Where You Are & How to Get There Author Interview and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Where You Are & How to Get There

Author: Nolan Ryan Recker

Genre: Lifestyle

Release date: August 4, 2022

Have you ever had the thought or asked yourself the question, “How did I get here?”

You know, the kind of question examining the indirect decisions and circumstances that led you to the point life that you even need to ask such a question.

One of the oldest questions ever recorded in human history speaks to this very question we ask ourselves in moments of doubt. What if that ancient question was a question we ought to ask ourselves on a regular basis?

Journey with me as we wrestle with a question that if meant for us, today, would change everything about we view the life we choose to live.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

Nolan’s toughest and rewarding opportunities are being a husband and a father. As a husband and a father, Nolan wants his family members to discover and live a flourishing life. Nolan’s life experience has covered the spectrum from being a camp counselor to a school teacher to a custodian to a Lead Pastor of a church. This, is why he writes. If he wrestles with the ideas he writes about, maybe others wrestle with the same things, and if they do, would they benefit from a different perspective? He’s honored to listen to anyone who graces him with their time to tell their story; especially if it involves coffee or pizza.

More from Nolan

Hi there! The name’s Nolan & I love this book.

Seriously, it was a labor of love.

Sometimes writing for the sake of the enjoyment and scrutiny of others can lead to some pretty sad writing days. One of my favorite writers recently said something along these lines, “Sometimes, writing is opening up a blank word processor, staring at it for eight hours, closing the processor, and not writing a thing. It still counts!”

For me, I used to seek perfection in much of what I attempted to do. I wouldn’t try something if the odds weren’t favorable. It wasn’t until I learned that life is a lot like staring at a blank word processor. Even though I didn’t accomplish anything on a specific day or season of life, the fact that I showed up is what counts.

Learning to live life in this way. Discovering rhythms of creating, rest, consuming, pain, work, play, purpose, and my people; helped me to rediscover a life-story worth living.

A life-story worth writing.

I am so many things and wear so many different “hats,” but first and foremost, I am a loved human being, created in the Image of a loving and creative God.

I enjoy being a husband and a father.

I love the passion of writing.

When something comes together, there is no greater treasure than to put something into the world that brightens someone else’s experience of this life.

Wearing the “hats” of Pastor, Teacher, Coach, Friend, Advocate, etc. time and I again I would have conversations with people regarding the very things you will read in “Where You Are & How To Get There.”

We are all on this life journey together, and I am glad to journey on with all of you.

Author Interview

Which author has most influenced your own writing?

Not just one, but two authors equally. Rob Bell and Donald Miller.
Donald for his vulnerability and wrestling. Rob for his thoughtful questions and prose.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

When I write, I have a conversation with the reader—in my mind. Instead of relaying
information, ideas, or questions, I write as if I may know the reader’s response and then
speak to that thought as I write.

Describe your book in five words.

Punchy. Intuitive. Refreshing. Inspiring. Hopeful.

Do you prefer traditional books, ebooks, or audiobooks?

Audiobooks, especially when read by the author. I will get an audiobook recorded for
this book. I am excited about it!

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

The first-draft is literally a first-draft. Get over yourself and put it out there. The longer
you take on the first-draft, the harder the process. I tried to buck this advice and it only
led to frustration. Once I leaned into just getting it out there, it all started to flow, I got out
of my own way and this most recent project went a lot smoother.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, September 9

Texas Book-aholic, September 10

A Reader’s Brain, September 11 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 12

Inklings and notions, September 13

Splashes of Joy, September 14 (Author Interview)

deb’s Book Review, September 14

Locks, Hooks and Books, September 15

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 16

Spoken from the Heart, September 17 (Author Interview)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 18

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 19

For the Love of Literature, September 20 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, September 20

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 21

Cats in the Cradle Blog, September 22

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Nolan is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/2159c/where-you-are

All That the Locusts Have Eaten Author Interview and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: All That the Locusts Have Eaten: God’s Redemption Through Loss and Heartache

Author: Chuck Carr

Genre: Narrative Nonfiction, Christian Inspirational

Release date: August 22, 2020

Are you suffering from loss? Confused? Do you feel like the world is set against you? Inspiring, this dynamic narrative non-fiction read tells the true story of how one man journeyed from the pit of despair to the purpose filled life God intended him to live. Mingled with poetry, scripture, and literary allegories, this artistically crafted masterpiece is sure to breathe life into even those in the deepest struggles.

