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Hot New Releases for October 4th 2017
Morgan James Publishing is excited to announce these Hot New Releases for this week!
Each of these are available at your favorite bookseller or online starting this week.
Contributor: Mauriello, Raema
Imprint: Morgan James FAITH
Annotation: A hilariously fresh and daily approach to the melee of motherhood, designed to draw moms closer to Jesus.
Contributor(s): Suarez, Elizabeth
Annotation: Get What You Want!
We go through life negotiating multiple times a day. However, very few of us have been taught the necessary skills to successfully manage every moment. Instead, we spend our waking life focusing on multiple things that might not help us reach our desired goals and experience restless nights still trying to solve issues from the day.
In The Art of Getting Everything, author Elizabeth Suarez equips the reader with the necessary tools to identify, endure, and achieve success in one’s personal and professional life. She guides the reader through real-life examples and highlights specific issues common to professional millennials and then constructs a path for achieving the easy wins.
Contributor(s): Brennan, Jill
Annotation: Taking the confusion out of marketing for small business owners.
Contributor: Pasion, Cherie
Annotation: Identity crisis, isolation, and extreme stress are often characteristics of new mothers. It doesn’t have to be this way. Cherie Pasion proactively tackles these issues in It’s Your Birth…Right and gives professional women a roadmap to emotionally prepare for a calm transition from their high-achieving role to being at home with a newborn.
Contributor: Druck, Ken
Annotation: In Courageous Aging: Your Best Years Ever Reimagined, Dr. Ken Druck uses examples from his life and work to free readers of the destructive and limiting myths, biases, stereotypes, and misconceptions of getting older. Dr. Druck shows how all people can make peace with, and find joy in, every stage of life. His practical and inspirational approach speaks to anyone who wants to redefine what it means to age and embrace the transition of a new decade in one’s life.
Contributor(s): Reid, Thomas G
Annotation: The Sustained Leader WBS provides a comprehensive tool for assessing and improving leadership potential. A Work Breakdown Structure decomposes every part of the work to be done in a project. Through extensive research and surveys the author has identified 229 WBS elements that apply to building yourself into a sustained leader. Each element provides a self-assessment, additional resources, and a place to record personal goals and due dates giving each reader a personal program plan to build themselves into a better leader.
Find, Define and Master Your Unique Voice
Find, Define and Master Your Unique Voice
A new song plays on the radio. You’ve never heard it before but you know the artist immediately – there’s no mistaking that voice…
Writers who develop an undeniable voice reach another level of popularity. It’s not forced, it’s not selfish, it just is. The most well known figures – comedians, screenwriters, authors, actors, reality show personalities, memorable party guests – all have a voice. The kind of voice that conjures a comment like, “That’s totally something Karen would say!”
Great voices are infectious. Spend enough time with your buddy from Boston and pretty soon you’re off to “paaark ya wicked awesome caaar.” But how do you find your voice? What’s unique about your writing style and attitude? Here are some effective exercises to help not only find your voice, but to infuse that voice into a non-fiction book.
Ask
Here’s a scary truth: We all have a particular mannerism, quirk or pattern that’s nearly impossible for us to recognize. Embrace it. Ask friends and family to impersonate you. A lot can come from this exercise if everyone stays good-natured.
Ask them to make a peanut butter sandwich as you. First, enjoy the impersonation –folks love the performance opportunity and it’s hilarious to watch. Then, jot down this comedy gold. Repeat this with as many loved ones as possible.
Did your friends make fun of your fidgety nature? Did they do everything big and loud? Did everyone add fifty extra ingredients to that sandwich? Now, my friend, you have something to work with.
Look at the spirit of the impersonations and translate them into a specific tone. For example:
Actions that are quirky, nervous = Fast-paced, witty dialogue that’s always correct.
Loud, offensive actions = Write bold. Inject your sick sense of humor when possible.
Boring, lifeless impersonations = Get in touch with your sarcastic, self-deprecating voice.
Your interpretations will be slightly different – find what translations resonate. During this process start to identify familiar public figures who have a similar style as yourself. Not to copy them, but to get inspired by their overall public image – The kind of photos they post, what they support (and don’t support) and how they answer interview questions. People become familiar to us when they’re consistent. And if they’re inconsistent, they’re consistently inconsistent.
Take the qualities you know are you and infuse that into the writing. You don’t have to know everything, but begin to develop what you do know about yourself. For example, “I would never say [blank].” And “I’ve said [blank] time and time again.”
