S.D. Smith's Blog, page 6

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… 

Brooke, Age 15!

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…

Xavier, Age 10!

“Hi, we have been enjoying the third book of the series and I chose to create a model of the bow striker and blast arrow. Looking forward to the next book!”

Congratulations to these winners!

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.

2022Q2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners2023Q1 WinnersQ2 WinnersQ3 Winners

We look forward to seeing your submissions!

Andrew, age 6

The post Green Ember Kid Art Winners | 2023 Q4 appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Christmastide has been good for us, and I hope it has been for you. I know there’s lots of pain around, and we’ve had that sadly mixed into our recipe, but it’s still a good feast. Tonight is Twelfth Night and Christmas will be over. Have a party, or don’t. Eat a cookie. Regardless, may God give you joy!

Just a heads up that the SIGNED set of all 10 Green Ember books deal ends Wednesday, January 10th.

Shop Signed BundleFree Book Club & Party Activity Guide

With the purchase of the 10 book bundle, you’ll get the Activity Guide for free!

Use code IBOUGHT10BOOKBUNDLE at checkout.

If you’ve already purchased the 10 book bundle of the new editions, the download code will work for you, too!

I hope this Christmas season has been a time of you becoming a child again.

I like you. Stay cool.

The post Last Chance for a SIGNED Set + Free Book Club Party Guide appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Christmas is over has just begun! It starts on December 25th and ends January 6th. Hopefully the hustle and bustle is quieting down and you can focus on celebrating these 12 days of Christmas. Here are 5 ideas to help you slow down this season.

Listen to Audiobooks

There are 10 Green Ember books, which include 3 series. We want to jumpstart your listening journey by making 3 audiobooks available to you on Youtube. Here you will find The Green Ember, The Black Star of Kingston, and The Last Archer.

Happy listening!

Do an Activity

You can’t go wrong with a puzzle, board game, or Tower Wars. Grab some wooden blocks, a ball & an opponent, and you’re all set to play a game from Ember’s End. Here’s how to play Tower Wars.

Remember, build for strength as well as beauty.

Join Our Art Contest

Create something Green Ember related this season? Submit it in our Green Ember Kid Art quarterly contest that ends December 31st! Submit here.

Open to all ages, winners announced in January.

Enjoy This FREE Gift

Prester Kell touched his ears, his eyes, his mouth. As he did so, he sang, and though no instruments accompanied this song, most of the assembly joined in. “Let us hear with humility, see with generosity, speak with honesty…”

Ember Falls

We want to give you this printable quote to color and enjoy–maybe while listening to an audiobook or discussing how to accomplish these things.

Download, print, and color!

Get Free GiftOnward!

Green Ember, Jack Zulu, and Mooses with Bazookas, are all great places to start but we want to encourage you to continue. At StoryWarren.com, you’ll find lots of great recommendations, articles, and resources for further reading and fostering imagination in your children–and yourself!

There you have it: 5 ways to slow down this season! Which one are you doing to start today? Let us know in the comments below.

The post 5 Ways to Slow Down appeared first on S. D. Smith.

“Now, Jacks,” Father said, “we cannot allow these upstarts to vanquish us yet again. We must build for strength as well as beauty, son.”

Ember’s End

Tower Wars is the game Heather recalled from her childhood that her father invented. Here’s how you can play along at home.

You Will Need:wooden blocksa small ballan opponent

The play is simple: work on your own or in a team to build opposing towers, focusing on strength as well as beauty.

Take turns throwing a small ball back and forth until one of the towers falls. Whichever team’s tower is left standing is the winner!

Check out more Ember’s End fun here.

The post How to Play Tower Wars appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Hey Friends,

It’s a week of giving thanks in my country, but I’m pretty sure everyone is allowed to give thanks anytime they want. And we should!

I’m thankful for you. You are supporting our family business, backing me as an author, and sharing our stories with your friends.

