"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

Welcome to the June 2013 Dernier Publishing newsletter!

Welcome to the June 2013

Dernier Publishing

newsletter!

 

Reading is the best!

There's nothing quite like a good book, is there! Here's a wonderful quote from Gustave Flaubert: “You forget everything. The hours slip by. You travel in your chair through centuries you seem to see before you, your thoughts are caught up in the story, dallying with the details or following the course of the plot, you enter into characters, so that it seems as if it were your own heart beating beneath their costumes.” As summer holidays approach, let's give our children some great books to read! According to data released by the Dept. of Work and Pensions, one out of every six children in the UK lives in relative poverty. I'm not sure what that means exactly, but we all know families who are strapped for cash. Could you buy some books for families who might not be able to afford it? Don't let kids miss out.

Sunday School Prizes

If your church doesn't give out books to children, perhaps you might ask the minister or youth leader the reason? If they are under the impression that kids don't read any more, ask the Sunday School children what they are reading. It might spur them to action! If the concern is financial, perhaps they might ask people in the congregation to make a special gift, or sponsor a book each. Giving books away is an effective, gentle way of reaching out to whole families with the 'message in a story'. With so much ungodly stuff out there, it's an excellent form of outreach. Can we afford not to?

Don't forget you can order our books from any Christian bookshop, as well as direct from us.

Sharing the Wealth!

From Australia: Completely unexpectedly, author Mary Weeks Millard received the following email (I've shortened it a bit!): “I really enjoyed the books I Want to be an Airline Pilot and The Birthday Shoes and was excited to find out that there was others that followed I Want to be an Airline Pilot. I enjoyed the parts when Emily Jane went to different countries in The Birthday Shoes and was a bit disappointed when she tried the shoes and they did not fit any more, as I realised that I had reached the end of the book. I am 9 years old, I live in Australia. Thank you for writing books that make me think about how fortunate I am. Thank you for making me think about how much I take for granted.” Sadly, though, not as many books have been sold in Australia as hoped. Please would you take a few moments to pray? Thank you.

From Ayeisha in The Gambia: “A couple of months ago I gave a copy of Mary Millard's The Birthday Shoes to the security officer at a local supermarket (who loves reading books and I have given him some books before from our bookshop to read). It was for his daughter. He later told me his daughter enjoyed reading it so much that she asked if she could also read the book (The Heavenly Man) I had given him to read. They are not Christians. I pray that these books will help people to seek to know Christ. And I will certainly make another gift of books to ... I've just thought of the children's wing of the national hospital!”

From UK: Ellie says: “I like Deepest Darkness because the girl Abi is ten and I am ten. Also I like things that have scary parts in. My rating out of 10 = 10/10 fabulous!”

From where you are: Over to you, let me know!

Need help with your church bookstall?

Running a church bookstall can be a confusing and lonely task, but help is now at hand! For just £30 a year, the new 'Together' mag from Christian Resources Together will keep you in touch with all that's new, so you can supply your church with the best resources! Click here to take a look: http://www.christianresourcestogether.co.uk

Special Offers

Just in case you haven't already looked, this month's special offer is a 'Bless ten kids' offer, with ten Deepest Darkness at ten pounds off! It's a bargain at just £49.90 for ten books! Brilliant for summer clubs and camps. To get yours, follow this link: http://dernierpublishing.com and choose *Special Offers* on the menu bar, or visit your local Christian bookshop. Next month we will have a different book on offer, so do go back in July!

Do you know a child with visual impairment?

Did you know that 'Deepest Darkness' and 'Beech Bank Girls, Every Girl Has a Story' are now both available in giant print, braille and audio versions for anyone who suffers from sight loss? All these can be obtained from the Torch Trust: http://www.torchtrust.org . Perfect for children with less than perfect eyesight. Why should they miss out?

Oh, and older people love the stories, too, apparently!

Well I've run out of room again – there's just enough room for me to say thank you to you all so much for your support. If you would buy a book or two, it would help us enormously towards our aim to bring out Beech Bank Girls 4 soon. If you haven't got anyone to give them to, what about a gift to your nearest school? Www.dernierpublishing.com/youthf.php to choose! Thank you for standing with us :-)

Janet

P.S. Do find us on Facebook (Dernier Publishing), Twitter (@janetwilsonxxx) and Linked-In (Janet Wilson). It would be great to get to know you better! If you ever have any questions or comments, please contact me. It's always lovely to hear from you :-)

Sick-lit books aimed at children

Anyone with any interest in what young people are reading must read this article from the Daily Mail:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2256356/The-sick-lit-books-aimed-children-Its-disturbing-phenomenon-Tales-teenage-cancer-self-harm-suicide-.html.

