September news from Dernier Publishing

Welcome to the September 2014

Dernier Publishing newsletter!

Desperation v Expectation

I don't know about you, but it seems that desperation is all around us. At times the needs of this world seem overwhelming. Wars in Iraq, Syria and central Africa, terrorism in Nigeria; the fear of the ebola virus, wars and disasters and hunger and poverty; misery and the results of sin . . . all these are graphically portrayed on our TV screens 24/7. And it's often the pictures of the children in these desperate circumstances who break our hearts.

But we don't have to go so far away to hear of horrors. Girls as young as twelve are being given contraceptives without parents' knowledge . . . in Scotland. Fourteen-year-old Alice Gross is still missing at time of writing; a man has been held in custody on suspicion of her murder.

But even while all these terrible things are going on, there are three things that are sure:

1. Jesus is building his church. We can't see this kingdom, and we don't hear about it on the BBC or CNN . . . but this thrilling movement of the kingdom of God is growing in grace and faith and love and peace and joy, in praise and thanksgiving, in strength and in numbers. The kingdom of God may be unseen to human eyes, but it is there just the same. 'Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.' Hallelujah!
2. God's grace is never ending. His grace is always sufficient, whatever the circumstances. And we are all called to be a part of that grace, helping others in their time of need.
3. God is on the throne. In the end He will bring all things to himself. The old will pass away and the new will come. There will be justice, and mercy, and every tear will be wiped away.

So let's keep looking up with expectation when looking around brings distress. And do our bit to bring light and life and peace and faith as we await the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Come, Lord Jesus!

It's not Christmas yet!

Well you hardly need me to tell you that. :-) But as the shops are beginning to stock Christmas cards, chocolates and mince pies . . . and just in case you are starting to think about planning your toddler group Christmas activities, I wanted to tell you about author Vickie Howie, with whom I recently judged a competition for the Association of Christian Writers! Vickie gives talks and workshops on storytelling, putting on a nativity play and using drama to tell a Bible story. If that's something you might be interested in, do take a look at her website: http://www.vickihowie.co.uk She also has some lovely Christmas books for small children!

A Pennyworth of Peppermints for Torch Trust

Thrilling news – Torch Trust have taken on A Pennyworth of Peppermints! They will be bringing out this lovely story in large print, in braille and on their 'daisy', which is an audio version. If you know any children who have visual impairment, do get in touch with the Torch Trust and see if they might be able to help you. Torch Trust have Deepest Darkness and the Beech Bank Girls already in their collection.

Another boon for children with even slightly impaired vision is the increasing availability of ebooks. Several of our books are now on kindle, including our new Beech Bank Girls, A Time Remembered. The font size can be enlarged . . . this also helps children with dyslexia. If you go to the Amazon store and type in Dernier Publishing in the search feature, our books will pop up. Pass it on! We are delighted to be part of something to help children who might otherwise miss out.

We are also delighted that our ebooks can be downloaded instantly all over the world, which means that they are available to children who, again, might not have the opportunity to read physical Christian books. They can even be read on computers and phones. Do you know anyone abroad . . . perhaps missionaries or workers abroad who might like to download our books for their children? Do tell them about us!

And please pray for all these projects – the potential to touch lives is enormous, one precious life at a time. Be assured that your prayers are making a difference to children all over the world, so don't stop!

P.S. If you have downloaded any of our books from Amazon, please do leave a review, it helps our ratings! Thank you very much.

The Write for a Reason* Course begins today!

I hope I will be running the course again, so if you have missed the deadline this time round, don't worry, there will be another opportunity! If you would like to sign up to receive details of the next course, or to receive absolutely free no obligation writing tips, let me know! You can read more about the course here: www.write-for-a-reason.com :-)

With many thanks once more for your enormously valued support,

Janet

*Write for a Reason is a seven week online course for writers who want to learn more about writing fiction  for older children from a Christian perspective. It covers such essentials as creating engaging characters, planning and plotting, how to use dialogue to move your story forward, perspective, description, and much more.

"Can I have some blood to play with?" and other news!

Welcome to the August 2013

Dernier Publishing

newsletter!

“Can I have some blood to play with?”

Our five year-old grandson stayed with us last weekend. After watching “Moses” on DVD (“Testament” series, get it from your local Christian bookshop!), he wanted to read the story in his children's Bible. He was particularly taken with the thought of God's power. Then he went out in the garden and played Moses. He had a stick which “turned into a snake”, and yes, he asked for some blood to play with! He wanted to turn the water in his bucket into blood, and some more to put on the doorposts . . . Great game, but I said no to the blood :-)

Anyone who would argue that what our children read and watch doesn't affect them, hasn't had children. In fact, we are all influenced by what we put into our minds. That's why the apostle Paul said, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

What are children's minds being filled with? What are they watching on TV, reading in books and magazines, seeing on adverts? What games are they playing? Have you seen the latest music videos aimed at quite young children, heard the lyrics, seen what they watch on YouTube? Even if you have parental guidelines on your PC, what about hand-held devices, where your children can watch and read anything 24/7? Is what they are taking in true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise?

The things our children are watching and reading is influencing them from within. It's affecting the way they think about things, what they believe, what they think is good, influencing who they want to be with, what they want to do.

Times have changed. It used to be safer to keep children at home than send them out to play . . . now the goal posts have moved. There is a battle on for our children in our own homes.

Concerned? Me too. We need to be aware of what is going on, and fight back.

