Good news in ‘an evil time’

For man also does not know his time:
Like fish taken in a cruel net,
Like birds caught in a snare,
So the sons of men are snared in an evil time,
When it falls suddenly upon them.  (Ecclesiastes 9:12, NKJV)

My husband and I are reading through the Bible this year, and we’ve just finished Ecclesiastes, which has a wealth of wisdom (no surprise, since it was written by Solomon, widely acknowledged to be the wisest man who ever lived). It’s also a difficult book, apparently written when he was older and more jaded (or realistic?).

It’s full of hard truths, like the one above, which reminds me of our country, upon which an evil time is suddenly falling.

But Solomon gives us nuggets of hope in the midst of these dark times, as well, such as:

Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it will be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him.  (Ecclesiastes 8:12, NKJV)

So when it seems like evil will prevail, and things will always go well for sinners, remember: in the end, those who love the Lord will have their blessed reward. Don’t look at the present circumstances and believe this is the final reality – look ahead, down the road, and see Jesus. He is real. He is truth. And He will reward those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)

And now, a bit of happy book news: my new novel, “CANADA” is out today! And my friend Candle Sutton’s newest release, “NAMELESS,” is coming out today, as well. Be sure to check it out!

Also, the seventh book in my Daughter of Babylon series, “ALASKA” is on pre-order for this fall. I hope you all are enjoying this series!

Be well and blessed,

Jamie

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

‘CANADA’ available July 28… or pre-order now!

Hey, everyone! The wait is nearly over… Book 6 in the Daughter of Babylon series is now available for pre-order on Amazon for its July 28th release date! Yes, I’m just a little excited. 😉

What’s CANADA about? So glad you asked….

Just when things start to look up… everything falls apart.

After being pursued relentlessly, Katie and Zach Nelson have found a way to get out of the United States. But they had to separate their little family, which was the last thing they wanted to do. Can Katie and her son safely reach Canada? And will they be able to find Zach?

At the same time, Zach’s brother Evan attempts to find a way forward after his world blew up. He needs a job, a home and a new life. Will he and Elizabeth find true love?

Meanwhile, having survived an assassination attempt and the subsequent attack on the White House, U.S. President Alana Mills has found a momentary respite in Canada, and finally reunited with the ambassador to Israel. Does he have the answers she needs? Can he help save the devastated country?

Filled with unexpected twists, CANADA is the sixth book in the apocalyptic thriller Daughter of Babylon series. Begin the adventure today!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you very much!

Grace in a time of strife

DepositPhotos

Grace. It’s a gift. From God, yes. And also from one person to another.

Think about it for a moment: when was the last time someone was gracious to you? When did you last extend grace to someone else?

During these turbulent times, I’ve noticed society’s grace quotient plunging like the stock market did recently. People – even those who call themselves followers of Christ – are becoming more short-tempered, irritable and just plain mean-spirited, lashing out at others (oftentimes for a trivial offense or a neutral matter). Frequently they do this online, forever etching their frustrations in cutting, hurtful remarks to people they don’t even know and may never meet this side of Heaven.

How can this be acceptable behavior for a believer?

We are to be governed by the law of love (James 2:8). We cannot abide in love if we do not exercise self-control in our actions and our words. We are not loving when we lash out.

This month, let’s focus on loving others and extend grace whenever we have the opportunity. Let’s season our words with grace even when we are disappointed, anxious or frustrated. And especially when we are impatient or irritated.

Let’s think about the following scriptures:

Luke 6:36. “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.”

Ephesians 4:32. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.”

God bless you, dear readers, as you bless others. And have a grace-filled month of May!

A victory garden and a new book

Dear friends,

I pray you are growing closer to the Lord during this tumultuous time. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful and loving Heavenly Father!

In World War II, folks in the United States and Europe were encouraged to grow as much produce as they could in what came to be known as “victory gardens.” They supplemented home rations, boosted morale, and relieved a burdened public food supply chain.

This February, I told my brother I had planted veggie seeds because I didn’t want to buy grocery store lettuce that had been handled, coughed and sneezed on by folks with the virus. My farmer brother told his friends, “if my sister’s growing food, everybody should grow food!”  I laughed about this all the way through March, as I tried not to kill too many of my fragile lettuce and tomato starts. I’ve never thought I had a green thumb.