Standup
Standup is powerful because it only works with a strong POV. Comedy is the result of emotionally charged opinions unique to your personality and part of becoming a great standup (having a great voice) is defining what those opinions are. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be the next Wanda Sykes, but if you can get out of your comfort zone… Take. A. Class.
Many standup classes (full of first timers like you, btw) ask students to make a list. This isn’t a vanilla list of likes and dislikes, it’s a list about what you love and hate written a fast as possible so your instincts come out.
Not only is this therapeutic, you’ll discover what you have in common with people. And then… you’ll find out what you do not. When there’s a burst of laughter at something you said and you don’t understand why it’s funny, you’ve just struck comedy gold.
“But I thought everyone was afraid of mustard.”
Improv
These classes are challenging to introverts but if you have an ounce of courage use it to jump in headfirst. Yes, you’re pretending to be other characters but your style of humor will shine through. Comedy can come in a variety of packages and the more you understand yours the stronger your writing will be.
Are you dry and sarcastic? Slapstick, jazz hands funny? Do you transform into other characters easily? Or is your humor from being terribly unfunny?
Morning Pages
Inspired by Julia Cameron’s infamous, The Artist’s Way, boy oh boy do we have no idea what’s going to hit the page when our pen is ordered to keep moving. The big idea is this: As soon as you wake up, set a timer for 10-15 minutes and write without stopping. It doesn’t matter what you put down. You can write, “I don’t know what to write” until the next thought comes through. The only way to fail at this is if you stop writing before your alarm goes off.
Don’t censor yourself and see what comes out. After a few days or weeks go by, reflect on your pages and notice common themes. Do you come across angry? Poetic? Or are you always hungry?
NEXT STEP
After you’ve gained a clear understanding of your voice, here’s how to immediately infuse it into your work.
Voice Memos
If you voice record ideas, congratulations! There’s an extra tool in your belt.
When ideas flood in we feel inspired – there’s a state of discovery, energy of excitement. Don’t lose that in the transcription. Revisit the recording and make sure your creative energy is incorporated into the final draft.
Read Aloud
Read your writing aloud. See how it feels leaving your mouth. Is that how you normally speak? Does it feel too formal? Casual? Conversational? Funny? If your tone doesn’t match the book’s brand (your voice), it’s time to do a—
Character Pass
TV writers use a technique called “character pass” to make sure their characters have a distinct voice. The writer reads their entire script focusing on one character at a time. This ensures the character’s language is consistent and specific from top to bottom.
Do this exercise after the technical work is complete. You certainly don’t want to get distracted with how things sound as you’re developing the overall story – the icing doesn’t come before the cake. When the time comes, do a character pass in your book to make sure everything is consistently: funny, sarcastic, cheeky, conversational, formal, or professional – whatever you’re going for.
Artists don’t stop being artists when they close their laptop, it spills over into everything they do. If these exercises are done with a spirit of creativity and play, you can’t lose. Enjoy the process!
David L. Hancock, Founder
Morgan James Publishing
Hot New Releases for September 26th 2017
Morgan James Publishing is excited to announce these Hot New Releases for this week!
Each of these are available at your favorite bookseller or online starting this week.
Contributor: Jaworski, Dave
Annotation: The first-ever recipient of Bill Gates Chairman’s Award of Excellence details the secrets that took Microsoft to the top of the computer industry and changed the world forever.
Contributor: Fournier, Danielle E
Annotation: The World Needs Your Art, and only you can make it.
Ever wondered why you just HAVE to make something, anything, or you will just burst? Artists are born, not made. And if you yearn to create, that makes you an artist, no matter your medium. Photography, painting, performance art, writing, singing, or fashion, all are forms of expression of the creative soul.
Often, creative people are not encouraged to pursue their heart’s desires by the world at large. They end up frustrated, depressed, or sad because they feel they cannot share their gifts with the world. They get blocked, give up too soon, or worse yet, fail to ever start what they yearn to make. And that’s a downright shame.
The World Needs Your Art is a friendly guide to unlocking unlimited creativity while developing your style and learning to never be blocked for very long again by tapping into that innate gift called imagination.
Contributor(s): Schutz, Ron (Author); Baker, Laura (With)
Annotation: American Fathers is an inspirational tale of Sasha, a young Asian-American, who finds his vision of a traditional family destroyed when his mother leaves, his father remarries, and he discovers he has a different biological father. Sasha’s biological father guides him as he learns about capitalism, personal finance, and starting a new business based on an innovative idea. Follow Sasha on his spiritual journey to find his own way among friends who are from different faiths. This fast-moving tale spins an unfolding mystery along with tools to reassure cash flow for businesses.