Here are some suggestions:

1. Be a good example
2. Make sure you know what your children are watching, reading and playing
3. Keep open communication about all the above. Discuss their films, books, etc. with them
4. Veto if necessary
5. Make sure all home computers have parental controls switched on
6. Have screens in places where you can see what they are watching. Don't be fooled, check the tabs, homework can be flipped up as you pass . . .
7. Discuss the reason for your concerns with them
8. Offer Christian alternatives

If all this seems totally overwhelming, pick one thing from this list that you can do NOW. You could even print out the list, and pin it to your fridge! And if we can help in any way, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We would love you to buy our books, because we have seen the difference they have made in so many children's lives.

If you would like to take a look, please do so here: www.dernierpublishing.com . . . or visit your local Christian bookshop.

You can also buy two of our e-books in the Kindle store: Mysteryin the Snow and TheTreasure Hunt

We are not keen on Amazon's ethics, and are planning alternative e-books . . . as soon as we have more news about that we will let you know!

Special Offer

For this month's Special Offer we have chosen the first in the Beech Bank Girls series, by Eleanor Watkins - excellent, relevant, fun Christian chick-lit for 10-14s! This brilliantly written book was shortlisted for the Christian Resources Awards in 2011 – a great accolade. You can read the first chapter online: BeechBank Girls.

The offer is here: http://dernierpublishing.com/offers_aug13.php or visit your local Christian bookshop. Excellent for Girls Brigades, Girl Guides, girls' schools, clubs, camps and you could even get ahead and buy them now for Christmas presents!

Buy ten copies this month for just:

£49.90!

That's a bargain, reaching 10 girls (or more if they share!) for less than five pounds each.

The book was reviewed by a panel of girls for Revelation TV. Part of the interview went like this:

"What were the highlights of the book - were there any good points?"
"All of the book was good!" "Were there any bad points?"
"No." "How has the book affected you - has it changed your perspective on anything?"
It's made me realise, whenever you need God and whatever trouble you're in, he is always there." "Would you recommend the book to your friends?"
"Definitely!"

If you are looking for a book which will encourage and inspire your 10-14 year-old girls in their faith, look no further! Here's a 'why buy' video on YouTube . . . BeechBank Girls.

Quick snippets for prayer.

I would be so grateful if you would pray for the following: 1. Some of our books are on their way to Morocco, 2. Please pray for all the bookshops who stock our books, 3. Please pray for guidance for us as there are so many projects we would love to be involved with, but have to wait for finances, 4. Pray that our books will be more widely known and used.

Thank you so much for all your support – for praying, encouraging, sharing our news and everyone involved in so many different ways. Without you, Dernier Publishing would not exist.

Janet

PS. Don't forget to print off your 'battle list'! And feel free to forward to your friends.

Dernier Publishing exists to produce excellent, relevant fiction to encourage and inspire 8-16 year-olds in their faith and show non-church kids what they are missing! If you have been forwarded this by a friend, thank you for your interest. If you would like to receive regular emails from us, just let me know :-) Email Janet

10 Good Reasons to Buy Christian Fiction for the Children You Love

In the past, Christian fiction has had a bad name for being preachy, boring, badly written and old-fashioned. But now there are some brilliant, engaging, relevant stories that are just waiting to thrill our children! Why should we cough up the cash, though?

10 Reasons to Buy Christian Fiction for the Children You Love

1. Stories with Christian characters can encourage children in their own faith

Church kids are often thrilled to find a Christian hero/heroine in a 'real' story! They can also be inspired to follow their example.

2. We remember stories better than straight information

Jesus told stories for a reason! Not only are stories with a message so much more memorable than a list of bullet points, they are so much more enjoyable. Church and non-church children alike can learn about how valued they are, how the Lord loves them, and that prayer changes things, all through the medium of a great book.

3. It's great to encourage children to read books with Christian values

We are all influenced by what we put into our minds, and there is a lot of ungodly stuff out there filling our children's heads and hearts. In a world that is imperfect, stories written from a Christian perspective can encourage our children to find and stay on the right path. 

 

4. A novel is a non-threatening gift

Books make thoughtful gifts and are generally gratefully received. Why not buy books for children who attend Messy Church, kids clubs and camps?

5. Kids see faith being outworked in a way relevant to their own culture

Bible stories can become over-familiar to church kids . . . but it can be exciting to read about how faith works in every day situations, to children just like them.

6. Children make sense of their world through stories

Children can reflect on subjects such as faith, prayer, justice and forgiveness in the safe place of a story. If you have read the book, you can talk about these issues with them, too.

7. Children can lend books to their friends (at no extra cost!)

Why not buy a load for your own kids then lend them out to all their school friends and their families? Think of the potential! If you get tongue-tied, but would like to pass on the good news to kids going through a rough time, a book can take the message for you. 

 

8. Like to have spiritual input but can't due to distance?

Grandparents/parents/significant others who are separated from their children by distance (or who can't talk about their faith openly), but would still like to have some spiritual input, can do so by sending Christian books, or reading stories over Skype!

9. Like more family time? Reading stories together is great for bonding!

Reading an exciting novel aloud is a great way to spend quality time together. Discussing the plot and the characters' reactions to events is a great way to open communication.

10. Words are powerful – a book may sow seeds that will bear fruit in years to come

We have all read books that have affected the way we have thought about things. Never underestimate the power of a story to change lives.

Www.dernierpublishing.com/aboutus.php

Happy reading :-)

Janet