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Speaking event and Book Signing in Kansas: The Gift of Words

Do you ever struggle with your thought life or the words coming out of your mouth? I know I do! In fact, I believe that Joyce Meyer may have written her book, Me and My Big Mouth, just for me!

For my entire life, I’ve battled speaking impatiently, in anger, thoughtlessly, or too bluntly. My wise husband Ray says it’s not necessarily what I’m saying (because I speak truthfully and honestly), but that it’s the way I say it, how I often come across to others. His title of endearment for me is La belle dame sans merci. (The beautiful lady without mercy)

My precious sister Maria, who drips with the gift of mercy, calls it my “bull in the china shop approach!”

I’m working on it! 

As a professional, Christian speaker and author, I’m well aware of the power of words.

The American adage that children often recite in response to bullying in school, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” is simply not true. Words can hurt deeply. Words can also heal and impart life.

God created the world and everything in it with His words. (Genesis Chapter 1) In fact, Jesus Himself is called “The Word” in John 1:1. 

Because God created everything with His  words, and we are made in His image, the words of our mouths are powerful, too. In fact, each word is a gift. This is especially true for speakers and writers!

I’m going to be speaking on this topic at a Christian Women’s Writers’ Workshop, The Gift of Words, in Hutchinson, Kansas, with my friend, author Missy Hoffman, on September 21, 2019.

The workshop will be 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the Hutchinson Public Library. 

The address is 901 N. Main Street, Hutchinson, Kansas, 67501.

Missy and I would LOVE to see you there! Admission is free, but seating is limited. If you’re interested in coming, please email Missy at missy@missyhoffman.com or contact her here on the Facebook event page to save your spot. 

Missy is a self-published author of three books, and she will also share about her own writing journey. Our hope is to encourage Christian women to share the story God has given each one of us and to help each woman experience healing through her own writing journey!

We will meet in the Library Conference Room #1.

The book signing for both of us to sign our books is that same day, September 21, at Metropolitan Coffee shop from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Join us for some delicious coffee and fellowship!

The address for Metropolitan Coffee Shop is 1329 E 17th Ave, Hutchinson, Kansas, 67501. (There is no charge for the book signing! Our books will be available to sign and/or for sale!)

We can wait to see you there! Remember, each word you speak is a gift from God and for God’s glory! Your story matters.

Blog, Business, Ebooks, Faith, prayer, Speaking, Spiritual Gifts, Walking With God, Writing

My book signing at The Carpenter’s Cup

My book signing & promotion The Carpenter's Cup

My book signing & promotion
The Carpenter’s Cup

This Saturday, September 10, I had the honor and privilege of having a book signing and promotion at The Carpenter’s Cup Christian bookstore and coffee shop in Butler, MO. Butler ‘s population was only 4,219 in the 2010 Census, so anything new that happens is a hot topic!

My husband Ray, a paramedic at Bates County Memorial Hospital, heard people talking about The Carpenter’s Cup at his work and suggested I go in there, introduce myself as a local speaker and author, and ask if I could possibly display my books for sale there.

To my delight, the store owner Becky Clift said that while she isn’t yet displaying local authors’ books in her store, I could have a display table for a book signing and promotion on Saturday, during the city wide garage sale when there would be more traffic in town. This was favor from God and I was excited!

Promises In The Dark: One Woman's Search for Authentic Love

Because it was a tight time frame, I had to hustle. I ordered a few copies each of three print books, my memoir Promises In The Dark: One Woman’s Search for Authentic Love, my book on spiritual warfare The Hands of a Woman: Everyday Women in Everyday Battles, and my book on my tumultous 23-year marriage to Ray, Stained Glass & Marriage: Reflections of Light & Hope by an Imperfect Wife.

I already had a physical print copy of my first book which is on prayer, Walking With God, now only available as an eBook on Amazon. 

How To Write Your Book Fast: Making Your Writing Dreams Come True

Cover art: Copyright 2016 Beth Jones

Also, I printed out the cover of my newest eBook for the Kindle on Amazon, How To Write Fast: Making Your Writing Dreams Come True.  

I’d ordered my business cards from Vistaprint a few years ago, so my Amazon Author Page link wasn’t on the card. I printed out labels with my link, cut them down to size, and adhered them to the back of my business card. They looked nice. This was my husband Ray’s great idea!

Organizing and decorating are gifts God has placed inside of me, and I love doing it. Decorating and making things beautiful makes me happy.

I bought purple tablecloths from the dollar store, fresh red carnation flowers, and a bright red bowl containing chocolates to give away to people who stopped by my table on their way inside the store. (The chocolates were a hit, of course!)