Contributor(s): Geller, E Scott (Author); Veazie, Bob (Author)
Annotation: This realistic narrative is a “page turner” that teaches readers how to inspire self-motivation in themselves and others to actively care on behalf of safety, health, and well being.
Hot New Releases for September 19th 2017
Morgan James Publishing is excited to announce these Hot New Releases for this week!
Each of these are available at your favorite bookseller or online starting this week.
Contributor: Doyle, Maureen
Annotation: End the Co-Parenting War.
If you find co-parenting with your ex to be a constant struggle and it seems like he fights you every step of the way – sometimes just for sport, you are not alone. Are you worried that you cannot go on like this for the next 10-15 years and that your bank account will be empty from the legal costs? And are you concerned about your children’s mental and emotional health?
In When Your Ex Doesn’t Follow the Rules, Maureen Doyle combines client success stories with powerful coaching techniques that will change your post-divorce combat zone into a place of peace.
Contributor: Hugstad, Kristi
Annotation: In What I Wish I’d Known: Finding Your Way through the Tunnel of Grief, Grief Recovery Specialist Kristi Hugstad shares how she reached a state of happiness and inner peace after her husband’s suicide–and how you can find your balance after a devastating life event too.
She provides readers with all the tools they will need for grief recovery which include self-care, how to change their thinking, and how to learn to trust again. She inspires many to move forward in their time of grief.
Imprint: Morgan James Faith
Contributor: Hardaway, Kathleen
Annotation: Everyone has a dream, but far too many settle for the status quo. Death to a dream can cause death to the life you were possibly meant to live, but it’s never too late to begin again and dare to believe again. Be the person who doesn’t just dream dreams, but actually lives them. Dare to Believe Again will give you step-by-step guidelines for living an audacious, adventurous life when abandoned to God’s call. It also includes “The Dream Plan” guide, powerful life-changing stories, biblical instruction, and challenging questions; it is perfect for individuals or groups. Fan the embers of your dreams into a blazing fire of reality!
Imprint: Morgan James Faith/mini
Contributor(s): Ellison, Jevonnah
Annotation: Have you ever wished you had someone who “got you,” who truly understands when you feel alone and in a place of transition?
Or someone who is not judgmental, who understands what it is like to be a Leading Lady because she is a Leading Lady herself?
Jevonnah Ellison has been there.
She wants to help Leading Ladies know they’re not alone.
A Leading Lady is any woman in a leadership role – a boss, a Pastor’s wife, an entrepreneur, a President’s wife, a coach, a mom, a friend. She can be married; she can be single. The bottom line is that she is a leader. She is someone to whom others come for her knowledge, wisdom and advice.
This Leading Ladies Devotional will help you:
- Understand why you were chosen for this assignment
- Understand your divine call
- Discover secrets and strategies for surviving as a Pastor’s wife!
Imagine how powerful it will be when you discover that the same God who was with you “then” is with you “now.”
Contributor: Jackson, Lala
Annotation: Achieve anything you want while living with chronic illness.
Are you frustrated by being constantly sidelined by your health? Do you feel like every time you dig into a project your chronic disease gets in the way? Do you worry that living with a chronic illness means you will never feel well enough to reach your goals?
In Beyond Powerful: Your Chronic Illness Is Not Your Kryptonite by Lala Jackson weaves personal anecdotes of being an overachiever living with autoimmune disease with inspiring and entertaining stories of go-getters who use the super powers gained by life with chronic illness to reach massive goals.
If you are someone who lives with chronic health issues and are searching for a way to keep running toward exactly what you want to bring to the world then Beyond Powerful has the answers you need!
6 Ways To Lose a Reader
6 Ways to Lose a Reader
It happened – the idea of the decade. There’s an electric buzz in the air– it’s a book for sure. You’ve been praying to the creative wizards for this blessing and boy, did they deliver.
After spilling every thought onto the page – which must happen or they’ll slip out the backdoor – it’s crucial to ask yourself one important question:
Who?
Who is this for? Who will this story inspire to think, feel, act, or escape? If there’s no immediate answer, the “who” is you.
There’s nothing wrong with writing for number one – on the flip side there’s everything right about it. Visionaries like Albert Einstein, Anne Frank, and Mark Twain poured their brilliance into a journal. Crimes occur when we throw a party, serve our guests food that only we like, and shove our vacation photos in their face – all 5,000.
Authors have a responsibility to take care of the reader. When they pick up your book they’re handing over control – and if you didn’t write with them in mind…. [*whisper] They know.
Just like you know the person chatting you up at a party hasn’t asked you one question, yet you know their occupation, they got a great deal on a renovated condo, and their mother’s name is Irma.
