S.D. Smith's Blog, page 5

Jack Zulu is out in the world and shipping now! You can find it at our store Amazon, Christianbook, Audible & more. (You can even listen to the first 5 chapters for free here.)

“I can’t stop thinking about this adventure! While the intense action is exciting, it’s the soul-turmoil and development of character that makes this a classic that I will reach for again and again. I’m so glad I gave Jack a chance!”

Jayla G.

I want to invite you to Escape Into Reality by entering into the exciting world of Jack Zulu with this crazy deal.

Both books—plus the genuinely excellent audiobook of Jack 1—for only $25!Grab This Deal

I hope you’ll take advantage of this amazing deal. This is your last chance!

“It’s good!!!!!!”

– review written by a ten year old boy of few words

I’m on your side,

Sam

Shop Story Warren Store

The post Last Chance for this Free Audiobook appeared first on S. D. Smith.

It’s time to announce the winners for this quarter’s Green Ember Kid Art contest! Watch the video.

Best Green Ember Kid Art

The FIRST prize goes to the Best #GreenEmberKidArt, judged according to the artist’s age. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate at the S. D. Smith Store (along with Unimaginable Glory & Prodigious Esteem). 

And the winner is… 

Colton, age 10!

Randomly Selected Kid Artist

For our next prize: Wild Glee, Contagious Joy, and $20 Gift Certificate at the S. D. Smith Store, everyone who submits art is entered.

And the winner is…

Colt, age 16!

Congratulations to these winners!

We had so many wonderful submissions!! Here are some of them:

Check out this video for more!

The contest for the next quarter starts now. Here are the official rules:

To enter, submit your art here.

If you have social media, please share your child’s Green Ember art (publicly) on social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube). Use the hashtag #GreenEmberKidArt (along with #RabbitsWithSwords and #TheGreenEmber if you would) and tag S. D. Smith on either Facebook or Instagram. YouTube submissions may be featured in our playlist here.

Art can include but is not limited to pictures of Green Ember drawings, paintings, songs, poems, animation, sculptures, woodwork, crochet art, and MORE! We love seeing your creativity.

Please submit 1 original piece per quarter. If you have more than one, hold onto it until our next quarterly contest opens up (every 3 months). The next contest ends in September and winners will be announced in October.

2024Q1 Winners2023Q1 WinnersQ2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners2022Q2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners

We look forward to seeing your submissions!

The post Green Ember Kid Art Winners | 2024 Q2 appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Home, boy,
It’s just some soil and sky,
Strange that it can get,
Its hooks into my ribs.
And make me feel so,
Unfashionably loyal,
To mere sky and soil.
It’s just rocks and rivers,
It’s only an auburn autumn forest alive with dying fiery bursts of orange and gold, great swaths of spectacular hills and hollers nestled in gorges and (usually) green—green going on and on and on for miles and mountains, modest though they are.
They are ours and we are free,
We mountaineers.
And it’s the mountaineers, more than the mountains,
That bind me in this archaic, unspoken allegiance.
Kinship isn’t everything,
But neither is it nothing.
There is room in the world for loving,
Though scorn is heaped on sincerity,
And rural second-caste citizens,
Are denigrated daily and overlooked always,
While sophisticated cities with disconnected citizens influence us in inordinate and destructive independence and addictive selfishness,
Spurning what smacks of tradition,
Haughtily mocking what passes for devotion,
And we have let them lead us,
Let them show us how to lead hollow lives.
Ichabod, oh my God,
The glory, it has faded away.

It’s not that simple, no.
Blame is the game of victims,
And responsibility is the act of the valiant.
If we can’t own what we’ve got,
We get owned.
And we can’t be owned,
Because mountaineers are always free.
Free to be happy?
Free to be hopeful?
Only if we’re free enough to be humble.
Only if we exchange victimhood for servanthood.
Only if we trade self-centered worship for Reality,
For Harmony,
With the Maker of the mountains,
The Shaper of the gorges,
The Lord of all the forests.
The Painter of sunsets,
The Poet of romance,
The Father to the fatherless.
Healer, Helper, Hopesource.
Lover, Lifter, Lifeforce.
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
Ain’t a stranger to our place,
Won’t flinch at our deep pain,
But by his holy name,
Will welcome and restore us,
Will unmake all our horrors,
And give us life in him.
And true, good, and beautiful,
Brotherhood.
Real freedom.
Life.
Here.

The post Mountaineers Are Always Free Sometimes appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Jack Zulu 2 is here!

Jack Zulu and the Girl with Golden Wings is here! And we’re celebrating with a launch party.

Join us live on our YouTube channel on Thursday, June 20 (TODAY!) at 7pm ET.

Join Launch Party

Don’t miss the:

GiveawaysLive readingQ & A (submit questions in the comments below)Book & audiobook announcements MORE GIVEAWAYS

We’re going to have a good time.

Get Jack for $1

Want to catch up on Jack Zulu 1? From now until the live, get Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key audiobook for just $1! Use code JZ1 at our store. Zeno Robinson is a fabulous reader and he’s back for the second one.