The chocolates were a hit!

The chocolates were a hit!

The fresh red carnation flowers gave me joy and looked great with the purple tablecloths.

Red carnations

Red carnations

I already had my printed business cards with my name, website, and info from Vistaprint, and I printed out my speaker one sheetMy table looked beautiful! Several friends complimented it from my posted pics on Facebook. 

My table looked beautiful!

My table looked beautiful!

My display table

My display table

My husband Ray also had another great idea: to enlarge pictures of some of my books to poster-size. I quickly created a PDF with four of my book’s covers, and our daughter Leah helped me to convert it to a jpg file for Walmart to print poster-size (Walmart’s photo machines don’t read PDF’s.)

It only took about 30 minutes, and it looked great and professional.  I bought a purple cork board to pin the poster, which I’m giving to Leah for her bedroom as she has been wanting one, and borrowed Leah’s music stand to display it. (Leah plays the violin, mandolin, and keyboard.)

Book covers stand

Book covers stand

Ray had bought me a butterfly necklace, and I wore it that day with a butterfly ring my precious friend Rochelle Valasek gave me when she spoke at my Released butterfly conference, and butterfly earrings. I noticed throughout the day all kinds of butterflies flying around the flowers near my table: white, yellow, Monarch. I felt they were a sign of confirmation that God’s presence was with me. This greatly encouraged me. 

butterfly

butterfly

During the signing, customers to The Carpenter’s Cup stopped by, looked at my books and poster, got some chocolates, and my business card. I sold a few books and may have a possible speaking engagement at one church leader’s church. I was able to just listen to women’s hearts and later prayed for them. 

speaker one sheet

speaker one sheet

While there, I also met the owner Becky’s family: her daughter and her son (who brainstorm ideas for the store with her and her son makes the delicious hot and cold, flavored coffees there!), her sisters (who are part of her business team), her friends and her customers.

At lunch time, Becky and her family treated me to a wonderful (and free!) brisket sandwich lunch with cole slaw, broccoli salad, chips, and gluten free brownies. What a blessing! They all made me feel very welcome.

lunch with Becky's family

lunch with Becky’s family

brisket

brisket

One customer who stopped by the table began sharing her heart with me, some horrible things she had suffered in her life after I showed her my memoir and mentioned some painful things I’d gone through, but told her how faithful God is.

I knew this was my most important “divine appointment” at the book signing. Like Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well, God wants us to give others His living, abundant waters. (John 4:1-42)

Jesus at well with woman

Jesus at well with woman

Also, I think that I made friends with the store owner Becky’s grandson, Kuhli. 🙂  He hung around me all day–probably because I had the chocolates! But still, he amused me and talked with me to keep me company. In the picture below, he had just finished eating a bowl of strawberries and was going back inside the store.

Kuhli

Kuhli

This book signing and promotion was such an honor and a blessing to me, and I’m so thankful to God, my husband Ray for the idea, and to The Carpenter’s Cup store owner Becky Clift for the privilege. If you’re ever in Butler, MO, be sure to stop by the store at 102 South Bishop Street, Butler, MO, 64730.

The Carpenter's Cup

The Carpenter’s Cup

They have great non-fiction and fiction books, Bibles, journals, some nice “bling” (pretty jewelry, Montana West purses and flip flops), home decor for the fall and Christmas, a pastors’ and a children’s section, and the delicious hot and iced flavored coffees. (Try the chocolate raspberry hot coffee-delish!)

I will write another blog post about the store itself, and how Becky, an R.N. for years, came up with the amazing idea for it, so stay tuned!

After the book signing event, I treated myself to the movie Sully which opened this weekend. It stars Tom Hanks and is based on the miraculous story of Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger making an emergency water landing in New York’s Hudson River after Airways Flight 1549 hit a flock of geese on January 15, 2009. Miraculously, all 155 passengers survived. The movie was partly about the investigation he faced afterward, threatening to destroy his pilot career and reputation. I highly recommend the movie.

Sully

Sully

Thank you so much to all who prayed for me and encouraged me about this book signing and promotion event. I feel it was a “God” thing and am praying it will bear much eternal fruit.

me-book-signing

me-book-signing

One opportunity I have out of it is that I’m starting a Bible study tonight with the store owner Becky and some ladies in the local area at the store. We’re studying Priscilla Shirer’s book, The Armor of God. She’s the daughter of Pastor Tony Evans and she starred in the incredible movie War Room.  I’ll let you know how the study goes. 

The main character, Elizabeth Jordan, in the movie War Room

The main character, Elizabeth Jordan, in the movie War Room