Writers are creative, beautifully sensitive creatures and the world needs you.
Below are 6 avoidable traps to keep you on the giving end of reader relationships.
- Demographic Doppelgänger
If your book’s demographic is just like you – forge on. A strong voice and POV is nothing to water down. But if you serve a wider audience, don’t assume everyone has the same religious believes, political opinions, values, pet peeves, and hair texture as you do.
Storytelling brings others into a world they wouldn’t otherwise step into – of course they should feel like a fly on the wall. Just be aware when you’re using language the reader might not understand and keep it intentional.
Non-fiction writers: mix in universal analogies to connect with a wider audience.
Fiction writers: create diverse characters to help tell your story.
Hop into someone else’s ballet flats, kung fu shoe, or construction boots. It enriches your story and expands the reader’s viewpoint – including yours.
- Roadblocks
Crafting word combinations that transport your message to a reader can feel like cracking the Da Vinci code. When you’ve finally done it, don’t let anything muddy the waters.
Nothing kills a party like tiny, hard to read font with page-long paragraphs and choppy sentences. Misleading language or visuals that don’t align with your story can distract the reader from your message.
If it’s a how-to book, structure is your BFF. Dump ideas like a child, then organize your content in applicable chapters so messages are aligned and clear. This is especially important if you cover a lot of topics – one rabbit hole at a time.
After your work is absolutely perfect (in your eyes) bring in a rock star editor. Even if you’re an editor, there’s no way to see the big picture from where you’re sitting. No. Way.
- Dumbing it Down
Readers are smart. Insulting their intelligence is enough to turn anyone off. Communicate your content in a clear way but don’t dumb down your message by reminding them of it again. And again.
Some of the best stories challenge the reader. Why do you think escape rooms are so popular? They’re filled with puzzles, locks, and riddles to decode with a ticking clock.
People love rising to the occasion. You’ll be praised for dropping clues and not spelling everything out.
“Look here! I’m foreshadowing.” “Here’s the definition of that big word I just used!” “That’s the sister character I mentioned in chapter one.”
Invite readers along on a journey – don’t carry them through it. Although this mustn’t be confused with
- Show Boating
Snooze. We get it, you know big words. There’s a fine line between speaking in an educated way and talking over your reader’s head. Save the fancy sentences for a Medieval Times dinner.
- Fact, Fiction or Autobiography?
Authors usually (hopefully) have some authority on the topic of their non-fiction book. While personal experiences are a stellar motivational tool, if stories are shared to make you look smart and accomplished for no real purpose, the reader will drop you like a hot potato.
Unless you’ve achieved celebrity status (and even if you have), most aren’t reading to learn about the author’s life – save that for your autobiography.
- False Advertising
Like a blind date who looks nothing like their picture (tip: if they never show their teeth, there’s a reason!) know what your book is and what it is not.
A catchy tag line and book title can lure in new readers, but if you don’t deliver the goods you’ll never earn their trust back. Let curious readers know exactly what they’re getting. You want a quality audience pumped to read your book.
David L. Hancock, Founder
Morgan James Publishing
Hot New Releases for September 12th 2017
Morgan James Publishing is excited to announce these Hot New Releases for this week!
Each of these are available at your favorite bookseller or online starting this week.
Contributor: Mobley, Sasha
Annotation: Helps women understand they can get what they want professionally and personally, without having to do it all alone.
Contributor: Donaghey, Alison
Annotation: Remember when you thought owning your own business was going to be fun and help you change the world? Then, somewhere along the line, your business became just hard work and wasn’t fun at all. You’re not alone, and it doesn’t have to be that way.
Alison Donaghey offers a way to reclaim your business by using a new way of thinking to improve your customer experience, staff contribution, and community involvement. You can make the positive impact on the world you’ve been yearning for. All it takes is a little shift in your critical thinking and Think Opposite is the guide to help take you and your business to new heights, while keeping your mission front and center.
Contributor: Cole, Charlie
Annotation: The current model of practicing dentistry is like a bad tooth in sore need of extraction. In The Same Day Dentistry, Charles Cole D.D.S. shows us the path to a better way of practicing dentistry – one that gives patients solutions the same day rather than “someday.” It also shows how one dentist’s personal journey can translate to a rewarding career for anyone willing to read, be true to themselves, and take a leap.
Contributor: Comm, Joel
Annotation: The Live Video Revolution shows businesses and brands how they can leave their competition in the dust armed with the latest technology, which is easy to use and costs virtually nothing.