Chuck Carr was raised on a farm by Christian parents and attended church each Sunday. Right after graduation, he married his college sweetheart and lived a life of fulfilled dreams.

Until it all fell apart.

In the true story of All That the Locusts Have Eaten, Chuck recounts how tragedy after tragedy struck his life, nearly destroying him. Depressed, desolate, and devastated, Chuck leaned into his faith in God to find answers.

Interwoven in this raw and personal account, Chuck shares intimate journal thoughts and asks hard-hitting questions designed to make the reader think. In a hero’s journey applicable to us all, he reveals how he found restoration after years of heartbreak, and how God put his life back together.

All That the Locusts Have Eaten will encourage readers who have suffered any type of loss. If you have struggled with overwhelming difficulties, you are not alone. Like Chuck, you, too, can discover hope for the future once again.

Click HERE to get your copy!

About the Author

As a former youth pastor, Chuck Carr has influenced hundreds of people throughout his life. Author of The Convergence, Navigating Grief, All That the Locusts Have Eaten, and Wonders In The Deep, he desires to help others live effectively despite hardships, as his testimony proves that sufferings can be changed into blessings. Losing a spouse in 2008, he strives to help those hurting from the same pain. While working on the family dairy farm, a life altering accident in 2018 left him with a traumatic brain injury, and his vision and life goal has been refocused to help others heal from devastating traumas. Now remarried to a woman of shared life goals, he has chosen to live with purpose despite his injuries, being an inspiration to others. He currently continues writing books and blogging and can be found at www.Chuck-Carr.com.

More from Chuck

Sometimes life hits you unexpected, and when it doesn’t let up, you might feel a bit bewildered. That was me, when time after time I kept getting up, only to get knocked right back down again. I couldn’t understand why bad things kept happening to me, a good person, a good man. I was doing things the right way, so I thought. I married a God-fearing woman. I was using my life for God’s purpose. I had devoted my life to teaching the next generation as a youth pastor. Everything should have been smooth and easy, right? Amid a dark storm, nothing seemed easy. Why hardship hit so relentlessly was a mystery to me. Things didn’t seem fair. And when nothing made sense, I was reeling, searching, and found myself on the backside of the wilderness screaming to a God who only seemed to have a deaf ear turned my way. Sound familiar? In this book, I take you on a great journey to find answers when most answers seemed bleak, if not non-existent. Take God’s hand with me, he’s there, I promise. I’ll show you how his voice is so clear and distinct, even when we have trouble seeing which way is up. All That the Locusts Have Eaten is a testament to how God can bring us through, and that, in unexpected ways.

Author Interview

When/how did you decide to become a writer?

Well . . . I wish I could tell you that I’ve always been an inspiring writer, but unfortunately, sometimes in life we need a bit of prodding.  My writing journey began through injury.  In 2018 I was in a severe accident in which I was confined to a chair nearly 24/7 with a traumatic brain injury.  Being a very active individual prior to my accident, it was hard to handle the instant change to sitting still all the time.  No more were the days of kayaking, bicycling on rails to trails, and adventuring through unknown territories.  I had to sit in silence all day due to the inability to handle stimuli.  I couldn’t handle visitors and became very lonely.  To make a long story short, the change was severely hard to handle, taking a giant toll on me emotionally and psychologically.  After about six months out my double vision stopped and my eyes adjusted enough that I started reading a little again.  It was a big relief because it was something I could do and enjoy.  I read a book by Joni Eareckson Tada, who also suffered an accident that left her disabled, and it started a new journey for me.  I soaked up the words she spoke of.  I saw how God could still use her, and it dawned on me: if God could still use her, then God could still use me!  I was still confined to a chair almost all day, but what better time to do something with myself than the present.  My mind began to think . . . what can I still do?  And so began my writing journey.  It was slow at first.  I had to learn to type again.  But I had a lot of time.  And the journey was exciting.  Over three years later, I’m writing books, doing a blog, and making every chance count to inspire people.  That’s what God does best.  He takes impossible situations and creates beauty out of things nobody thought possible.  I’m just one living example of how true Romans 8:28 is.

