against the window, a bit of dandelion down borne aloft.
It is reckless and absurd. I am Jacob, wrestling with G-d, Jeremiah in the mud of Malchiah, David being pursued by Saul. Why does G-d ask me to do this outrageous thing?
I wash Hana, kissing each finger, stroking her fine hair. She laughs when I run my lips over her belly, and I moan, for the sweet pain of it. Her tiny hands tug at my hair, and I gather each touch, each sound from her, like stringing precious pearls on a cord. Hana, Hana, Hana.
I feed her again, my own hunger pangs like bayonets slicing my belly, but as nothing compared to the slashing in my heart. She sucks feebly; her face is pinched and gray, her arms scrawny. Her eyes seek mine, trusting, trusting, and she smiles; a dribble of watery milk escapes her lips.
I have stitched together a blanket from the lining of my jacket, embroidering flowers and crosses along the hem with threads pulled from my sweater. Dread squeezes my heart, for it is as a shroud in my trembling hands.
When the enemy comes, and they will come, Hana will be gone.
I beseech Him, to offer another way, to help me out of my struggle, but G-d is adamant. He gives me no alternative, no choice, only this treacherous, unforgivable thing. I imagine His hand reaching down, and His finger pierces my soul.
Continue reading this first place winner and leave Ann a comment HERE. |
| | | Second Place and $100: STAND UP FOR JESUS CHALLENGE
Assegais and Shields
By Corinne Smelker
“Stand firm!” Brian hissed.
My knees were having fellowshipping , and I don’t think in my 20 years I had ever been so bone-numbingly terrified. The sight of hundreds of men, dressed in traditional Sotho garb, wielding assegais (spears) and hide-clad shields, screaming war chants, and running full tilt down the hills surrounding the valley our little group was in, was not something any one of us planned for when we woke up.
Two days earlier our missionary group had set up camp in Lebowa, a small principality encompassed on all sides by South Africa. We knew the risks – women were warned not to leave camp on their own – the locals had been known to kidnap white women and ‘circumcise’ them. However, we wanted to share the gospel with the people of Lebowa, in the days when apartheid was still the law of the land in South Africa; laws which directly affected Lebowan citizens.
Continue reading this second place winner and leave Cori a comment HERE. |
| | | Third Place AND $75: A MIGHTY FORTRESS CHALLENGE
In the Secret Place
By Ann Grover
I shivered, drawing the wool blanket closer about me, for the peat fire emitted scant heat in the damp crevice where I huddled. It would be a long night. Aye, and hadn’t it been long years of darkness already?
Earlier, His Majesty’s men had surrounded our home. As they pounded on the door, I kissed my wife and leaped through a back window, only to find myself staring up at a soldier, his eyes bright in the moonlight.
“I submit to your power,” I said, and held out my hands in surrender.
“Aye, but I’m not inclined to apply my power. Be off with you and hide yourself. Quickly, now.”
I nodded my gratitude, and ran...
Continue reading this third place winner and leave Ann a comment HERE.
Because the Challenge is based on the entry and not the author, it does occasionally happen that one author wins twice. This is how Ann was selected for 1st and 3rd places. Did you know that Ann offers free grammar help to writers in our forums HERE. |
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The Writing Challenge Starts Again July 2nd.
If you are a Silver member and have never entered, make sure to give it a try HERE. |
| | Doe's it seem like sin has dominion in your life?
For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:14
The Bible tells us that sin can only have dominion over us if we are living under the law instead of Grace.
Meditate on this truth and see what happens. Go HERE. |
| | BIG NEWS - Two Opportunities to be Published
1) Winner to be Published! Ninth Annual Page Turner Contest
2015 – CHRISTIAN FICTION
One Winner:
1. A fabulous cash prize of $500 (US);
2. The offer of traditional publication of their winning manuscript by Breath of Fresh Air Press;
3. Final editing of their manuscript (through Breath of Fresh Air Press);
4. Free publicity and marketing of their book on all FaithWriters' sites for twelve months following publication;
5. A special Page Turner Champion award plaque.
Two Page Turner runners-up will each receive:
1. A cash prize of $50 (US);
2. A special Page Turner award plaque; and
3. Consideration for future publication by Breath of Fresh Air Press
2) 2015 Xulon Raffle for a Best Seller Package - 8-1-15 Entry Deadline All members can enter, free and upgraded.
One Winner:
FaithWriters will be awarding a comprehensive Xulon publishing packages as a prize in 2015. The package is Xulon's Best Seller package with a retail values over $4,000. Download a Xulon publishing guide HERE and earn five entry credits into the raffle.
