S.D. Smith's Blog, page 31

S. D. Smith is adding conferences and events to his schedule and is also available for Author Visits at your school, bookstore, or homeschool groups. For more information contact [email protected].

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Get The Green Ember here.

Get Ember Falls here.

The post The Green Ember is FREE and Ember Falls is 99¢ for 3 Days Only (7/15-7/17) appeared first on S. D. Smith.

This is the question I get asked all the time, in person, and via email and the post. I get a LOT of mail like the letter below.

I CAN’T have kids exploding over this! Seems like it would tarnish my reputation and disappoint my mother. NOT okay with that. So, I am very happy to say that I am working on The Green Ember: Book 3!

I am really enjoying writing this book! It’s been a blast. It’s definitely hard work, but it’s been worth it. So far, I’m very pleased. I am super excited to share this next adventure with you. I’m so honored that you want to know what’s next for Heather and Picket and the rest of our Natalian rabbit friends.

I love sharing New Stories with an Old Soul, and I plan to keep saying yes to that calling as long as I’m able.

Like I said in the video, please sign up for my (funny, infrequent) newsletter to be the first to know when Book 3 will be released. Thanks!

If you’re eager for Book 3, you know about books 1 (The Green Ember) and 2 (Ember Falls). But do you know about the prequel: The Black Star of Kingston? You can get a FREE ebook by subscribing to the newsletter, or order a print copy at Amazon, (audiobook at Audible), or our store here:

Do you know about these other fun items related to #RabbitsWithSwords? When you buy and share from our store, you help support us in our work. Thank you!

The post The Green Ember Book 3 (Is S. D. Smith Working On Another Book in The Green Ember Series?) appeared first on S. D. Smith.

At Amazon (and Audible), you can get the best pricing ever for all three books!

You DO NOT have to be an Audible member to get this deal.

Grab them here!

Click on the images or follow these links:

The Green Ember Audiobook: http://amzn.to/2ttKsZN

Ember Falls Audiobook:  http://amzn.to/2utXKW6

The Black Star of Kingston Audiobook: http://amzn.to/2uujK3o

The post Limited Time Deal! Get All 3 of S.D. Smith’s #TheGreenEmber Series Audiobooks for Less appeared first on S. D. Smith.

UPDATE: This deal is now over. But you can still get the books at Amazon or our store.

To my astonishment and delight, we continue to see an (apparently) undiminished enthusiasm for The Green Ember Series. In fact, a while back we sprinted past the 100,000 books sold mark. That feels special to me. We usually don’t talk about numbers, but this might give you a little bit of an idea of what we are seeing. (According to industry veteran Steve Laube, the average book from a major publisher sells 10,000 copies lifetime. Across all titles, the lifetime sales average is a tiny fraction of that.) We are still just getting going and I’m amazed and bucked up by the generosity and eagerness from readers. It’s an incredible gift. There are exciting things happening! (More below…)

We have been stretched pretty thin recently (okay, for kind of a long time), so we have done little-to-zero “marketing.” We have only done a fraction of the work we would like to be doing in connecting more readers for this series. But, you guys have been telling your friends. You have been doing the work of sharing. You are…

Sharing your love for #TheGreenEmber Series on social media.

Taking a few seconds to write enthusiastic reviews at Amazon, or Audible, or Goodreads.

Getting my newsletter (and reading it)!

Liking our Facebook Page, and following on Instagram. 

Wearing your #RabbitsWithSwords shirts, your Heather necklaces, playing with your Picket swords, and telling your friends IN PERSON about the series!

Creating book clubs or Green Ember parties to celebrate and help kids explore the books more deeply.

Writing blog post reviews, sharing interviews, and hosting giveaways.

And on and on!

Word of mouth is far more effective than anything we can do and you all are doing it. Thank you! 

I get such wonderful notes from both parents and kids and one thing I hear over and over is how generously so many folks are sharing the books. I just read a note this morning from a family who had bought five copies to give to other families. And that’s not uncommon. I’m amazed and grateful for these incredible allies we’ve been given. What a gift!

As I work on The Green Ember: Book 3, I’m bucked up by the way so many are embracing the series. Speaking of Book III, I better get back to work…or bad things might happen.