Who was/is your biggest inspiration?

I already mentioned how and why I started writing, but I never would have gotten into that mindset if it wouldn’t have been for my wife.  Her eyes saw possibilities when all I saw was hopelessness.  When I was sitting on a couch in despair, she could see a dream budding in my heart.  “You’ve always wanted to write a book,” she would say.  “What better time to write it than now?”  And she was right.  There was no better time.  Not only was it healthy for me to have a goal and a positive direction to point myself towards, but she could see beyond the now, and knew that there was something bigger in everything than just what I initially saw in an accident.  Not only did God use her to accompany what he was doing with Joni Eareckson Tada’s message, my wife’s voice would be the support to get me off the ground and into the writing world.  I will forever be grateful for what she did.  A whole ton of hurting people are being blessed with books and words because of her persistence.  Thanks, Faerie.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Definitely a plotter.  I’m not sure how other author’s keep things straight when they are constructing their books in their heads, but with a disability involved, I am extra sensitive to my need for planning.  It’s actually quite funny.  I laugh at it when I do author talks at book signings.  I am in a very distinguished group of people that get to enjoy his own book again over and over.  “Sometimes I forget what’s in there,” I tell them.  “And I’m like, woah!  That’s good stuff!”  It’s fun to have the ability to read a book over again and enjoy it multiple times.  It is also frustrating for someone who tends to have trouble keeping all their notes together, so I’ve come up with a great system of book plotting to chart things out.  It works great, and I use it all the time now.

Do you have a favorite or special place to write?

Definitely outside.  It’s sort of funny, maybe, especially if you drive past me and wonder what I’m doing.  When I was able to start driving again, I instantly took advantage of it.  I spend a lot of time parked in my truck soaking up nature.  It’s my source of refreshment and replenishment I guess, as God’s creation tends to restore my creative spark.  You’ll find me parked in my pickup on a hilltop, beside a creek or river, in a field, or lost in a forest.  Sometimes I drive to a state park and work on a picnic table.  Sometimes I take a chair and enjoy the sunshine.  I let the beauty of what God has made to inspire me for what I write, as a well to draw from when I need to be in touch with the creative side of myself.  Yes, I have a desk at home . . . but I’ll take my coffee to go, please.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse, or is there a particular Bible story that really resonates with you?

Who doesn’t resonate with David, taken from the sheepfold but moved to places he never thought possible?  A humble boy who had the ear of God in the lonely hills of Judah, a song, a pen, he spoke his heart with melody and prose.  And one day, that faithful boy was called on.  A giant was faced, a soul was faithful with what he had been trained and with.  And with all quality facetime that David had spent with his Creator, Goliath wasn’t as big of a giant as one might think.  So, my head injury.  God is taking me places I never thought possible.  He’s doing things I never thought doable.  Other people are being blessed, healed, and strengthened with what God is doing in me, with me, and through me.  I’ll take it.  It’s all good.  That’s what All That the Locusts Have Eaten is all about.  I’m a living testament to what Romans 8:28 says when it defines truth plainly: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, May 23

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, May 24

Simple Harvest Reads, May 25 (Author Interview)

Inklings and notions, May 26

For the Love of Literature, May 27 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, May 27

deb’s Book Review, May 28

Locks, Hooks and Books, May 29

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, May 30

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, May 31

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, June 1

Beauty in the Binding, June 2 (Author Interview)

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, June 3

Splashes of Joy, June 4

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, June 5 (Author Interview)

Miriam Jacob, June 5

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Chuck is giving away the grand prize package of a $50 Amazon gift card & signed copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/1df1b/all-that-the-locusts-have-eaten-celebration-tour-giveaway

Gen SeXYZ Spotlight and GIVEAWAY!