Two runners-up will receive:
1. Second name drawn: One Year Platinum Membership on FaithWriters
2. Third Name drawn: One Year Gold Membership on FaithWriters
Second and third prizes are courtesy of Bottom Line Website Ministries.
For more information on both of these opportunities go HERE.
Want to Publish now? FaithWriters Gold members receive a five percent discount and Platinum members receive a ten percent discount on Xulon's best current advertised price. Go Here and make sure to tell them you are with FaithWriters.
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| | | Do you lack virtue, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love?
The Bible says if we lack these things, it is because we have forgotten that we have been forgiven?
For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 2 Peter 1:9
Meditate on this truth and see what happens. Go HERE. |
| | New Release: Trials and Triumphs II Rooted and Grounded in Love
The Powerful and Personal Testimonies of Fifty FaithWriters Members
Support fellow members by getting a copy of this inspiring book, which contains Fifty unique true stories from members around the world. These testimonies are powerful and encouraging. Makes a great book to leave on your coffee table for a conversation starter. Check it out HERE!
Limited Offer: Read for free in exchange for a review on FaithWriters and Amazon. Email Michael@faithwriters.com and request a copy.
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Effectively Outlining Your Plot By Lee Masterson
Have you ever had an idea for a novel, and then just sat down and began writing without knowing exactly where the story was going?
It happens to everyone at some point, but most people begin to realize that the events in your plotline get confused, or forgotten in the the thrill of writing an exciting scene. There are those who continue to write on, regardless, fixing any discrepancies as they work, or (worse!) those who do not check that events are properly tied in place to bring their stories to a satisfying conclusion.
And then there are those writers who believe that creating a plot-outline is tantamount to "destroying the natural creative process". The belief is simple; by writing it out in rough form, you've already told the story, so the creative side of you will not want to write it again.
Whichever type of writer you are, creating a simple, inelegant outline to follow s not the same thing as already writing the story, and it could save you an enormous amount of time and rewriting later.
The purpose of an outline in this case is to be certain that your storyline is not straying too far from the original idea. It is also a useful tool if you need to determine if your idea is big enough to be developed into a novel-length work, and not left as a short story or novella.
Your outline should be a simple reminder that, no matter how many events or characters or situations arise, your main theme will never get lost in the jumble of scenes.
Of course, this brings us to the problem to what was discussed above. There are writers who have a tendency to over-plot, thus really killing any spontaneity as far as the writing process goes. The biggest difficulty here is forcing your characters to go through motions that may not fit into their personality make-up simply to fit into your pre-existing, overly planned plotline.
So how do you strike a fair balance between aimless writing and over-plotting?
There are several ways to accomplish this.
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| | Take Full Advantage of Your Membership Improve Your Writing Skills in 2015
We love Jan's courses. "I absolutely must add to these comments my own deep appreciation for the hard work you put in for us week by week. You enable people to grow and find true expression for their faith in the will of God. I've learnt so much already in such a short time, and that's because of your great advice and loving direction. Trace P. |
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Great Multitude Daily Bible Devotional Receive it by email or place it on your website HERE
Author of Life
By C D Swanson
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey (Hebrews 5:9 KJV)
I am alive because He died. I am alive because He loved enough to give His life for me. I am alive because of His amazing sacrifice.
In all things pertaining to life I think of our Savior. We are alive only because of Him. God gave His Son to save us from eternal damnation. He wanted us to live with Him forever and so He sent His Son for that purpose.
My mother passed away this past May—and although I ache from missing her so much it’s beyond painful— but knowing she is alive in Heaven brings enormous comfort to my soul. I know that I’ll see her again, and that is one of the best things about faith… we’ll live forever as long as we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
How glorious! How joyful! How marvelous!
We live because of Him. We are who we are because of who He is and what He’s done. The magnificence of who He is and what He’s done is overwhelming. He is our Author of Salvation. He is our Rock. He is our Savior and King of kings.
“Father, thank You for sending Jesus to save us, thank You for Your sacrifice, and thank You for Your mercy and enduring love. May those who are in the dark seek and find the light, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
C D Swanson is a Christian Author and Freelance Writer. Read more of her work including her published books HERE.
Our devotional is now on over 22,000 websites/blogs plus 15,000 by email and Twitter. FaithWriters members are encouraged to submit a devotional for publication HERE. Submissions are a maximum of 300 words which teaches you to write to topic and word count. Plus you will be spreading the news of Jesus with us. |
| | Submit Articles to The Critique Circle
We have paid editors who visit the Critique Circle on a regular basis and they are telling us they need more submissions.
To help them out and see if you are paying attention, Michael is giving away free Critique Circle credits to all Platinum members who read this and respond. This limited offer means you do not need to provide a critique, you just get two, three or more critiques on a piece you submit. Just email Michael@FaithWriters.com and ask for a free credit. This is a real chance to receive some very constructive and private critiques of your writing.