This Friday is historically the big shopping day, especially at big-box retailers and online giants (looking at you, Rainforest Empire.com a.k.a. Earth’s Largest And Most Crush-Small-Businessy Site On Earth).

But we’re out here now, open and grateful, bringing you our best deals!

Free Audiobook Download of Any Book!

ANY AUDIOBOOK FREE! Or, try another download, like the Green Ember Book Club and Party Guide, or an art printable of the My Place Beside You Oath. As a thank you for supporting our small business, here’s a free download with any purchase now through Thursday 11/30. Use this link or enter code DownloadFREE at checkout.

Back in Stock

Helmer’s shirt is also back in stock in all sizes along with Heather’s Necklace. Get them before they’re gone again.

You have caused what this has become, a growing and astonishing phenomenon that is reaching more and more families every day with a good, generous gift of light and love in a world of darkness and depravity. 

Thank you! And I pray you have a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you are.

Your friend,

Sam

shop s. d. Smith store

The post A Free Gift For You appeared first on S. D. Smith.

We are accidental entrepreneurs in our family. My dad was a crane-operator-turned-missionary and Mom was a homemaker. We are not far removed, generationally, from subsistence farmers. I remember meeting a few people who operated businesses as a kid, but it felt a thousand miles away from our experience. As a kid, I didn’t dream of starting a business. When I got married, I thought of how to get a decent paycheck, because the idea of backing myself in the market seemed too risky.

When The Green Ember took off, we suddenly had a small business to run. Together with my partners/brothers, Andrew (in-law) and Josiah (my son’s namesake), we built a small family business around these books. We have been learning and growing ever since. This week we launched our 12th book! (Hope you try it!)

To my kids, it’s not unusual to think about business. They have ideas and try things. Today, my youngest daughter (11) is selling her handmade offerings at our local Maker’s Market alongside a lot of wonderful young entrepreneur-creators. She’s been sewing, cooking, crafting, and planning for a while. And today I saw her beaming as she made sales and served customers. She’s not afraid to work hard making good products and then sell them for fair value. I love her confidence and generosity.

This is just another way in which you have changed our lives. Yes, you. We weren’t an entrepreneurial family. I was too afraid to pull the trigger on starting a business. But when you embraced my stories, when you spent your own money to receive what we made, you changed our story.

So, thank you. It means the world to us to have your support, to literally feed our kids and pay our mortgage as a result of this loving and free exchange between us.

I’m honored to have my stories in your family’s home, and I’m grateful your support has meant we can provide for our family.

God is good. We are glad. Blessings on you and yours!

Sam

P.S. Please tell me about your family business, and tag them for us.

The post You Changed Our Story appeared first on S. D. Smith.

YES! My New Book is Here and YES it is REAL and YES that’s its Real Name!

Please take a moment to watch this video and let me know what you think in the comments! (Tag your friends if they enjoy laughter.)

Order Now

Today, I’m so excited to share this new book with you. Mooses with Bazookas: And Other Stories Children Should Never Read. It’s funny. It’s enjoyable. It’s entertaining! Is that okay?

I think it’s great. Aren’t you tired of everything being so heavy with an agenda? I am. Aren’t you tired of every book—especially books aimed at kids!—being a thinly-veiled adult argument about politics?

Both the “bad guys” and the “good guys” seem to be engaged in nonstop propaganda in children’s books and movies. Even when you agree with it, propaganda makes for some lousy, inhospitable storytelling.

We can do better. We have to. This book is entertaining, funny, and wholesome. Don’t believe me? Try this sample!

Do believe me? Please buy a SIGNED copy now. It ships immediately. No preorder. Just order. It’s signed and in stock right now and ready to ship!

What on earth is this? A novel? A picture book? A crime?

It’s an illustrated collection of stories and humorous letters, with a novella (Mooses with Bazookas) in its middle. It stars a mouse, a moose, a dog who can speak Alienese, and other lovable misfits. It’s perfect for people who need, or want, to laugh.

