The “Next Big Thing” Blog Hop

What exactly is a Blog Hop? I learned of it last week when Kristi Burchfiel invited me to join this one.  Kristi answered the same questions I’ve answered below about her “Next Big Thing” a new daily devotional. Then she gave links to five other authors – one being yours truly. So I guess the hop comes from reading here and “hopping” over to the authors I’ve linked at the bottom or back to the authors that have already posted. Visit Kristi’s Blog.

Here’s my answers about my “Next Big Thing”

What is the working title of your book?

PEAS: Learning to Spend Time with God. This may change as I don’t know how many kids are excited about peas. The idea is an acronym for their time with God.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
The idea came when I was doing a Bible study by Beth Moore on the fruit of the Spirit. Beth explained a pattern she uses in her time with God. I thought it was a great model and wanted to present it in a way that would work for children to use with their parents or on their own.

What genre does your book fall under?
Christian Devotional, Personal Growth, Children’s

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Hmmm. I really don’t have an answer for this one. Any child who would sincerely play a role showing a grow relationship with God and family. I’m not much of a movie goer so I have no idea. I don’t know that I would ever think of it being a movie anyway.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

PEAS is an easy to follow format to make spending time with God simple and meaningful for children.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
My first two books are with Tate Publishing. I need to do more research into my options now that I have some experience before I decide.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It’s been drumming around in my mind for at least 4 years. The first draft I guess came together really quickly – an afternoon maybe. I can’t say I have the manuscript finalized yet. I keep changing my mind about exactly how I want to format it so the manuscript is still in process.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I haven’t used many children’s devotionals so I don’t know if it would compare to any that are out there. It is not a Bible study with workbook type fill in the blanks, at least that’s not what I’m

going after. I hope children will interact with God and record that interaction, like a guided journal I guess.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Well, Beth Moore’s model, and my passion for knowing God better. Mostly my passion for my children to be better equipped than I am when it comes to living what they believe inspires me.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

I think anyone who has read this far deserves to know what PEAS stands for, so here you go.

P is for praise. E is for empty. A is for ask, and S is for share. If you want to know what I mean by those then you’ll have to keep your eyes open for blog posts and the next book!

Thank you for reading!

Here are some authors who will be sharing their “Next Big Thing” next week. You may find a new favorite author!

Amy Gatliff wrote "The Power to Never Give Up."  It is her testimony of God's faithfulness and provision throughout her life especially in the area of finances.  Visit Amy’s blog

Ursula Gorman author of 'Old Aquaintances', and 'The Wayne Brothers Book I: The Best of Us', both are mystery/romances.
Check out her fan page and invite friends http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=388526903624&ref

Laura Abbott  author of Daddy's Shoulders and I Love You Infinity

Sherry Rossman author of The Miracle of Rain and Guardians

Julie Federico Interview

Welcome, Julie. Where are you from? 

I live in Denver, CO.

How did you get started in writing?    

I wrote my first book Some Parts are Not for Sharing in 2007 after working as a middle school counselor for many years.  I heard all types of abuse stories from my students.  After hearing the all too frequent story about how mom's boyfriend harmed yet another student I said "Enough!"  From this point on I began trying to reach out to children at a young age and teach them about appropriate boundaries.  My books are for young readers 0-7 years old.  I am the only author talking to babies about domestic violence and child abuse prevention.

Why did you write Anger is Okay Violence Is Not? 

I wrote this book in April 2011 after presenting at a Headstart Preschool in Hartford, CT.  I was visiting multiple Headstarts and sharing the prevention message in Some Parts are Not for Sharing.  At one of the schools the director looked right at me and said "We love your child abuse prevention book.  We need a book like this on domestic violence prevention."  I said "I am not done with marketing Some Parts are Not for Sharing yet."  She said "You do not have to be done, just please write another book on domestic violence."  I wrote the book on the plane ride home.  I had no idea the scope of this problem until I began to market the book.  Almost 9 million children under the age of 18 witness domestic violence each year.

Do you have a favorite story to tell about the impact of your writing?  