So far, the tomatoes, spinach and peppers have all survived, and most of the lettuce. Our Great Dane did “thin” the lettuce one day… that dog does love her salad!

Those of you who have read my Band of Believers series will recall that Willow and her friends were intently focused on gardening to provide food for themselves. I think it’s a useful hobby that all of us can learn for hard times.

And speaking of books… some of you have been patiently waiting for the fifth book in my Daughter of Babylon series. Well, “D.C.” is now available on Amazon! I hope you enjoy it. 

In closing, I want to encourage you to stay close to the Lord. If the world seems to shift under your feet, remember, He is the solid rock! Make your life’s firm foundation on Him.

Blessings and prayers,

Jamie

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you very much!

Preparing your heart for a pandemic

Last month’s blog entry, “Faith or Fear,” provides the first step for this month’s blog, so you may want to read that one first.

There are a lot of articles and resources for those who are preparing for the pandemic, so I want to focus on the most important preparation of all – the spiritual component. Preparing our hearts will enable us to face the future (and whatever it may bring) with wisdom, courage and strength. Through His Word and the Holy Spirit, God provides the only prep that can see us through absolutely anything that comes our way.

So this month, let’s spend a little extra time fortifying our souls. Let’s meditate on scriptures that can bolster our faith and quell our fear. Here are some that have been speaking to me lately:

John 14:27 (NKJV)

27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:25-26 (NKJV)

25 “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?

Exodus 11:4-7 (NKJV)

4 Then Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: ‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. 6 Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. 7 But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’

It’s that last part, that I emphasized in bold, that really stood out to me this month. Yes, I know the Bible also says that the rain falls on the just and the unjust. But God differentiates between his people and those who don’t know him yet (or who have outright rejected Him). I’ve found that really comforting, and I believe it’s important to recognize and embrace it. It’s good news for believers!

And finally… this passage from Isaiah may become more relevant than we expect, in the event we need to quarantine in our own homes (chambers):

Isaiah 26:20, 21 (NKJV)

Come, my people, enter your chambers,
And shut your doors behind you;
Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment,
Until the indignation is past.
21 For behold, the Lord comes out of His place
To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity;
The earth will also disclose her blood,
And will no more cover her slain.

Shall we pray?

Lord Jesus, our world is in crisis. But we are in Your hands, and we give ourselves to Your care. Please guide and direct us, and help us to be a blessing to others. Help us to follow You through this time, and the times to come. In Your name we pray, and ask for Your perfect peace. Amen.

Faith or Fear?

How often in life are we confronted with the decision – faith or fear?

For me, it seems like a daily choice. Why? Because we’re bombarded with bad news, frightful circumstances, and lingering worries. Turn on the television, see something to worry about. Get on the internet, same thing. Social media? Yes, there too. The doctor’s office? Oh, yeah.

What do we do with all this?

We make a decision. We can choose faith, or we can naturally give in to fear.

God is bigger than all the problems we face. Today, let’s choose faith. Tomorrow, let’s do it again.

Let’s rest in God’s peace. Let’s memorize Philippians 4:6-7, choose faith, and enjoy the peace that passes all understanding as it guards our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Be blessed, my dear friends, in your faith!

“OREGON” is coming next week!

Hello, everybody! I hope you had a lovely Christmas and you’re looking forward to a new year (and a new decade!).

I’m pleased to announce the release of the fourth book in my “Daughter of Babylon” series on Dec. 30th. You can pre-order or purchase it here.

Here’s the scoop:

The water is off. The power is off. All bets are off.

Suffering a nearly fatal blow, the United States staggers forward, struggling to regain its footing. The latest attack, a massive EMP, has wiped out most of the nation’s electric grid.

In Oregon, Katie and Zach Nelson settle in a location that appears to be a safe hideout… but unexpected threats may make it untenable, and stress from their long ordeal begins to take its toll. Can this defenseless family live in obscurity, or will the forces mounting against them prevail?

Meanwhile, in the nation’s capital, President Alana Mills attempts to reassure and calm the populace while grappling with her new position and those who seek to undermine her. Was her predecessor murdered in the White House? Is she also in a killer’s crosshairs?