Hot New Releases for September 5th 2017
Morgan James Publishing is excited to announce these Hot New Releases for this week!
Each of these are available at your favorite bookseller or online starting this week.
Contributor(s): McManus, Jeff
Annotation: An inspiring look into the practices that cultivate greatness from the ground up.
Contributor(s): Cone’, Marcia A
Annotation: Grant yourself permission to be more successful!
Contributor(s): Shore, Howard
Annotation: Using the metaphor of a “Leaky Bucket,” Howard Shore addresses the 15 most common issues in the areas of people, strategy, and execution that drain energy, direction, and profitability from every business. Shore provides a practical guide on how to effect change and ignite growth in the leadership team in order to achieve an organization’s full potential. The principles outlined in this book lead to clear and purposeful direction, a stronger, invigorated leadership team, and maximum growth and revenue, all while reducing workplace drama.
Contributor(s): Beale, Kristin (Author); Beale, Chris (Foreword by)
Annotation: Kristin was thrown into a disability at the age of 14, and every day since then has been a struggle to overcome it. She has fought through the unavoidable physical stresses of her condition for over a decade and, even more, the heavy psychological burdens that follow closely behind. Greater Things is a raw perspective on everything from how people react differently to her situation, to learning how to navigate in and through an inaccessible world, to just trying to make the best of a crummy situation.
Imprint: Morgan James minis
Contributor(s): Lyons, Darryl W
Annotation: Many grandparents are concerned about their grand-kids view of money. Because of today’s abundance, there is a general concern about the lack of appreciation for hard work. However, grandparents can only say so much without overstepping parental boundaries. The Grand Money Chasm will give practical ideas for how grandparents can re-frame the way grand-kids look at money.
Contributor: Huffman, Maggie
Annotation: Oh Snap My Career is in Crisis is a bit like a dry martini: 4 parts pure, distilled Maggie Huffman, 1 part Art of Work by Jeff Goins, with a splash of What Color Is Your Parachute by Richard N. Bolles. Most importantly, it’s shaken, not stirred.
Let Maggie Huffman guide you through your career crisis in the third book of her Unlock Your Potential Series.
Imprint: Morgan James FAITH
Contributor: Hodges, Michaelyn
Annotation: Like Spurgeon’s work (without the poetry), A Spiritual Journey to God’s Best offers powerful tools for victorious Christian living. Birthed out of the Michaelyn Hodges’ own spiritual battle in the crucible of life, readers learn about spiritual warfare and victory through prayer. The seeker will learn foundational principles while the seasoned believer will advance on the path to a more intimate relationship with Christ. This 40 lesson bible study exposes the lies of the enemy and replaces them with God’s truth.
Contributor(s): Attwood, Janet Bray (Author); Shimoff, Marci (Author) Attwood, Chris (Author)
Annotation: Shine Your Light is an inspirational anthology featuring powerful stories of personal transformation.
Hot New Releases for August 29th 2017
Morgan James Publishing is excited to announce these Hot New Releases for this week!
Each of these are available at your favorite bookseller or online starting this week.
Contributor: Wolk, Laurie
Annotation: Girls Just Want to Have Likes is the key to separating your child from their phone and getting them back in your life!
Contributor: Brown, Sandy
Annotation: Are you feeling shocked, betrayed, devastated, and downright angry after discovering your husband is addicted to pornography? Are you wondering: how could he do this to me or, why aren’t I enough for him? Do you wonder if your marriage is over? Are you feeling lost and alone? Life and relationship coach Sandy Brown has been there. Her own experience in surviving the betrayal of her husband’s porn addiction has inspired her to focus her practice on helping other women to do the same. Through her own recovery and her experience with clients, Sandy has developed a process of recovery to empower women at a time when they feel all is lost. Porn Addict’s Wife shows readers that they are not alone in feeling shattered by their husband’s sexual addiction, and teaches them how and with whom they can safely share their story. By providing resources for readers to get real help for both themselves and their spouse, it provides guidance to healing and rebuilding a normal life.
Contributor: Budget, Office Of
Annotation: This 2018 Budget lays the groundwork for an overdue renewal of the American spirit, and provides a detailed and specific roadmap to get us there. A New Foundation for American Greatness is not just the title of this Budget. It is a bold and specific set of policy and budgetary initiatives that tackle many of the problems ignored or exacerbated by previous administrations.
Hot New Release for August 22nd 2017
Morgan James Publishing is excited to announce this Hot New Release for this week!
Available at your favorite bookseller or online starting this week.
Contributor: Rubenstein, Randi
Annotation: The key to being a better parent is more simple than you think.