About the Book

Book: Gen SeXZY

Author: Jeff Grenell

Genre: RELIGION / Christian Ministry/Youth

Release date: January 19, 2021

“Corrupt the young. Get them away from religion. Encourage their interest in sex.…”—Vladimir Lenin, 1921, How to Destroy the West

Going through each of the prophetic statements made by Lenin in 1921 shows why America is where it is today. Only 4 percent of Gen Z think about life through a biblical lens. To them, sexuality is more important than friends, family, or their faith.

Jeff Grenell’s goal in Gen SeXYZ: Love, Sexuality & Youth is to reach youth, youth leaders, and the church with a message that kicks the devil to the curb and restores sexuality to its God-given origins.

When the church failed to respond to the sexual revolution of the 1960s and the present one of the 21st century, its role in society crumbled. The media stopped censoring, the government redefined marriage, schools taught progressive sex education, and the list of genders grew. We’ve experienced generational loss because we’ve gotten further away from the source of our original knowledge of sexuality: the Bible.

Jeff points out that our understanding of sexuality must be anchored to the fact that God is love and the devil stole sex. He provides direct quotations from teenagers and leaders, practical knowledge, and tools to launch a spiritual revolution of love and truth that will grow the church to reach younger generations and combat the loveless, godless sexuality ethic in our culture that’s misleading them.

 
Click HERE to get your copy!
 

About the Author

Jeff Grenell is a nationally recognized youth ministry veteran who inspires youth leaders across denominations.

After four decades in youth leadership, Jeff and his late wife, Jane, founded ythology to both reach and teach youth and train youth leaders to prepare the next generations to lead in the church and the world.
He served as a youth pastor at churches in Michigan and Ohio, taught at North Central University’s Church Leadership School, and has traveled around the world to teach youth ministry and development at large churches, conventions, universities, and leadership training conferences.

Jeff attended Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri, where he received his B.A. in Communications and Theology and his M.A. in Organizational Leadership.
He is the older brother of Richard Grenell, the U.S. ambassador to Germany. The father of three adult children, Jeff makes his home in Minneapolis.

 

More from Jeff

Corrupt the young. Check. Gen Z has a 4 percent biblical worldview. Get them away from religion. Check. Only 25 percent of Gen Z sees attending church as “very important.” Encourage their interest in sex. Check. Cause the breakdown of the old moral virtues like honesty, sobriety, and self-restraint. Check.

We could go on through each of these prophetic statements from Lenin in 1921 and see why America is where it is today.

XYZ

Just look at the title of the book. This project is a compilation of the sexuality handoff from Generation X (the adult parents of young people today), to Generation Y (the Millennials), and finally to Generation Z (teenagers and early twenty-somethings). We can learn a lot from this generational handoff—mostly that it has failed to pass the Christian faith along to the following generation.

The narrative throughout this book is a clear picture of how we have gotten here as a nation: by abandoning God as the center of our lives in the past few generations. And while we will do some commentary about Generation X and their influence upon our society, most of this study is about the Generation Y/Millennial and the Generation Z young people in America.

Blog Stops

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, February 6

Fiction Book Lover, February 7 (Spotlight)

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, February 7

Texas Book-aholic, February 8

A Baker’s Perspective, February 9 (Spotlight)

Inklings and notions, February 10

For the Love of Literature, February 11 (Spotlight)

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, February 12

Through the Fire Blogs, February 13 (Spotlight)

For Him and My Family, February 14

Blossoms and Blessings, February 15 (Spotlight)

Artistic Nobody, February 15 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)

Locks, Hooks and Books, February 16

Splashes of Joy, February 17 (Spotlight)

deb’s Book Review, February 18

Simple Harvest Reads, February 19 (Spotlight)

Giveaway

To celebrate his tour, Jeff is giving away the grand prize package of a $20 Starbucks gift card and copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/10710/gen-sexyz-celebration-tour-giveaway