The post 100,000 Readers For My Heart To Find appeared first on S. D. Smith.

I get so many kind letters and notes and I’m really grateful for them all. I appreciate the encouragement! This one stood out to me and I asked if I could share it. Please see my note at the bottom. –Sam

Dear Mr. Smith,

I wish you could have seen us yesterday! My husband and I and our four kids were piled into our SUV driving through a snowstorm on the Tibetan plateau. We were listening to Ember Falls, and the children were still and quiet, loving your wild tale! We listened for hours as we drove over high mountain passes, crossed the Yangtze and then the Yellow River, pausing only to put the car into four wheel drive, or to stare in awe at a lonely wolf loping across the barren grassland. The sun set over the mountains and we drove through the dark as the story held us in its spell. The kids were not the only ones caught up in the adventures of Heather, Picket, Emma, and their companions!

We look forward to finding out what happens in Book 3. Thank you for writing such a great story!

A pretty wonderful note, yes? Ember Falls was an adventure for adventurers. What an honor! I find it striking that so many families who have embraced these stories are themselves living stories of adventure worthy of tales well-told. I want to live that kind of life too, to be alive to what I’m being called to, wherever that may be. With the blessing, so may we all! –Sam

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I had the great privilege of joining the crew at The Center for Lit in this fun interview. If you enjoy my books and want to know more about my heart for kids and approach to the vocation of storyteller, this is a really good place to hear more.

I really enjoyed this interview. It was one of my favorites. (Here are some others, if you’re interested.)

I have appreciated their Bibliophiles pod (subscribe here) and I loved talking with Adam and Missy Andrews, along with Ian, Emily, and Megan. They are wise, bright, and positive. They like to laugh.

Adam and Ian speak around the country (including at the Great Homeschool Conventions, where I’ll be speaking as well) and have lots to offer at their website. If you haven’t checked them out, I suggest you do.

The post S. D. Smith on New Stories with an Old Soul, Storytelling in an Age of Rebellion, Some Jokes, and One Sick Burn appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Dear Friends,

It has been an incredible year for us and I just wanted to write and say thanks. This year you helped us share The Green Ember Series with tens of thousands of new readers!

I believe in these stories and I’m honored they have found a place in so many homes. I get the most amazing messages, letters, drawings, and cards from readers all over. It’s so encouraging to me and I wish I could share them all with you. I’m genuinely not entirely sure what it is, but there is something about these stories that is resonating with children and families. My guess, based on the feedback I’ve gotten, is that many folks are hungry for New Stories with an Old Soul. (I know my family is.) Maybe it’s the thousands of people I’ve blackmailed. Who knows? But for me, there is nothing like hearing from these kids. What an incredible privilege. I am blown away by their enthusiasm!

Like everyone, I squirm a little sharing “success” stuff. The lurking terror of the “humble brag” lurks terrifyingly like a lurker who terrifies. But I’m genuinely convinced that you are part of the story behind the stories and that your investments (of many kinds) have been crucial. You’re in on the work, so I want you to know at least some of what that has meant.

Best-Smeller

This year The Green Ember Series books were best-sellers on Amazon many times in multiple categories. The category bestseller thing on Amazon can be misleading, of course, but the books have sold incredibly well. I’m also very grateful that the books continue to be positively reviewed, with nearly 900 reviews, over 90% of which are 5 stars. Those reviews help so much. Thank you to all of you who have (or will) take the minute to help us out in that way.

Look Out, J. K. Rowling

Amazon ranks authors based on sales of their books. I’m usually in there in certain categories, but I was surprised to find that two different times this year I reached the Top 100 Overall. My highest rank was at #51. I still kind of can’t believe that. (Don’t worry, Miss Rowling. I think you’re safe, because if you sneezed on a grocery list and put it on Amazon, it would sell a billion copies in five seconds.)

Audio Adrenaline

Our audiobooks have also made a big splash and, thanks to a good sale Audible ran, The Green Ember became the best-selling audiobook in the world in July for a short time. All the audiobooks continue to sell well, and receive mostly good reviews from listeners. Although, the bad reviews are secretly some of my favorites. (But don’t go doing me a “favor” by posting a bad one!)