More FAQs

Join Us

We’re hosting a LIVE launch party tonight with mucho giveaways, Q & A, & more! Join us tonight at 7pm EST. Bookmark the live here.

I think you’re going to love this. You’re allowed to just smile and laugh and enjoy a story.

I’m on your slide,
Sam

P. S. I’m stuck in your slide. The twisty one. Meant for small kids not big adults. That one.

P. S. S. Here’s a beautiful picture of me and my daughter. I love her smile.

P. S. S. S. While you’re in the store, check out our new & restocked items like Helmer’s Shirt, Heather’s Necklace, and the new Mooses with Bazookas Shirt! And remember, don’t eat dirt!

Shop S. D. Smith Store

The post The New S. D. Smith Book is Here! Your Kids Will Flip Out! appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Here’s my Brand New Book

Hi Friends!

I’m so excited to share this BRAND NEW book with you. Here is Mooses with Bazookas and Other Stories Children Should Never Read:

Even though it hasn’t been released to the public yet, the reviews are streaming in and people are raving…

“S. D. SMITH IS in dire need of A GENIUS editor.”

–Art Simonson, Inner Ring Magazine

“FANTASTIC is not a word that comes to mind.”

–Beth Hinkle, author of Elite Prose

“TAKE MY advice, spend your MONEY elsewhere.”

-Jeff J. Jeffs, Pickle Sommelier

Release Date

Mark your calendars: Mooses with Bazookas will be available for order November 7th. You’re going to love it!

While You Wait…

We hope you take advantage of our amazing 10 Green Ember Book Bundle + Free Shirt Deal because it’s going away the end of next week. It’s shipping now!

We’re on your side,

Sam

Shop S. D. Smith Store

The post S. D. Smith’s NEW BOOK Cover Reveal appeared first on S. D. Smith.

We redesigned the books and issued new editions, but was that a good idea? Why mess with something that is clearly working and that readers very much love?

Books often get redesigned by publishers over the years. We hadn’t done that because, hey, why mess with what works? But I wanted a Green Ember logo that was recognizable and useful for everything we create, from books to shirts, hats, games, shows, or movies.

But it’s also to address a challenge.

Old Natalia? The Archer’s Cup? Where does this book belong? Is this in the main series? How many series are there?

I understand that it can be difficult for fans to figure out the three distinct, but deeply-connected series inside the Green Ember world.

Green Ember Series Green Ember: Old NataliaGreen Ember: Archer

In short, they’re all Green Ember books. So they needed a unifying look, while maintaining the unique series distinctiveness.

We are convinced this redesign and rerelease is a more generous, hospitable way to present these stories.

We’ve also included behind the scenes features in several books that make these must-haves for Green Ember fans.

Get your BRAND NEW EDITIONS BUNDLE featuring all 10 Green Ember books updated at an unbeatable price! For a limited time, we’re including a FREE Green Ember Shirt.

It was challenging for us to pull this off, but we believe it’s worth the investment in the long run. That’s because we are convinced this is going to be a blessing to you. And we are certain that the better we serve you and your family, the more faithfully we are showing up in our calling. We see this as a stewardship and a vocation rooted in love and service.

If you’re confused about how to read the series, check out this post on Recommended Reading Order and vote for your preferred way.

The post Did We Ruin The Green Ember? 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… 

Ramona, age 10!

“Bunnies in polymer clay! Helmer, Wilfred, Cole, Jo, Picket, Emma, Heyna, Heather, and Smalls.”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…

Emma, age 15!

“This is a drawing of Whitson Mariner, Queen Lillie, and Prince Lander, completely freehand, made up of sections of drawings in the books.“

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 December and winners will be announced in January.

2022Q2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners2023Q1 WinnersQ2 Winners

We look forward to seeing your submissions!

The post Green Ember Kid Art Winners | 2023 Q3 appeared first on S. D. Smith.