5 Reasons to Hire a Book Publisher

Latest Release: A Sincere Heart by Phee Paradise

We're honored to announce our latest book release, A Sincere Heart by Phee Paradise.

“It is a wonderfully thrilling feeling to hear that Esther wants to work for the Lord on the foreign mission field. I should list the qualifications as follows: Formal education, augmented by a good knowledge of the Bible: zeal for God’s work, held in leash by good common sense: Practical knowledge of Christian work, especially of the way to lead souls to God: sound health and health habits. The knowledge of the Bible and zeal for the Cause are the most necessary things. Too often we let these things slip.” ~ John Bickford, Aug. 8,1939

You’ve most likely never heard of John Bickford.

He’s one of the thousands of Christians we never heard about, who gave their lives to missions in the twentieth century. The ones who learned new languages, made friends of foreigners, and raised their families in remote places so strangers could know the truth about their Savior.

In 1920, John took his pregnant wife to China and came back to America for good in 1948, leaving behind a tiny grave in an obscure town in a Communist country. He oversaw five growing churches in little villages, took pride in his Chinese colleagues, but agonized over his own shortcomings. His family often fled political unrest and civil war, but they always returned to the people he loved.

During the World War, he spent two years under Japanese confinement, patiently trusting God while he longed to be with his beloved wife and children who escaped to America. He cheerfully accepted his own physical suffering, but his heart broke over his son’s looming blindness.

He was an ordinary missionary with an extraordinary story, the story of God at work through a man with a sincere heart. 

A Sincere Heart: One Mission-Minded Man Serving His Utmost in China 

 is now available in paperback and on Kindle.

About the Author:
Phee Paradise was blessed to be a missionary kid and loves to share that experience in her writing.

In Miracles at Midnight, she edited her father’s stories about his years on the mission field where he saw God change lives for the Kingdom.

Phee has also contributed to several books, including A Ruby Christmas, A Dozen Apologies, Unlikely Merger and Trials and Triumphs. She prays that God will use her work to His glory.

Looking for a Narrator for your Audiobook or Video?

A client asked for a list of narrators for her short short video, so I decided to compile a list for the blog.

Dottie Coffman
Sample: Interview with Fay Lamb on SoundCloud from 2015
Facebook
E-mail

Karen Allen
Sample: Reading her book at the school library 
E-mail

Nancy Carmichael
Sample: Podcast on SoundCloud
Facebook 

Sally Hanan
Sample: Several demos on this page
E-mail

James Woody

Sample: Commercial

E-Mail

Other pages of interest:

Need an Editor?
Need an Illustrator?

Meet our Authors: Phee Paradise

Today, I'm delighted to introduce you to Phee Paradise, one of our newest authors at TMP, but one of our original writers and supporters when we began the Pix-N-Pens blog back in 2007, before the publishing companies were ever a thought. Her latest book, A Sincere Heart, a biography of her grandfather, a missionary in China, will release after the first of the year.

Favorite Christmas Memory

When I was a child, every Christmas Eve the whole family gathered to listen to the story of the Littlest Angel. The story of a lonely little giving his best to Jesus and receiving approval from God reminds me that God loves me too, even when my halo is tarnished and my robe is torn.

Favorite Christmas Book or Movie

I'm glad you didn't ask for my favorite story, since I just answered that. My favorite is How the Grinch Stole Christmas. I could say it's a story about how Jesus changes people, but really I love it because it's just fun.

Favorite Christmas food

The cookies! Sugar cookies, Mexican wedding cakes, chocolate crinkles, eggnog snickerdoodles, peppermint anything . . . and my Aunt Clara's peppernuts. I'd share recipes, but they all came from cookbooks. I love my Betty Crocker cookie book.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: Here's a great recipe for Chewy Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies I made several years ago. Warning: they're addictive!]


Favorite Christmas tradition

After my grandchildren were born, my daughter started the tradition of making homemade gifts for each other. The extended family, including the kids, draw a name and make a gift for that person. This is in addition to anything else we might give and we make a ceremony of opening them on Christmas Eve. I love making gifts and I've received some great ones.

About Phee's books:

In addition to her upcoming book, Phee's work has been published in numerous anthologies and in 2014, the story of her parents as missionaries, Miracles at Midnight, was released by Pix-N-Pens.

She also has a fun fictional short story in A Pixel Perfect Christmas, available in print and on Kindle.

About Phee:

Phee Paradise was blessed to be a missionary kid and loves to share that experience in her writing.  In Miracles at Midnight, she edited her father’s stories about his years on the mission field where he saw God change lives for the Kingdom. Phee has also contributed to several books, including A Ruby Christmas, A Dozen Apologies, Unlikely Merger and Trials and Triumphs. Her biography of her grandfather, a missionary in China will be coming out soon. She prays that her work will be used by God to His glory. 

Meet our Authors: Dana Morgan-Murphy

Today's featured author is Dana Morgan-Murphy.