The biggest impact is from young mothers who tell me they were not protected as a child and want to make sure to give this information to their children.  I love speaking to students, but when I can address a room full of receptive parents I get giddy.  Parents are the ones who drive their children into or away from danger.  Parents are the ones who decide if they will share the prevention message with their child or remain silent.  I think if you choose to remain silent on this topic your child will be or may already have been harmed.  Talk about prevention with your child before the perpetrator puts lies into their head; "This is our secret."  "No one will believe you."  Telling your children you will believe them if they ever report any inappropriate boundary issues is like giving your child a gift that no amount of money can buy.  Being a small, innocent, powerless individual every child needs prevention information.
 
What can parents do to protect their children from child abuse?
1. Read Some Parts are Not for Sharing to your child over and over.  To read or order the book visit www.juliefederico.com
2. Make it safe to tell.  Tell your children repeatedly that if anyone touches them in a way that makes them feel uncomfortable you want to know.
3. Believe that anyone could cross inappropriate boundaries with your child.
4. Never say to your child if they report an incident, "They would never do that."
 
If children know that it is okay to tell parents, then if something happens that makes them uncomfortable you are laying the ground work for them to talk.  This is superior to not saying anything to your child, then praying that no harm comes their way.  Prevention is power, with this knowledge your child has a much better chance of staying safe and not suffering from long term abuse in silence.

Have you written other books? 

Only two. However, Some Parts are Not for Sharing is also available in Spanish.

Do you have more books planned? 

Yes, many more.

Are there other resources you would like to recommend to families on these hard issues?
Another great body safety books is: Jon Holsten's TheSwimsuit Lesson  
Child Help works for the prevention and treatment of child abuse:

How do people get Anger is Okay Violence Is Not?


Enter for a free paperback of Anger is Okay Violence is Not: Leave a comment  by June 30. On July 1 I will draw a name from those who have commented. Be sure you enter your email address(just so I can read it) so I can contact you if you win.

Winner of the free copy is Stephanie!

You can purchase Julie's books at Tate Publishing, amazon, and many other retailers.

Links to Some Parts are Not for Sharing: Tate Publishing , Kindle version on Amazon

Links to Anger is Okay Violence is Not: Tate Publishing , Kindle version on Amazon

Please consider sharing this post online, where ever you share – facebook, twitter, etc.

Facebook Interview with Vicky Stankus

Today on my authors facebook page I interviewed fellow Gabby Mom Vicky Stankus. She is the author of What is Communion? For more information about Vicky or her book visit her website. Here for my review. 

Mukkove Johnson - Christian Author   Welcome Vicky. Please introduce yourself.

Vicky Stankus   Hi, Mukkove! Thankyou for having me here! Let's see... I met my husband, David, while attending college in Chicago, where I received an Associates degree in Biblical Studies. We have been married for 19+ years now, and have 2 children. I have been homeschooling them for the past 7 years. Our daughter is 13, and our son is 9. I enjoy writing, listening to music, reading, watching movies, and organizing.

MJ   I'm so glad to have you here. I homeschool my three also.

Vicky   Great!

MJ  Tell us what led you to write your book?

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Vicky  This book idea came about when my young son began asking questions after watching my husband and I take Communion one Sunday. He saw what we were doing and wanted to know what it was about. So, I tried to find an easy book with illustrations that would help to explain things better to him, as well as to our daughter with special learning needs. I wasn’t able to find anything, aside from the Catholic views of a child’s first communion. This was not the way my husband and I wanted to explain things to our children, so I decided to write a book myself, using an Evangelical Protestant view.

MJ Filling your need will meet the need of other families, too.

Vicky Yes! I am so glad the book has been helpful to others!

MJ For anyone visiting with us for Vicky's interview feel free to ask questions or leave comments. You can just pop in and say "Hi", too.

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Mary Just wanted to say we have Vicky's book and enjoyed reading it to our kids. I appreciate the attention to detail on both the theological points, as well as the needs of her audience (children) to be able to understand a rather abstract concept.

MJ Thank you Mary! My children are older, but we enjoyed it, also.

Vicky Hi, Mary! Thanks for joining in!

MJ How do you see this book being used?