Very important math word problem: There are approximately 58 hours between now and the launch party. Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key audiobook is approximately 8 hours and 23 minutes. How many times could one listen through the audiobook before the party?

Get Audiobook

Thank you for your support as we launch new stories with an old soul out into the world for families hungry for soul-shaping, memory-making, darkness-shaking adventures.

We’re on your side,

Sam
The Very Serious Author

P. S. Who has better hair?

P. P. S. This crazy launch deal – Jack Zulu 1 & 2 SIGNED for just $25 and a free audiobook – is going away soon. Plus, just for you awesome subscribers, use code JACK to get an extra $5 off.

Shop Story Warren Store

The post Live Launch Party to Celebrate Jack Zulu 2 appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Every nation, people, or culture has a story. It seems to me that in every one of those cultures there is a place of honor reserved for those whose work it is or has been to protect all the others. Such is certainly the case in the American story. From the founding our principal heroes have been warriors. This seems to be the case for most cultures which endure at all (for obvious reasons).

In a world where sin is a universal plague, it is for now necessary to have governments who serve their people by bearing the sword. These abstract considerations find form in so many men and women who serve in the military.

It’s an easy thing to forget that the liberty we enjoy is not produced in a vacuum. It was got the way it is usually got –by men with guns. These men have frequently been people of the highest moral character, willingly sacrificing themselves for the love they have for those they would protect. Many have died.

I think it’s a peculiar and grievous kind of selfish delusion to deny gratitude to these servants.

I pray for peace with our enemies. I understand that our enemies are in need of the Gospel just like we are. I understand that as Christians we are called to have an attitude of forgiveness and love. But the world is what it is and has been since the fall –a place where many powerful men want to dominate others for evil.

I thank God for soldiers who stand guard at the gates, who work to allow me to live in peace and safety in my home. I don’t want to assign divinity to these servants, provoke or participate in idolatry to the nation they serve, but I want to thank them for being an instrument by which we receive so much kindness in our lives.

So thank you. To everyone who signs a paper that says you are willing to go anywhere and fight anyone so I can be with my family and be a lot less fearful than most people in history have been and most people in the world are.

We honor the memory of the fallen, and say that we won’t forget you. Saying “thank you” doesn’t feel adequate. But may we with our lives be a kind of tribute to the cause you laid down your lives for. I’ll hug my kids a little tighter, seek joy and deep meaning in the life I have. And remember the part you played in securing those joys, with thanks.

The post The Story of a Hero | Memorial Day appeared first on S. D. Smith.

If You Liked Mooses, You’ll Love This NEW BOOK

I’m thrilled to introduce you to Story Warren’s hilarious new book, Team Burger Shed by Tavin Dillard. Tavin is an absolute legend, one of the funniest characters you’ll ever come across. If you enjoyed Mooses with Bazookas, or you just love clean comedy with hysterical storytelling, this is for you.

Order Now

There’s no easy way to explain this wonderful world that you’re entering. There’s a rhythm to how Tavin tells a story. Rather than trying to describe it, your best bet is to meet Tavin in this video:

Everyone in my family loves Tavin and his comical antics. He is a hoot!

About the Author

Now, you might be wondering, “Who’s Tavin Dillard?” Well, let me tell you, Tavin is a master storyteller with a knack for crafting clean and hilarious comedy that’s perfect for the entire family. His new book is a delightful throwback to the days of classic humor, reminiscent of “the old bathroom book.”

At Story Warren, our mission is to be your “allies in imagination,” and we love bringing delightful books to families. This is a good’n. And useful!

“You take a phone book, some plywood and the Team Burger Shed book, you got a pretty decent remote control car ramp.”

Bret Dillard, Tavin’s brother

“Team Burger Shed is my back up door stop. Cinder block is still my first choice.”

Memaw

Trust me, you’re going to love this book. Thanks for supporting our family business.

Sam

P. S. This makes a great gift for dads!

Get Team Burger Shed

“There ain’t enough pictures.”

Delma Spencer, momma and attempted firework thief

The post Team Burger Shed | New Book! appeared first on S. D. Smith.

It’s time to announce the winners for this quarter’s Green Ember Kid Art contest!

Best Green Ember Kid Art

The FIRST prize goes to the Best #GreenEmberKidArt, judged according to the artist’s age. The winner will receive a $25 gift certificate at the S. D. Smith Store (along with Unimaginable Glory & Prodigious Esteem). 

And the winner is… 

Dani, Age 13!

Randomly Selected Kid Artist

For our next prize: Wild Glee, Contagious Joy, and $20 Gift Certificate at the S. D. Smith Store, everyone who submits art is entered.

And the winner is…

Rhoda, Age 9!

We would like to give a very special mention to Edward, Age 8.

“Hours of love was poured into his Cad designed necklace. Each detail intricately crafted. Terminal cancer hit. E gave me his necklace. “Bear the Flame, Mommy.” Thanks 4 the spark!” -Edward’s Mom

We had so many wonderful submissions that it made choosing a winner so so difficult. Here are some of them: (Check out this video for more!)