Favorite Christmas Memory

My favorite Christmas memory was a few years ago I gave my 4 boys (all in their 20's) matching Christmas boxers and a script for a Christmas rap song I'd written about the 4 of them. They had to perform outside in their boxers and work boots ... no shirt ... Christmas Day! It was a ball!!!



Favorite Christmas Tradition

My favorite tradition is giving my boys Christmas Eve individualized hand painted ornaments by the same friend who illustrated my two books. She puts the significant things that happened in each of their lives that year.

Favorite Christmas Book

Favorite book ...The Grinch. Both my mom and my grandmother were elementary school librarians and knew this book by heart ... and they would do all the different character voices.


Favorite Christmas Food

Favorite food is the Christmas Chex mix my mom made at Christmas.

Not sure if this is the same recipe Dana's mom made, but here's a great recipe from the Chex website:

Christmas Chex Party Mix

Ingredients

6 cups Rice Chex™ or Corn Chex™ cereal
2 cups miniature marshmallows (from 10.5-oz bag)
1 cup mini pretzel twists (from 16-oz bag)
15 oz vanilla candy coating (almond bark) (about 9 cubes from 20-oz package)
3 tablespoons holiday-colored sprinkles or nonpareils
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup holiday-colored candy-coated chocolate candies

Steps

Line large rimmed cookie sheet with waxed paper. In large bowl, mix cereal, marshmallows and pretzels.

In medium microwavable bowl, microwave candy coating uncovered on High 60 to 90 seconds, stirring after 1 minute, until almost melted. Stir until smooth. Pour onto cereal mixture; mix well.

Spread on cookie sheet; sprinkle with holiday sprinkles, and cool completely, about 15 minutes. Break into bite-size pieces.

In 2-quart resealable food-storage plastic bag, add coated cereal pieces and powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake to coat. Remove from bag; discard any remaining powdered sugar.

In large serving bowl, mix coated cereal mixture and chocolate candies.

Tips

Store in covered container at room temperature.

About Dana's Books:

Mommy, Tell Me About Heaven
Available on Amazon and from your favorite bookseller by request

Mommy, Tell Me About Heaven was inspired in 2003 by Dana’s youngest of four sons, Marshall. While the two were riding in the car he asked her to tell him about heaven. Dana quickly pulled the car over and wrote a little poem God put in her heart. Marshall was not only satisfied with the rhyming response but it became his most cherished bedtime ritual for months. It wasn’t until years later that longtime family friend Michelle Morse brought the words to life through vivid illustrations. By bringing this inspired book to print, the author prays heaven would become a very real place to children. Through receiving the free gift of God’s grace they can look forward to living for eternity with Jesus Christ.

An Orphan Named Eva
Available on Amazon and from your favorite bookseller by request

Eva the Orphan was inspired in 1998 when Dana traveled to Guatemala on a fourteen day mission trip to volunteer in an orphanage. Between the windowless walls of the dark, empty dirt floor room her heart strings were pulled in half. Nothing could have prepared her for the deep heartache as well the unexplainable joy she would experience. Forty barefoot excited little orphans all clamoring for her open arms to hug them tightly. However, there was one teenage girl who swept the floors and seldom looked up. Her name was Eva. Slowly over several days Dana befriended her and a trust was built. The lonely distraught orphan wanted to be held and adored like all the others. Thankfully Jesus showed up in a very real way using the love of a stranger to help knit the broken pieces of Eva’s heart back together. Two lives were changed that day.

About Dana:

Dana Morgan Murphy lives in Athens Georgia with her husband Mark. Both have been involved in children’s ministry most of their adult lives.

Mark is an ordained minister on staff as the family and children’s pastor at Classic City Community Church. Dana serves alongside him and teaches third through fifth grade Sunday school. She has always had a passion for writing, reading and sharing her faith, especially with children. Her love for seeing young people’s lives changed through books comes from her mother and her grandmother, who were both elementary school librarians. Some of Dana’s fondest memories growing up are of being read to by these two gifted women. They could bring every page to life from memory as they held the book so only she could see the pages.

Eva the Orphan was inspired in 1998 when Dana traveled to Guatemala on a fourteen day mission trip to volunteer in an orphanage. It was there between the windowless walls of the dark, empty dirt floor room her heart strings were pulled in half. Nothing could have prepared her for the deep heartache as well the unexplainable joy she would experience. 
Forty barefoot excited little orphans all clamoring for her open arms to hug them tightly.  However, there was one teenage girl who swept the floors and seldom looked up. Her name was Eva. Slowly over several days Dana befriended her and a trust was built. The lonely distraught orphan also wanted to be held and adored like all the others. 

Thankfully Jesus showed up in a very real way using the love of a stranger to help knit the broken pieces of Eva’s heart back together. Two lives were changed that day.

Other articles of Interest:

Meet our Authors: Shirley Crowder
Latest Release: The Couth Fairy Goes to School
Call for Submissions: Love Letters from the Heart 2