S.D. Smith's Blog, page 7

I have always wanted my books to serve as allies to you in your mission to love your kids and give them memory-making, soul-shaping, darkness-shaking adventures. It’s my prayer that many families will feel that keenly when they pick up the Green Ember and Jack Zulu books. I know many do and I thank God!

I feel that way at my home when I hear there are allies in that fight. One such ally is Wolfbane Books. Their books are amazing—deeply truthful and profoundly beautiful. I recommend them all. 

Another ally is the Young Writer’s Workshop. I’m so hopeful when I see young writers being blessed and encouraged and equipped by Young Writer’s Workshop. There isn’t a better program out there. I’m involved at YWWs and I’m speaking at their FREE online summit next week. 

So I’m inviting you to two things. And both get you an entry into a sweet giveaway. 

1) Sign up for Young Writers Can Change the World Summit if you have a young writer.

AND/OR…

2) Invest even a small amount in Wolfbane’s new kickstarter for their newest books.

I believe many of you will go for it on both and you’ll be delighted to have done so, but I want to pump up the incentive a little and make this more fun. 

If you do #1 and/or #2 go and comment here telling me you did it here (Facebook) or here (Instagram) and/or here at the blog in the comments and…

You’re entered to win a signed set of ALL my books and ALL of their books. 

That’s 16 books valued at $230!

I hope you’ll come to see these allies of mine as allies of yours, and I hope this is a blessing to you and yours. 

Never forget….

I’m on your side, 

Sam

The post Allies In Imagination—PLUS a Giveaway of 16 Wonderful Books (worth $230)  appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Happy Birthday to Green Ember: Old Natalia 1, The Black Star of Kingston! We’re celebrating with a GIVEAWAY and some FUN NEWS!

To celebrate The Black Star of Kingston’s birthday, we’re giving away:

(1) Complete Signed Set of The Green Ember Series(3) Signed The Black Star of Kingston Books(3) The Black Star of Kingston Audiobooks

We’ll have total of 7 winners! Some will be picked from comments on this post, some from Instagram and some from Facebook.

How to Enter:Follow Sam on Instagram AND Facebook if you have those.Comment (here / Instagram / Facebook) with three emojis that best describe you as a reader.

Rules: Must have a U.S. mailing address. Must be 18 or older. Must have a spleen. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by or associated with Facebook or Instagram or the Galactic Empire. Void where prohibited.

FUN NEWS ALERT! The entire audiobook of The Black Star of Kingston is now free on YouTube!

“I am afraid…But I keep on loving what’s on the other side of this fight, and that will have to make me brave.”

–The Black Star of Kingston

And that is how a hero rises.

But what hero? Who was the founder of Natalia? What led to the inception of the oath we know and love?

The Black Star of Kingston has the answers:

“A century before Heather and Picket’s adventures in The Green Ember, a displaced community fights for hope on the ragged edge of survival. Whitson Mariner and Fleck Blackstar face old fears and new enemies, forging a legend that will echo through the ages.
Old wars haunt. New enemies threaten. An oath is born.”

Watch the video to see what S.D. Smith has to say about this legendary oath!

Fun fact: The Black Star of Kingston shares a birthday month with World Emoji Day. Show us your favorite #rabbitswithswords emojis in the comments! Here’s ours:

A short sail down memory lane reveals that The Blackstar of Kingston has been loved since the beginning. Take a look in the video!

Have you had a chance to review this book? Let us know what you think on Goodreads, Amazon, or Audible.

Black Star Patch

Now it’s time to join the ranks of Fleck Blackstar and his crew by creating your very own black star patch.

Grab a FREE printable guide with instructions and template for this patch here.

*While you’re at it, pick up some FREE coloring pages when you Gimme 5!*

For the black star patch you will need:Felt, black and whiteScissorsAdhesive (glue, thread, tape, etc.)Directions:

Cut a rectangle from white felt.
Cut a star from black felt.
Attach the black star to the white felt using an adhesive.

Ta-da! I hereby dub thee part of the Blackstar Company. 

My place beside you
My blood for yours
Till the Green Ember rises
Or the end of the world.

★

We’d love to see your creations! Use #rabbitswithswords and tag @sdsmithereens on Instagram or Facebook. Here are some we’ve received:

New to The Green Ember? Get started with the first audiobook for FREE.

If you want your very own copy, The Black Star of Kingston is available at the S. D. Smith Family Store (where you get the best deal & CURRENTLY ON SALE!) and is also available on audiobook and eBook (and print) at Amazon and your favorite bookshops.

Did you know: if your library partners with Hoopla, you can listen to ALL the audiobooks for free?! Make sure to check with your local library & follow the recommended reading order.

Thank you for celebrating The Black Star of Kingston‘s birthday with us!

The post Happy Birthday to The Black Star of Kingston! appeared first on S. D. Smith.

We are psyched…er, chuffed…to announce that The Green Ember is invading Britain!

We have been asked by fans for many years when these rabbits and their swords would make their way across the pond. I’m not sure what you guys will think of the new cover.