The contest for the next quarter starts now. Here are the official rules:

To enter, submit your art here.

If you have social media, please share your child’s Green Ember art (publicly) on social media (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube). Use the hashtag #GreenEmberKidArt (along with #RabbitsWithSwords and #TheGreenEmber if you would) and tag S. D. Smith on either Facebook or Instagram. YouTube submissions may be featured in our playlist here.

Art can include but is not limited to pictures of Green Ember drawings, paintings, songs, poems, animation, sculptures, woodwork, crochet art, and MORE! We love seeing your creativity.

Please submit 1 original piece per quarter. If you have more than one, hold onto it until our next quarterly contest opens up (every 3 months). The next contest ends in March and winners will be announced in April.

2023Q1 WinnersQ2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners2022Q2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners

We look forward to seeing your submissions!

Andrew, age 6

The post Green Ember Kid Art Winners | 2024 Q1 appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Dear Friends,

I have been pouring my heart into this adventure and I can’t wait to share it with you! Green Ember fans will love it. It’s a noble-hearted story that isn’t trapped in time or trendy politics, but features classic virtue and moral imagination.

Trust me. Give Jack a chance!

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This is the story that my son and I have created together over many, many months.

Trust me.

The things you love about Green Ember are present in Jack Zulu! In fact, these new adventures are, in many ways, the result of what I’ve learned writing ten Green Ember books.

I am asking you to give this a try. I am delighted with what my son, Josiah, and I co-created in these two books. Your family will love them!

And to give you every incentive to give Jack a chance, we’re offering both books (plus the genuinely excellent audiobook of Jack 1) for $25!

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE YES I JUST SAID THAT NO IT’S NOT CRINGE

Just for you, we’re going to cut $5 off even that low price. So you can get $46 worth of storytelling awesomeness for a mere $20 when you use this coupon at checkout: JACK.

pre-order now

I love this book! Your family—boys and girls—will too! Here’s our launch video. (Email it to your JZ or Ember-loving pals!)

Jack Zulu and the Girl With Golden Wings is the second book in the Jack Zulu trilogy.

Thank you for giving us a chance and supporting us on day one. I can’t thank you enough.

This is a story I believe in deeply, one I’m delighted to share with your family. Like I said, this is the result of me (along with my son, Josiah) giving my best and investing so much heart and hard work into a manuscript.

I think this is my best writing so far.

Collaborating with my son, I am absolutely thrilled with the result. I’m over the moon about sharing this brand new story (with an old soul) with you!

We’re on your side,

Sam

shop s. d. smith store

The post S. D. Smith’s NEW BOOK is Here! ♟️ appeared first on S. D. Smith.

I never intended these to be Easter books, as in “bunny books” for Easter.

But it fits in a different way.

These are Easter books, not because they have rabbits, but because the story is about life breaking through in the face of death. The Green Ember Series is about keeping faith, fighting for hope, and self-sacrificial love. In this way they echo The Story!

If you are looking for meaningful gifts for Easter baskets, I invite you to add The Green Ember Series.

The Green Ember Series

Four thrilling adventures following siblings Heather and Picket as they get caught up in an epic struggle for rabbitkind’s liberation from the tyrannous preylords. Humor, heart, and hope anchor this series that centers on small rabbits battling to keep faith amid the chaos all around them.

S. D. SMith StoreAmazon

I never write reviews but had to come here to sing the praise of the work S. D. Smith is doing in the Green Ember saga. The world needs more books being published today like this one – “new books with old souls”…copies will be landing in Easter baskets next week.

Alison on The Green Ember

Shop Green Ember Books

Fun fact: the last book, Ember’s End, was written during Lent and Easter, and officially released on Easter Day.

The post Are Green Ember Books for Easter? appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Don’t take my word for it.

Seriously, why would you trust someone who wrote a book called MOOSES WITH BAZOOKAS: AND OTHER STORIES CHILDREN SHOULD NEVER READ?

See what others have to say:

“As a mom to three sons (14, 10, 9) it’d becoming harder and harder to find a book that all three will enjoy. This one fits the bill and exceeds expectations! We have loved the other books by SD Smith and were excited to read a different kind of book from this author. Engaging silliness and humor right up their alley, even the title makes them giggle. Thank you, SD Smith, for giving me another great option for our family to read, pass on, discuss, and build family memories around!”

Jessica

“She’s my most reluctant reader…and she’s LOVING it.”

Mykal, @novasmama

Please take a moment to add your review on Amazon!

Write Review

Giveaway: Send us a screenshot of your review (or copy and paste the text) to be entered for a chance to win something cool!

For everyone who has left a review—or will leave one now—thank you! You have no idea what it means to me. It makes a huge difference!

That’s all for now.

Go where the rut leads you,

Sam

P. S. The Black Star of Kingston and The Last Archer are FREE on Kindle February 1-2.

The post Mooses With Bazookas is 🔥 appeared first on S. D. Smith.