Then buy some encouraging, inspiring books and give them to every child in the neighbourhood. Be warned, you will be shocked. Please share with your friends.

To Kindle or not to Kindle, that is the question.

Dear Reader, I need your help to answer this question.

I am in a quandary. For a year or so now I have wanted to bring out Dernier Publishing books and booklets in digital format – to join the e-book revolution. Not because I love e-books, but because we are here to serve our customers and they want them.

Our aim is to encourage and inspire young people in their faith and show non-church kids what they are missing – anything we can do to reach more young people has got to be good, hasn't it?

Or has it . . . ?

Certainly going digital is essential. If kids are reading digital books, we must provide them. So that's not the issue; it's the format of the books which is giving me a headache. Hence the title of the post . . . to Kindle or not to Kindle.

Because it seems to me that there are two choices:

E-pub format, or Kindle format.

There are pros and cons of both (unless I have got this completely wrong, and do please tell me if I have).

The big plus of e-pub format e-books:

They can be sold anywhere, from any website. We have control over where they are sold, which can include bookshop websites – we are dedicated to supporting 'bricks and mortar' bookshops where we can, although we must of course first and foremost supply as many books as we can to as many children as we can because this our reason for existence.

The big plus of Kindle format:

It is relatively easy to do – I can do it myself. I could start this weekend and have a booklet up and for sale by Monday. And if I make a mistake, the file can be edited at any point . . . plus Amazon do all the sales. Simple!

Well, kind of simple. Because there are cons with the Kindle model too.

Here are the two major problems as I see it:

1. We sincerely want to help high street bookshops in their struggle to survive (Kindle books are sold solely through Amazon)
2. I don't like Amazon's monopoly on the market. I am also uncomfortable with their aggressive business philosophy of taking over the world, no matter how many shops (real people and livelihoods) they walk over in the process.

If we had the money and the resources and the expertise, there's no doubt about it, we would go down the e-pub route, where the e-books can be sold even by bookshops.

But, sigh, I'm increasingly veering towards thinking just going for the Kindle right now, and work towards making enough money to pay for resources and expertise to do e-pub books in the future. Because we just don't have the money, time or expertise to do e-pub books right now. Which is why we still don't have any e-books right now . . . and also means that we just won't have e-books in the near future.

So, to Kindle or not to Kindle . . . what do you think?

Please do feel free to leave feedback, I would be most gratefu.

With many thanks for your support,

 Janet

March Newsletter

 

Welcome to the March

Dernier Publishing

Newsletter!

How much do you rate reading together as a family?

Most mums and dads read to small children, but many give up when they're older. It's tempting to ditch this good habit due to time pressure, but if you have tweenagers, why not keep this excellent family habit, and read an exciting Christian book together in the evenings before bedtime . . . you can discuss the issues raised and just enjoy each other's company! Don't put it off - your children will grow up before you know it - don't miss the opportunities given to you today, because today will never come again. Mother's Day would be a good time to start :-) - it's not too late to pop to a shop or order online www.dernierpublishing.com. If you do not have children this age yourself but know a family who does, why not buy them a book?

Recent encouragements

World Book Day: Authors Eleanor Watkins (right) and Mary Weeks Millard both visited schools for World Book Day. Eleanor said afterwards, “I was truly amazed at the interest the children showed in books, and some of the things they asked. Also that there was a real openness to my own books, which all have a Christian worldview. The Year 2 teacher has read one of my books for younger ones to the class, and there was a lot of interest in the BBG [Beech Bank Girls] series. One of the girls asked for the names of all the BB girls, and I donated the three books to the school library along with several others. The kids were asking where they could buy them too. So it was a very encouraging and worthwhile morning.”