UK pals, you can preorder the books RIGHT NOW. Please do! (£9.99 + FREE SHIPPING)

PreOrder Now (Sorry for the stereotype art! One of my favourite things about you guys is your sense of self-deprecating humour!)

And please let your friends….er, mates…know about this news. Thank you!

The first two Green Ember books (The Green Ember & Ember Falls) will be first to release in the UK (and Commonwealth). Available end of THIS MONTH.

The next two books (Ember Rising & Ember’s End) will follow in ’24.

Our partners are Reformation Lightning, a wonderful publisher and distributor with an emphasis on books that are faithful to a Christian worldview. Ref Light are fantastic at connecting with readers at conferences and events. We are delighted to be partnering with them! (Maybe I can pop over for some in-person events. Let me know if you’d like that.)

I am so grateful. I pray this leads to soul-shaping, memory-making, darkness-shaking gifts for many UK children and families!

Shop S. D. Smith Store

The post The Green Ember is Invading Britain! appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Just wanted to let you know there is a crazy sale on Green Ember and Jack Zulu eBooks right now! Get started on the series or complete your set.

Check it out:

FREE The Green Ember , Ember Falls, T he Last Archer , The First Fowler, The Black Star of Kingston , and T he Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner 99 Cents T he Archer’s Cup , and P rince Lander and the Dragon War $1.99 Ember Rising and Ember’s End $2.99 Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key shop now

The post Crazy eBook Sale! 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… 

Hanna, age 12!

“Hanna calls this drawing ‘Heather’s Hope.’ The reflection of the Green Ember is in her eyes, as the Scribe of the Cause calls everyone to bear the flame.“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…

Remington, age 12!

“Fleck and Galt at the Battle of Ayman Lake- painted on canvas using acrylics”

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.

2022Q2 WinnersQ3 WinnersQ4 Winners2023Q1 Winners

We look forward to seeing your submissions!

The post Green Ember Kid Art Winners | 2023 Q2 appeared first on S. D. Smith.

We asked our newsletter subscribers to vote for your favorite Green Ember character and the results are in—Helmer wins!

Check out the results:

Join the Conversation

Does this surprise you? Did your pick make the list? Let us know why you chose your favorite character on Facebook or Instagram!

Tell us why

This fan art was made by November, age 13. The art contest ends tomorrow so get your submissions in!

The post The Results Are In | Favorite Green Ember Character appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Howdy friends,

I hope this email finds you all in the midst of some fantastic adventures, both on and off the page. I wanted to take a moment to give you a glimpse into the exciting book tour.

The book signings, sessions, and workshops have been a whirlwind of laughter, stories, and heartfelt conversations. It’s been so special to connect with you in person, to hear how these stories have resonated with your lives.

Check out the tour video playlist here:

Green Ember LIVE has been amazing! We’ve had thousands of fans enjoying songs and stories and signing alongside me and my family. It’s been a huge hit. Sarah Mackenzie from Read-Aloud Revival joined me on stage to perform the story—maybe she’ll be back in Texas?

For those of you who haven’t had a chance to catch me on tour, fear not! There are still a few opportunities to join the fun:

JULY6-8: GHC Texas | Register Here (Green Ember LIVE on Thursday 7-6 at 8pm)14-15: Arizona Home Education Convention by AFHE – Phoenix, AZ | Register Here

I can’t wait to meet even more of you and share stories and high fives!

I’m on your side,

Sam

shop S. D. Smith Store

P. S. Last call for this quarter’s Green Ember Kid Art contest! Get your submissions in here. Winners will be announced in July.

The post Only a Few More Opportunities to Meet S. D. Smith! appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Picket’s Sword and Heather’s Necklace are back, ready to transport you into the enchanting world of rabbits and their epic adventures!

We are thrilled to inform you that two highly sought-after Green Ember items, Heather’s Necklace and Picket’s Sword, are back in stock at our store! These unique and enchanting pieces have captured the hearts of many fans, and we are excited to offer them once again for your enjoyment.

.kt-sc_5139b7-94 .kt-sc-imgcol {min-height:450px;}Picket’s Sword

Bring #RabbitsWithSwords to your home with this beautiful, 23 inch long wooden sword, featuring an authentic insignia from Heather and Picket’s world right on the hilt. This is a wooden replica of Picket’s sword from The Green Ember Series. (On several covers.)  

shop picket’s sword.kt-sc_d51b90-87 .kt-sc-imgcol {min-height:450px;}Heather’s Necklace

A beautiful, embossed torch pendant made of silver-plated pewter. This is another item drawn directly from the pages of The Green Ember Series. No spoilers here, but Heather’s wearing this lovely necklace on the cover of Ember Falls. Bear the flame!

shop Heather’s NecklaceThank you for supporting our family business.

Thanks to your continued support, the rabbits in our Green Ember world have captured the imaginations of readers far and wide. We hope these stories inspire your own tales of bravery, friendship, and the triumph of good over evil.

Father’s Day is approaching and we’ve put together some Green Ember gift ideas for those rad dads in your life! Check it out and take 15% off your order using the code EMBERDADS.

