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To celebrate the KC Royals’ World Series win, a royal sale on my eBooks!

Starting at 10 am CST (11 am EST, 8 am PST), to celebrate the KC Royals’ World Series win, I’m having a 99 cents “royal” sale (this is a 67% discount off the regular price!) on my non-fiction eBook, The Cinderella Story: The Power of Shoes, and my only fiction eBook, Storm Tossed!

The Cinderella Story: The Power of Shoes Amazon Best Seller http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VN77IXQ/

The Cinderella Story: The Power of Shoes
Amazon Best Seller
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VN77IXQ/

 

Storm Tossed

Storm Tossed
Amazon Best Seller fiction eBook
http://hyperurl.co/vq9iaa

The Cinderella Story: The Power of Shoes is about walking in your unique “glass slippers,” your purpose and calling, based on the fairy tale of Cinderella, Storm Tossed is about a Christian writer who is separated from her husband and goes for the summer to Destin, Florida, where a terrible hurricane hits and she has to face not only the storm outside her, but inside of her as well.

Learn more at my Amazon Author page here and remember sharing is caring! amazon.com/author/bethmjones

The sale will last until November 6, 2015 at 11 pm PST. You can find out more at my Amazon Author Page here: http://www.amazon.com/author/bethmjones

Blog

The land of mastering

This week I’ve been attending Chandler Bolt’s online Self Publishing Success Summit, with 37 speakers on the topics of writing, marketing, and publishing your book. It has been excellent training, and I’m learning so much. I have only been able to catch a few of the replays, but the ones I’ve watched are so inspiring.

Some takeaways I’ve had with self-publishing your book/eBook on Kindle for Amazon (some of these I already knew):

  • Know your audience and what they really want-you can find this out by asking your subscribers in your ezine, through a survey, or by studying Facebook analytics;
  • Offer value, such as a permafree ebook or your reader lead (freebie at your website in exchange for their name and email address) and valuable content with your ezine;
  • Create a series on Amazon, because series do great and Amazon begins promoting them for you if the book does well;
  • What are your competitors offering on Amazon and at what price;
  • Make all you do align with your mission;
  • Have a specific, laid out marketing plan;
  • Get beta readers for reviews before your book launches (reviews and endorsements from influencers are great);
  • Think outside the box and offer something unique;
  • Create Facebook targeted ads (even $5 a day ads) to get the word out and to build your subscriber list;
  • Repurpose your content into videos, podcasts, webinars, teleseminars, self-study courses-think beyond the book (It’s a business, not a book!);
  • Make your larger eBook into smaller Kindle eBooks;
  • Love what you do;
  • and much more.

I believe that we should be life-long learners, learning something new every day. I personally find learning FUN. Some of the guests that Chandler has interviewed have included speakers/authors/entrepreneurs I already follow, such as Best Selling Author Jeff Goins, Joanna Penn of The Creative Penn (I don’t read her fiction books, but she has a lot of wisdom about being a successful author), and Entrepreneur on Fire podcaster John Lee Dumas.

Storm Tossed ecover Copyright 2015 Beth Jones www.BethJones.net

Storm Tossed ecover
Copyright 2015 Beth Jones www.BethJones.net

The summit is timely, as I just released my first ever fiction book, Storm Tossed, which became an Amazon Best Seller the first day in its category and sub-categories. I’ve been surprised and so encouraged to see 5-star and 4-star reviews about it. You can check it out for your Kindle at Amazon here.  The price right now is just $2.99.

Our daughter Leah and I are reading a great book right now called Start: Punch Fear in the Face, Escape Average, and Do Work That Matters by Jon Acuff. In today’s reading, Jon shares about starting out his public speaking career by speaking to only 12 people at a rehab center (not, as Jon says, the place someone typically aspires to speak at, to those who are in one of the worst seasons of their lives, and having to speak for free), and by joining finance whiz Dave Ramsey‘s team versus being on his own.

Why did he speak at the rehab center? Why does he want to learn from Dave Ramsey?

“Because I want to be led. I want to learn from a master. I want to admit time and time again, “I don’t know the best way to do this. Will you teach me?”

Jon encourages you and me: “Be led. Be taught. Remain a learner.”

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I desire for God to lead me in this exciting, and unpredictable and challenging, journey called life. I want Jesus and other smart, successful people to teach me what I need to know. I want to learn new things. 

What about you? What are you learning lately? Leave your comments below.

 

 

 

Blog

What storm are you in now? Journaling questions from Facebook Virtual Book Launch

Storm TossedThis week I had my Facebook Virtual Book Launch Celebration for my first ever fiction eBook, Storm Tossed, which became an Amazon Best Seller in its category and sub-categories the FIRST day. Thank you for helping to make this possible!

During the launch, I shared encouraging Scriptures and inspiring quotes, and asked questions about storms. I thought I’d share them here with you for you to think, pray, and journal about today. Feel free to answer one or some of these in the comments below.

1. Have you been in a hurricane or another disaster? Share a little about it-what happened, when, and where?

2. What spiritual or emotional storms have you been through in life? For example, mine would be my difficult marriage with Ray for 23 years. We’ve faced his career struggles, financial hardship, foreclosure of our home, bankruptcy, health issues, and so much more. You can read more about this in my memoir, Promises In The Dark: One Woman’s Search for Authentic Love. (By God’s grace we’re still together!)

3. What did God teach you through the storm? Many of the women who attended the event said that they had learned to rely on God during their worst moments, to know that He would never leave them.

4. Is there anyone or anything you’re putting your faith or trust in other than God? For example, we so often turn to other people, sex, food, money/success, addictions such as alcohol, drugs or pornography, entertainment, careers or ministry, social media, etc., to try to fill up that black hole inside of us, which is a God-void.

5. What can you do to experience more peace in your life? Have quiet time with God first thing in the morning? Talk with a friend over coffee? Go for a walk? Get a massage? Read a good book? Watch a chic flic? Take a  hot bubble bath? Travel someplace new?

6. Rachel in Storm Tossed doesn’t listen to her husband Jackson, their daughter Faith, or anyone to evacuate before the hurricane hits. Do you have trouble listening to God or others? I know for myself, this is an area I struggle with, but I’m trying to become a better listener!

7. Rachel was afraid in the hurricane, even though she tried to have faith. All she needed was mustard seed size faith! What area of your life do you need to trust God more? Study the scripture Matthew 17:20. Maybe even buy a mustard seed necklace as a visual reminder to trust in God.

8. Faith keeps her feelings private, except with her mom. Do you have a close friend to talk with about your problems and your feelings? Remember that Jesus is your Friend. You can always come to Him and talk about anything. 

9. Rachel travels to the ocean in Destin, FL, in Storm Tossed to get away from everyone and everything to really think and pray about everything. What is your dream spot, some place where you’d love to go away alone for a break?

10. What storm are you going through right now in your life? Jesus is right there with you, just as He was with the disciples in the boat when they were terrified they would drown. (Matthew 8:23-27)

To find out more about my new fiction eBook, Storm Tossed, click here.

Watch the book trailer here.