In Canada, Evan Nelson struggles to guide his mother and Elizabeth while reeling from unspeakable tragedy. Dwindling resources and growing hostility create new problems. With no money and few friends, how can they hope to survive?

Pick up your copy today! #ad

Paperbacks, finally! And a big Black Friday sale.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I am truly thankful for you, my readers. You are a blessing to me. I’m also very thankful to those of you who leave reviews of my books on Amazon – it’s immensely helpful.

As a way to give back to all of you, I’m doing a huge price reduction on my Band of Believers and Daughter of Babylon series e-books all weekend. So, if you want to pick up any books you’re missing, or if you want to recommend my novels to a friend, now is a great time!

Also, a number of you have been asking about paperback books, and I’ve been working on that for a while.

They are finally ready! And they are on sale this weekend! So if you’ve been waiting, now is your opportunity to pick them up at probably the lowest price they will ever be.

Thank you all for your encouragement and support this year. God bless you!

Jamie

Thoughts on indie publishing

I usually don’t blog about the publishing business, but next week marks the completion of my second year as an indie publisher of novels, and I’ve been thinking about that. Specifically, the state of the business. If this isn’t your cup of tea, I understand, and I’ll be back to my regular blog posts in November.

For the rest of you who are still here… welcome and hello! First off, let me say I think this decade is the best ever, in history, to be an author. For the first time, every author has the opportunity to have their books published, to find their readers, and to possibly build a career. You can walk right around the former gatekeepers of the industry with nary a glance. The publishing world is open to you!

That’s the good part. The bad part is… well, it’s a lot of work. Not only do we have to write the books, but we have to wear most of the hats that are worn in a traditional publishing house: publicity, advertising, promotion, art, formatting, bookkeeping… the list goes on.

If we’re smart and can afford it, we hire people. Editors (or a team of them), cover designers, accountants, etc. If we can’t afford it, we do the best we can, and make do with that.

It seems that the biggest hill we authors struggle on is publicity, including promotion and advertising. It’s all expensive. Much of it is ineffective. Worse, if our product is anything less than stellar (including the book, the cover, and the blurb), even the most expensive and effective methods won’t work.

So far, I’ve experimented with Amazon ads, Bookbub ads, and various promotional newsletters that send e-book bargains to their subscribers via email. I’ve not tried Facebook ads, or Pintrest or other social media advertising. Mostly because I haven’t had time to learn about those platforms yet.

In the two years I’ve been part of this parade, the price of advertising has risen, while the effectiveness has diminished. As more authors climb on the bandwagon, this trend will likely continue. The competition is getting crowded. I’ll continue running Amazon and BookBub and newsletter ads, but I’ve recently reached a new conclusion about all this….

And at the end of two years, here’s what I think: the most effective way to try to make a living in this very crowded field is to write and publish your next book. And the next one. And the next. Preferably several a year. Last year, I published four. This year, I’m on track for the same. I think I have the best job in the world!

A few other suggestions for newbie or wannabe authors: Make sure your book covers are professional and perfectly on-target for your genre (I struggle with this sometimes), and make sure your blurbs (book descriptions and back cover copy) are enticing (I always struggle with this). Have your manuscript edited and proofread.

Build up your own author newsletter as soon as you start publishing. I started late on this, but now recognize it as a huge asset for both me and my readers — they get all the information on discounts, free books, new releases and giveaways, and they help me launch my books. Win/win!

And that, my friends, is that. My opinion, for whatever it’s worth.

God bless you, and have a great day!

Snow… in September?

I’m sitting in central Montana at the moment, and we’re under a winter storm watch. Originally the forecasters were prognosticating 18″ to 36″ of heavy wet snow this weekend, but now they’ve revised it down… a lot. Maybe we’ll get six or eight inches.

Still, I’d like to point out it is September! And this isn’t Alaska, where a September snowstorm is normal or expected. Fortunately, I did bring my snow boots on this trip, “just in case.” Even though the temps were in the 80’s when we arrived.

Always be prepared, like a good Boy Scout!

In other news, by the time you read this, my new book will be out. ‘America’ is the third book in the Daughter of Babylon series. I’m currently working on the fourth in the series, and I’m hoping that will wrap it up.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!