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Vicky That one's easy. The book is intended for parents or teachers to read to their children (approximately 6-12 years of age) and to discuss it as they read it. The book includes a simple, yet detailed, explanation of what Communion is. It also explains who Jesus is, why He came to Earth, why He sacrificed Himself for our sins, and has simple steps for trusting in Jesus as Savior.

MJ You did a great job of keeping a sometimes complicated subject simple and clear.

Vicky Thank you! I did it with the help of my husband, my dad, and my former pastor. They all had some input into it. My friend, Mary, also previewed it before publishing.

MJ Support and input is so valuable.

Vicky Yes, it is! I consider my husband my "editor" on some levels. :-)

MJ You wrote and published What is Communion? with young children. How did you manage? How does marketing fit with being a mom? (I often wonder myself)

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Vicky Yes, I wrote the book, and self-published it through a print-on-demand company called Lulu.com. The bulk of the writing and editing was done over our Summer break in 2009, so it didn’t take away too much from our schooling. My children were ages 6 and 10 at the time, and they played together very well for a good part of the day, so that really helped. 

To be honest, I am still learning about the whole marketing process and am taking things one step at a time. But, no matter what I end up doing, I know I don’t want to neglect the needs of my children. It is important that they always come before any outside ministries.

MJ Where can parents get your book?

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Vicky It is available in several locations, including Lulu.com and Amazon.com. You can go to my website to find out more: What is Communion?

MJ Great! Was it hard to get on Amazon?

Vicky No, not at all. Actually, the company I used (Lulu.com) is the one who did that for me.

MJ My publisher did that for me also, so I have no idea :)

MJ Are there more books in your future?

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Vicky I hope so. I have several ideas I have been working on, and one is now ready to be submitted to various publishers. So, we will see what happens.

MJ What types of books do you hope to write? What is the one you are pursuing publishing?

Vicky I am concentrating on children's books for the time being. It is my desire to help other parents and teachers to teach their children about the Lord, and help them to grow in their relationship with Him. The book I am currently pursuing is about why we go to church.

MJ Where can we learn more about you and read more of your writing?

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Vicky I have 2 blogs I write on. One is about encouragement for Christians and helping each other grow in the Lord. He Holds My Right Hand

The other blog is our homeschool blog.

MJ I've thought about doing a homeschool blog, but I don't post consistently enough or have time, I guess :)

Vicky I also started a new adventure this year of writing articles for Eternal Encouragement Magazine.

MJ Congratulations! I met you through their Gabby Moms blog program, I didn't realize you were writing for the magazine as well.

Vicky Yes. I am writing under the masthead of "God Blesses This House but He Doesn't Clean It."

MJ Very fun! I'll look for your articles.

Vicky I believe the first one will be in the printed magazine in February.

MJ Who did the illustrations for your book?

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Vicky My dad, Dr. James McIntosh, drew most of the illustrations for the book. He is currently an Instructor, and the Academic Dean, at Brookes Bible Institute in St. Louis, MO. The illustrations are simple, black and white line drawings, which can be less distracting for some children.

MJ How neat to be able to work with your dad! Did he make coloring pages of the illustrations?

Vicky No. But, I suppose the pictures could be photo-copied and kids could color them that way.

MJ Families and Sunday school classes could use them that way.

Vicky Yes!

MJ I have coloring pages with my Christmas devotion and am working on ones for Easter. They make great giveaways and easy activities.

Vicky Sounds fun! I enjoy your book.

MJ Who wrote the foreword for What is Communion?

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Vicky The Foreword for the book was written by Rev. Gary E. Gilley, a pastor and author friend of ours from Southern View Chapel in Springfield, IL. Gary has written several of his own books, including This Little Church Went To Market and Is That You, Lord? You can visit Gary’s website here: http://www.svchapel.org/about-svc/staff

MJ Those sound fun, hmm, more books to look at :)

MJ Vicky Stankus author of What is Communion? Thank you so much for hanging out here today! It was fun to learn about your book and a little more about you as well.

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Vicky It was fun to be here. Thank you for taking your time to do this!

Judith I enjoyed learning more about you and the book.

Vicky Thank you!