LA LA Land

I was delighted to be invited to fly out to L.A. to meet with studio executives and filmmakers about the potential for a movie version of The Green Ember. There’s nothing major to announce on that front yet, but there is real interest and I hope to be flying out west again soon for more meetings. It’s a long process, I’m learning, but I’m excited by the very real potential for translating these stories onto the screen.

Make Homeschool Conferences Great Again? 

I was invited to be a featured speaker at the Great Homeschool Conventions in Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, and California. This is a major improvement over my many years struggling through the Mediocre Homeschool Conventions. I look forward to being at all four GREAT ones in 2017 and seeing many of you again, or meeting you for the first time! These are special events for homeschooling fams who want to be encouraged and equipped in their calling. I’m excited about my talks, but more so about getting to talk to you!

New Shtuff

We had a successful Kickstarter and release of Ember Falls: The Green Ember Book II.

We launched new products including Heather’s Necklace and Picket’s Sword. 

We released Joel Clarkson’s newest record, a musical soundscape for The Green Ember, Melodies for the Mended Wood vol 1. It’s excellent! Here are five of the tracks for free (the whole album is only $5 for the moment).

The Future!

Yes, there are more books on the way! God willing, I will share more Whitson Mariner stories and, of course, more of Heather and Picket’s quest for the Mended Wood.

We are NOT going to announce WHEN the next books are going to be released until we know FOR SURE. We learned that lesson the hard way with Ember Falls. We don’t want to generate expectation for a release date we can’t reach. It will definitely take longer than any of us wish.

We are still a very, very small operation. I still work a day job and have many other responsibilities. I have a family, including one wife and four young kids who need me. They are my priority. My work as an author, while enormously important to me, is still something I can only do when I can find/make time for it. I hope that one day I can do it full-time, and your unbelievable support is making that a real possibility, but the reality is I’m not there yet.

I know the wait is tough. I appreciate how much you (and/or your kids) care about what happens to Heather and Picket! I care too. I hope, when it’s all over, that you’ll be satisfied by the big story.

I am a profoundly imperfect man. I’m aware that I’ve received more than I’ve given, that I’m the recipient of amazing grace in a million ways. Thank you so much for being an ally and an investor in this storytelling adventure. Who knows where it might lead?

If you think about it, please pray for me and my family. We feel blessed by your love and support in this calling. Thank you!

The LORD bless you and keep you,

Sam

The post What, A Year? #RabbitsWithSwords #2016 appeared first on S. D. Smith.

I have a confession to make. I’ve been in on a pretty sweet secret for a little while. Here it is.

Joel Clarkson, our esteemed audiobook narrator for The Green Ember Series is also, as many of you know, an incredibly accomplished musician, composer, arranger, conductor…ALL the music things! He has scored films, orchestrated music performed at the Vatican, and has released nine albums so far. Okay, not nine.

Meet number ten!

Joel has produced a collection of beautiful compositions that act as a soundscape for The Green Ember. Great for the three Rs—Reading, Resting, and Relaxing—your family will enjoy this excellent companion to the beloved best-seller.

Put the kids to bed with this vibrant, but subtle, soundscape, sending them to their dreams with minds lit by imaginative scenes and epic encounters.

#RabbitsWithChords

So, I hope you’ll give this a listen and spend the $8 to share it with your family. I LOVE this album so much–my kids do too–and we’re really excited about it. I have been a long-time fan of Joel’s music and it’s such an honor to hear his wonderful soundscape for The Green Ember.

Would you share this with your friends? (You can copy/paste this if you wish.)

—-

New from #TheGreenEmber world, a musical soundscape by @JoelClarkson MELODIES FOR THE MENDED WOOD http://tinyurl.com/gqx3qwx #RabbitsWithChords

—-

Thank you!

Reminder: Our BEST SALE EVER is ongoing. Here are the last days to have items shipped before we shut down all snail mail deliveries until the New Year. (All digital content, including the new album and audiobooks, will keep “shipping” all the time.)

Standard Shipping: Order by 12/11

Priority Shipping: Order by 12/20

Okay, friends. That’s it for me. So many fun things happening in and around these stories, but our family is most excited, of course, by the Big Story of the Incarnation. Now that’s a STORY. That’s the Story.

God be with you all as you prepare for Christmas and celebrate together the coming of King Jesus.

Your friend,

Sam

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