We’re on your side.

shop s. d. smith store

The post ⚔️ Get Ready for Adventure: Heather’s Necklace and Picket’s Sword Are Back! appeared first on S. D. Smith.

God is the author of the human story. He loves most and he knows best. To speak of love is to speak of him. He created us all and all that is. That’s the first part of the story and it’s good news. The bad news came quick, when we first listened to the wicked whispers of the dragon as he asked, “Did God really say?” We fell for it then and we fall for it so often now. 

Our problem isn’t often that God’s commands are confusing, it’s that we want what we want and even if it’s sweet-tasting poison we can’t seem to keep from drinking it. That’s me. That’s all of us. What comes naturally to me is often not what is best for my family, my community, and me. I have to listen to what God says, because he made me, loves me, and has invited me into a better story than I can tell on my own. He’s invited me into the new life of Jesus Christ and his way of love and forgiveness and obedience. Yes, obedience too. 

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil, not form a fashionable alliance with him. We are called to die to ourselves and follow Jesus. I’m not sure about you, but it’s a work in progress for me. And sometimes I don’t feel like I’m making as much progress as I would like. But the solution for me isn’t to indulge in comforting lies that keep me in chains. I need a community to call me to repentance and joy in Jesus. 

I need to be called to faithfulness. And I need to heed the call to faithfulness. I have to repent and turn away from something (my sin) and to something (God’s way of love and life). 

Fidelity is an ancient virtue that people have been fighting on either side of for all time. It began in the garden and now it’s in your supermarket. 

I am genuinely the best version of myself when I’m faithful to God and others in my home and community and world. Fidelity is beautiful. 

I am the worst version of myself when I throw off my duty to my fellow man and indulge myself in pride and self-centeredness. Arrogance is ugly. 

Arrogance is alluring. It says I know better than God and have this satanic certainty that if I act on my urges and follow my own self-interest I’ll be fulfilled and happy. It’s in greedy businessmen who love money more than people and in churchmen with a secret pornographic habit. It’s pride. It’s sin. It’s ugly. It’s bad. 

We don’t need to be affirmed in our sin. We need to be called to fidelity. 

Princeton Professor Robert P. George (a devout Christian and—bonus—a West Virginian) founded national Fidelity Month as “a month dedicated to the importance of fidelity to God, spouses and families, our country, and our communities.” Whether or not Fidelity Month is broadly adopted and “successful” isn’t the point. Faithfulness is worth it, regardless of acclaim. 

I was married in June, so it’s a great month for me to focus on fidelity. I don’t need to obsess over other people’s sins as much as I need to grow in virtue myself. That’s the aim of this month for me. 

That being said, I want to be clear. My calling is to love and serve kids by giving them faithful stories that call them to faithfulness and bravery in the face of evil. I don’t write safe stories. I aim to inspire kids to become dangerous to the darkness. And the work of darkness is fashionable in many ways. 

I hate the dark work of child predators. Those who expose kids to sexual deviancy are preying on children and breaking down barriers that make grooming them for abuse easier. 

Preying on kids, including exposing them so young to sexually deviant adult activities, is evil. It always has been and a rise in popularity is not an indicator of its goodness. Mutilation of confused kids is grotesque and wicked. It should not be tolerated. It must not be celebrated. To give in to that trend is to hate your neighbor and betray your God. It is an attempt to replace God with a crummy usurper—Satan, or self.

I usually don’t spend a lot of time on criticism. I intentionally don’t spend much of my energy on sorting through and reacting non-stop to the various sins the culture champions, left or right wing versions. That will be a gesture for me, not a posture.

So what is my posture? It’s telling stories. Good stories. It is, God being my helper, living a better story. 

And there is a better story. A better story! Tell it. Keep telling it. Tell it by being faithful this summer in your worshipping and work. Tell it in your shopping, attention, and affections. Be faithful this summer and always, no matter what the gatekeepers of what is cool command. Faith over fads. Faith over the sin of pride.

Tell a better story. Live a better story. Jesus is King.

Fidelity in June. Fidelity forever. 

The post Fidelity Over Arrogance appeared first on S. D. Smith.

Don Roberts was a top turret gunner and engineer on the B-17 Omar the Dentmaker. He was killed in action over Pas de Calais, France on March 26, 1944.

Don was never married, nor had children to carry on his name. He was twenty-two years old.

Don was my papaw’s best friend in the service. 

My dad is named Don Smith. My dad also named his oldest son Don. 

Don Roberts’ name carries on, in a way, and his memory is alive. 

I think of him and the countless others like him, who gave the “last full measure of devotion,” and laid down their lives for their friends, their families, and their fellow countrymen. 

In an age of radical self-definition and pride, it is inspiring to remember and honor men whose lives and deaths were marked by fidelity to something noble and beyond themselves. 

We remember Donald Behrn Roberts. We remember them all. 

President Lincoln said at Gettysburg that the honored dead don’t need to be dedicated, but we all do. The living. 

I will honor Don’s memory today and into the next month by focusing on Fidelity.

May light perpetual shine upon Don.

The post Memorial Day Fidelity appeared first on S. D. Smith.