 Revelation TV: I was interviewed for Revelation TV last month for a Children's Book Review programme! Since then one of the producers told me, "We are planning two more programs over the Easter Break, and one of our panel members, Joseph, read the other book you sent us “Living In Hope” and he really loved it. We would like to review “Living in Hope” on the next programme." :-)

 Reviews: If you haven't read our blog post stacked with encouraging reviews and comments, it's not too late! Just scroll down or click on the right somewhere . . . :-)

 

Seasonal purchases

'Mystery in the Snow' is a mystery adventure story which takes place during an unseasonal fall of snow in the Easter holidays. Ravi, Debbie, Lance and Joel find themselves with a problem: Ravi's shed has been burgled. The plot thickens as an old lady's handbag goes missing, then a cat disappears. Can all these things be connected? Join the Christian friends as they find answers in unexpected places. The sequel to 'The Treasure Hunt' - Perfect Easter reading for ages 8-11 :-) 

“So exciting that I couldn't put it down!” - Lydia. Available from your local shop and online.

 

 

'Heaven is a wonderful place' poster

Maybe you could use this 16 x 20” uplifting poster for an all-age worship service over the Easter period, or to illustrate the Easter story at your toddler group, Sunday School, RE lessons, assemblies . . . or as a gift for children you love? £4.00 each exclusively from our website, www.dernierpublishing.com. Contact us on info@dernierpublishing.com for quantity discounts :-)

 

 'Praying for Persecuted Christians' from our Prayer – just do it! series.

Easter is a time when we remember Christ's sufferings on our behalf. Many of our brothers and sisters all over the world are now suffering in His name – we have the privilege of praying for them. What better time to do so than over Easter? Excellent for family prayers, individual prayer, for prayers in all-age church services and for young people's groups. Help your young people begin a lifetime of prayer – you could hardly do them a bigger favour. Each 8 page booklet has 30 simple prayer pointers to enable anyone to just pray. Order online: www.dernierpublishing.com/prayer.php  

90p per single copy, discounts for larger quantities.

Our Future

As some of you already know, Dernier Publishing will be moving from Tonbridge to Orpington this Friday, 16^th March. We can't order a new P.O. Box number until we've moved (don't ask!), but in the meantime post will be forwarded from our old address: P.O. Box 403, Tonbridge, TN9 9BJ, UK. Our email address remains the same. Please pray for us as we move, especially that all technology will survive! Oh, and that we will stay sane :-)

Please continue to pray, too, that the Lord will keep 'enlarging our territory'. Once we have moved we hope to commission new books, but we need the finances. We would like to advertise our books as class readers in Christian schools, run a campaign for books for Sunday School prizes, begin distributing seriously abroad, perhaps to the USA and Canada . . . there are still so many children to reach. And we need your help! Perhaps the Lord will give us the desires of our heart . . . and maybe do even more than we could ask for or even imagine. :-)

With grateful thanks for your continued support,

Janet

PS Wishing all mums a very happy Mother's Day on Sunday!

 

October Newsletter

Welcome to the October 2011

Dernier Publishing

newsletter!

Acorns in the park

It's that time of year! Under the oak trees in my local park, the ground is littered with acorns. Some fall on the path and get squashed by dog-walkers like me, some are eaten by squirrels, some might take root then get mown down – some will grow into beautiful oak trees! What a wonderful encouragement to make the most of every opportunity to share the good news – who knows what may grow from one small seed?

 

Ultimate Christian Library Book Award 2012

We have nominated our five most recent books for this prestigious award, which is so exciting! We will of course keep you in touch with how we get on, because if the judges shortlist any of our books (which would be wonderful!), we will need you to vote! For more info about the awards follow this link: http://www.christianbookawards.org/

Our first ever proper catalogues!

Would anybody like any of our autumn/winter catalogues? We have taken the big step of producing 8-page A5 glossy brochures as we now have eleven books to promote :-) We are delighted with them! Could you pass some on to your church family, Sunday School parents, teachers at your local school or just pass some around to friends and family? Young people need to hear the good news - our books can help in reaching out to the ones you love :-) Email me at info@dernierpublishing.com and I will get those sent off to you, free of charge of course. 

Latest gossip!

A Christian bookshop in Epsom has chosen 'Beech Bank Girls, Christmas is Coming!' as children's book of the month for October! If you have read it, you can give it a star rating on the website - just click on the link: www.dovecotebookshop.co.uk Do support Christian bookshops if you can.

 

Mary Weeks Millard (right) has heard that Dorset library service are considering adding her children's books to their list - please pray that they do!

Mary will be visiting Rwanda from October 25 to November 15^th. Please pray for her, for safety in travel, good health and for the Lord's blessing wherever she goes.