This is a real chance to receive some very constructive and private critiques of your writing.
This offer available to Platinum members who have not been given a free credit in the last 90 days.
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| | FaithWriters Needs Your Support Today!
Ninety nine percent of FaithWriters members are free members. If the current trend of increasing expenses and declining financial support continues, it will at some point place FaithWriters at risk. Therefore we are asking more members to please consider helping us financially by upgrading. In doing so you gain access to more tools to improve your writing. At the same time you are helping foster the growth of new Christian writers and spreading the gospel in over 230 countries online.
We can all easily see that the world desperately needs to hear about Jesus, online and in books. Helping writers get a good start is essential so they can share the Good News of Jesus in print. We do not want to come to a point where we cannot help these writers improve and spread the Good News through their writing.
If you already support FaithWriters, we greatly appreciate it. Platinum is only .37 day and Gold is .20 day. Please Upgrade Here
Members can also sponsor other writers who cannot afford it. Email michael@faithwriters.com if you would like to do this.
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Read Great Christian Books Free In Exchange For A Review Many already have multiple five star reviews on Amazon.
The Royal Couple by Nicole Taylor A Christian Romance
British Billionaire William Lamport has walked back into American Actress Barbara Dickson's life as abruptly as he exited nine years ago. William wants Barbara back but she doesn't trust him because of how their romance ended. William is persistent and hatches a plan to win her heart.
Brand New Release! Nicole would really appreciate your support.
This is just one example of over 30 books you can read for free in exchange for a review. Many others have multiple five star reviews too. One book is running just below five stars with 74 reviews and it is listed in the top five books of its two categories. Another with over 30 reviews is running close to five stars and was honored as the book of the year by a major theological website. Another has over 20 reviews and is running almost five stars. Read one of these or one that has just joined the program and desperately needs reviews.
These are all free to read for you while others pay full price on Amazon. Plus you receive the bonus of helping a fellow believer and FaithWriters member. It takes reviews to sell books these days and other members really appreciate your help.
Go HERE to find a great book to read for FREE.
Hurry and choose one while they are still free to read! The authors can take their books out of this program at any moment.
Have you written a book and need reviews? Learn about submitting your book to this program HERE. |
| | | | | | | Today is the Day to Start Taking Action! Give Family and Friends a Chance.Share Your Faith By Using This Free Book.
It is Time For Us To STOP Worrying About What Others Think About Us! Don't let fear stop you, the objective evidence is on our side. Study the evidence for yourself and you will see just how little faith you need to believe. At the same time you will gain great faith.
Do you have a desire to share your faith, but you are unsure of what to say or afraid of what others will think? Maybe you fear saying the wrong thing or not being able to answer a question or objection. If this is you, welcome to the club; we have all been there.
To start on this path, I suggest that you take the time to review some of the objective evidence that proves God's existence and identity beyond a reasonable doubt. The truth is the evidence is on our side, and the more you realize this, the more confident you will become in sharing your faith. If you go HERE you can obtain a free e-book of Gravity in several formats that you can read and share with others.
Gravity has 77 reviews and been in the top five books of its two categories for over a year now on Amazon. If you read its many reviews, you will discover that many readers testify how God used this book to change their lives. It is also being used across the country by the Navigators on college campuses and is used in over 1,300 prisons to present evidence for Christianity. The objective evidence presented in Gravity will show you just how little faith you need to believe, while it gives you great faith at the same time. There are also many answers to objections made by skeptics. You can also obtain print copies of Gravity to hand out on the author's website at his cost HERE.
It is not our job to refute a non-believers assertions such as "God does not exist' or "The Bible is a made up story". It is their job to back up their assertions with evidence. Asking questions makes them think about why they believe what they do, keeps the interaction peaceful and puts the burden of proof on them. |
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Be a blessing to someone today by letting others pray for you or by praying for them! |
| | Really Big News For Free Silver Members! FaithWriters Private Messenger Available to You Now
All members can now receive direct private messages from anyone interested in their writing through private messenger. If you had previously listed your email address in your profile, it should be removed now to reduce potential spam to your email address. Private messenger provides you with a level of privacy and security you did not have when posting your actual email address.