 

Last posting dates for Christmas, international surface mail

If you need (want?!) to send presents to relatives/friends abroad, here are the remaining last posting dates for international surface mail (Last dates for some destinations have already gone): Tue 18th October: South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, the USA and Canada Tue 8th November: Eastern Europe, Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Malta and Iceland Tue 22nd November: Western Europe. How about sending a good book to encourage and inspire your young people in their faith? Get in there quick as it's quite a bit cheaper now than sending airmail!

Poster for Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching. We have a poster with a great message; might you be able to use one or more at home, in church or school? They would also make perfect gifts for alternative 'Praise parties'! Price: £3.99 Size: 16"x20". Gloss 130gsm card. SPECIAL OFFER TO E-NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS – First poster £3.99, EVERY POSTER AFTER THAT ONLY 99p, as many as you like! If you would like to subscribe to the e-newsletter and take advantage of this offer, email me on info@dernierpublishing.com and I will send your posters to you, POST FREE, with an invoice! Check out our other posters on www.dernierpublishing.com

 

Books Change Lives

I received a most encouraging email from a lady whose church members sponsored books for their Sunday School children, many of whom come from a local estate. "It's now several weeks since we presented the books to our children. This morning I asked how they were getting on with them. They were very enthusiastic and have been swapping them round when they've finished their own. Most of these kids are reluctant readers, too. One girl, non-Christian family, no support or interest at home, very violent background, told me her grandma had read her book, 'I want to be an airline pilot', and wanted to know where she could buy some of the others." The Lord is using our books to touch people's lives, which is awesome. Be a part of it, sow some seeds! (Picture posed by model)

Phew! I think that's all for now – remember, a book at £5.99 is the same cost as coffee and cake in a High Street café, less than half the price of a DVD and a fraction of the price of many computer games (e.g. 1/5 of £29.99). What great value! :-)

With love to you all,

Janet

P.S. We have 11 books now and there are about 10 weeks left until Christmas, so last week I thought it would be fun to begin featuring one book a week on our facebook page . . to help you keep count of the book-shopping weeks until Christmas, hehe :-) https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dernier-Publishing/173040439575

Christian bookshops - use them or lose them!

According to last Saturday's Daily Telegraph (3rd September), the number of bookshops in Britian has almost halved since 2005 - that's total bookshops, not just the Christian sector of the market.

The newspaper blames heavy discounting by supermarkets, the rise of internet retailers and the popularity of e-readers for the closures. Apparently there are now 2,178 bookshops left in Britain, compared with 4,000 in 2005, leaving 580 towns without a bookshop.

Christian bookshops are not immune; many have closed in the last few years and although some have closed and re-opened under new management, they all need our support. As in everything else in life, if we don't want to lose them we must use them! Christian publishers need your support too. Tesco and ASDA are unlikely to be stocking Christian books in the near future . . .

I know it's not Christmas yet, but once you have made your prezzie list, resolve to pop down to your local Christian bookshop - if you're still fortunate enough to have one  - and buy your Christian books, Bibles, daily reading devotionals, CDs, posters, DVDs, mugs, tea-towels, candles, stationery and calendars there. You might even be able to do all your Christmas shopping under one roof! What better way to celebrate the birth of our Saviour than to point to Him with Christian gifts to friends, family and neighbours? If you don't have a bricks-and-mortar shop within travelling distance or prefer to shop from your computer, find a bookshop with an online store and do the same, or at least buy direct from the Christian publishers!

Ok, so you might not be able to do your shopping at Christian Solutions in Jersey . . .

But there might be a shop somewhere near you! And of course you don't need to wait for Christmas to buy a book or a CD for yourself or for a friend. If you don't know where to find  your local Christian bookshop, try searching here:
http://www.thechristianmarketplace.co.uk or here:

http://www.thegoodbookstall.org.uk/bookshops/index.html or here:

http://www.christianbookshops.org.uk/ (Shop managers, make sure you've updated your entries!)

Books to encourage and inspire young people in their faith and show non-church kids what they are missing!

While you are there, don't forget to buy Dernier books for all your 8-16s, to encourage and inspire them in their faith, and/or to show non-church kids what they are missing. If you don't know about our books, you can find more information on previous posts,  leave a comment here or contact me through our website www.dernierpublishing.com- be great to hear from  you :-)