Note: Private messages with job opportunities will still only be sent to upgraded members. If you want to benefit from those opportunities you will need to upgrade HERE. |
| | Please Support FaithWriters
Fishers of Men in Over 230 Countries Together We Spread the Gospel on The Net
Together we are casting a net on the over the web, an extremely important field ready for harvest. The enemy knows this and he is working hard on the internet to lead people down the wrong path. As followers of Jesus we can make a difference by publishing the true message and pointing people to Jesus. Men and women from over 230 countries (View Countries Here) are drawn to the FaithWriters site by the various articles on the end of our virtual fishing pole. Many have no other way but the internet to find out about Jesus. They are able to learn a lot from our site and the sister-sites to which we have provided links. Many click on the sites we link to that offer in-depth information on Jesus because they are able to get more information in their native language.
Hundreds of people from around the world have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior directly through FaithWriters. Plus, as we refer many people to other sites to help answer their questions and accommodate their language. We know it is not about just about numbers. We also know that accepting Jesus and confessing Him is just where it starts. It is honor to consider the fact that God would use us in this way. The numbers are encouraging for us though and we will love encouragement.
We contact every person who leaves an email address, and provide them with more information. Sometimes we correspond with them several times. We even offer to place them in contact with another believer (FaithWriters member) in their country.
Consider how much time people --- especially kids --- spend on the internet these days. Watch this two minute video on how Kimberly found God on the internet.
Thank You FaithWriters!
Many Blessings from the FaithWriters Staff
FaithWriters really needs your financial support. In doing so you gain access to more tools to improve your writing. At the same time you are helping foster the growth of new Christian writers and spreading the gospel in over 230 countries online. If you already support FaithWriters, we greatly appreciate it. Platinum is only .37 day and Gold is .20 day. Please Upgrade Here |
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Don't Skimp on the Editing Hire a FaithWriters Approved Editor Today!
Joanne Sher is one of several editors offering editing services.
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| | This Months FaithWriters Great Reads Selection
We have some excellent writers and many topics to choose from at FaithWriters. Bless your fellow members by reading one or more of their books occasionally. Just imagine how you would feel if they did the same for you. Many of these books have multiple five-star reviews on Amazon.
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Books added in the last month as described by each author.
The Royal Couple
Nicole Taylor
Your Price: $5.29
British Billionaire William Lamport has walked back into American Actress Barbara Dickson's life as abruptly as he exited nine years ago. William wants Barbara back but she doesn't trust him because of how their romance ended. William is persistent and hatches a plan to win her heart.
from Amazon.com!
Fiction
Easy Way Out
Jane Tichenor
Your Price: $2.99
Easy Way Out is a love story that takes the reader from the joys of a match made in heaven to the heartache of betrayal to the sacrifice of forgiveness. It is a suspenseful story that will take the reader on a roller coaster ride of emotions.
from Amazon.com!
Non-Fiction
God Has Spoken to Me
Sue Darling
Your Price: $4.99
This book is divided into two parts. The first part is about women’s rights, particularly in the church. I believe some men are still trying to keep women down by using the Bible in the wrong way. God did say to me, “Women have a case.”
from Amazon.com!
Poetry
"Of The Cross" Volume 5
Diana DeLaCruz
Your Price: $5.99
POETRY-THRU-PRAYER
Only Believe…
from Amazon.com!
'Of The Cross' Volume 2
Diana DeLaCruz
Your Price: $7.49
POETRY-THRU-PRAYER
ONLY BELIEVE...
from Amazon.com!
Free Reads For Reviews
The Royal Couple
Nicole Taylor
Your Price: $5.29
British Billionaire William Lamport has walked back into American Actress Barbara Dickson's life as abruptly as he exited nine years ago. William wants Barbara back but she doesn't trust him because of how their romance ended. William is persistent and hatches a plan to win her heart.
from Amazon.com!
Big Flood Big Faith: Noah's Flood and Earth's Extreme Makeover
Terrence Hatch
Your Price: $4.95
Was Noah's flood caused by a cosmic collision in Earth's recent past? Clues emerge from mountains, oceans, and legends. As an engineer, the author builds a case for the reality of the world's greatest natural disaster, and the faithfulness of a man named Noah who heard and obeyed God.
from Amazon.com!
Beyond Belief: Jesus Saved You ... Now What?
Abby Kelly
Your Price: $4.99
Beyond Belief: Jesus Saved You...Now What? explores what God has in store for you and what He wants from you. With a firm foundation on the centrality of Christ, this book will help you see exactly who you are and what you are called to, based on, and enabled by, His righteousness alone.
from Amazon.com!
Fragile: 30 Days of Hope for the Anxious Heart
Samantha Arroyo
Your Price: $14.99
Are you crippled by anxiety?
Plagued by panic?
Held hostage by worry?
In this 30-day devotional, Samantha Arroyo guides readers through their anxious valleys by reflecting on her own—and uncovers the hope found in God's Word.
from Amazon.com!
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| | | | Thanks for your Membership and Support!
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