Yesterday a strange thing occurred. I saw a post on Face Book about a promotions company and I contacted them. I'm always looking for new ways to promo my books and those that I publish. I looked over their site but couldn't find any pricing, so I contacted them and they sent an email saying I had to go to their form, fill it out, submit it and then they'd tell me which of their plans, including cost, would fit my book the best. I found this to be a sour taste in my mouth. Why? Because I have been in this business for many years, have dealt with numerous publicity companies and never have I seen one that wasn't up front with their pricing.
I sent the gal an email and told her I found this not to be to my liking and just wanted the pricing so I could see if her company was one I wanted to deal with. After all, if I couldn't afford her, why take up anymore of her time or mine? She was not friendly about my email, and I told her I understood that if she was dealing with new authors, that perhaps they didn't know what they needed to do but for someone like me, who is a professional author with more than 20 books out, I just wanted the pricing.
Instead of an email reply, she wrote a blog about it! Yes, she went on a tirade of about how it "happened again" that some author who was basically full of themselves.... I'm not going to quote her here, except for the "happened again" and if it "happened AGAIN" perhaps that should be a clue to her that the way she is doing business, especially since claiming she is a Christian, isn't working.
I don't go into Walmart, fill my basket with unpriced items, take them to the check-out and then find out how much things cost. No one would do that. And I don't know of any other promotions company who hides their pricing from those who wish to use their services.
Anyway, I did reply to her Face Book post that she put up inviting others to read her blog and told her she wrote a nice article but she did fail to mention that any time you point a finger at someone, three are pointing back, and perhaps the thing we dislike in others is that which we dislike in ourselves.
The funny thing is that earlier in the day someone else had posted about the back-stabbing that goes on with some authors. I replied that since I had gotten out of the smut writing business, I hadn't had that problem. I guess it was God's way of showing me that no matter where we are, we have to watch others, even those who claim to be Christian. The Bible says to test those against the word. If someone claims to be one thing but acts another way, especially Christians, then we need to walk away from them. Shake the dust from our sandals, as it were.
Luke 10:11 'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.'
"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made His light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6)."
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Communicating With God
I am a born again Christian although I don't claim a "religion." In my opinion, religion is something people do to get noticed by others, or to control others. I believe in the Bible and that it is the divine word of God, given to man for living the way we should. I believe that God is who He says He is, that Christ died on the cross for my sins, and was raised on the third day, and now sits on the right hand of God in Heaven. I believe Christ will return and all of those who have accepted Him as their Savior will rule and reign with Him in the new Jerusalem. I believe the Bible says what it means and means what it says, and that it is a light to those who have accepted Christ as their Savior and darkness to those who haven't. I believe only a fool says there is no God and those who die without accepting Christ as their Savior will go to Hell.
I believe no person needs to go through a priest or any other human being to have direct contact with Jesus. I also believe that praying to "saints" or to the "virgin Mary" is no different than praying to a brick wall. Mary was the virgin who conceived through the Holy Spirit and gave birth to our Savior Jesus Christ, but afterward she was a wife like any other wife and went on to have relations with Joseph and gave birth to other children. All of this is in the Bible but you have to read it in order to know it.
In the Name of Jesus we all have access to God, to life everlasting, and I hope those who think the Bible is "confusing and too difficult to understand" (as a proclaimed female ordained minister stated), will accept Jesus as their Savior and allow the Lord to make His Word a light unto their path.
It's very simple and if you are sincere and repent of your sins, ask Jesus to cleanse your sins and live within you as your Savior, He will.
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I have not lived my life for You. I ask Your forgiveness and I ask You to cleanse my sins and show me how to live for You. In Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.
Yes, it is that easy. And I hope, if you've prayed this prayer, you will let me know. I would love to continue to hold you up in prayer each day while you are learning to walk in His footsteps. I also have a gift for you if you have said this prayer and send me an email at dancingwithbear at gmail dot com.
God bless you,
Marie
I believe no person needs to go through a priest or any other human being to have direct contact with Jesus. I also believe that praying to "saints" or to the "virgin Mary" is no different than praying to a brick wall. Mary was the virgin who conceived through the Holy Spirit and gave birth to our Savior Jesus Christ, but afterward she was a wife like any other wife and went on to have relations with Joseph and gave birth to other children. All of this is in the Bible but you have to read it in order to know it.
In the Name of Jesus we all have access to God, to life everlasting, and I hope those who think the Bible is "confusing and too difficult to understand" (as a proclaimed female ordained minister stated), will accept Jesus as their Savior and allow the Lord to make His Word a light unto their path.
It's very simple and if you are sincere and repent of your sins, ask Jesus to cleanse your sins and live within you as your Savior, He will.
Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and I have not lived my life for You. I ask Your forgiveness and I ask You to cleanse my sins and show me how to live for You. In Jesus' Holy Name, Amen.
Yes, it is that easy. And I hope, if you've prayed this prayer, you will let me know. I would love to continue to hold you up in prayer each day while you are learning to walk in His footsteps. I also have a gift for you if you have said this prayer and send me an email at dancingwithbear at gmail dot com.
God bless you,
Marie
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Trading The Truth For A Lie
I started working on my new book today. It's the second book in the Comfort & Joy series, and this one is on marriage. I began my day by watching a few of my favorite programs, Joyce Meyers, Rod Parsley, Rick Joyner, and others. I had prayer time, and then answered emails. I always spend a bit of time on Face Book but somehow, that always takes up way more time than I intend for it to. I think it's one of the ways the enemy sways my good intentions away from what I plan to do and keeps my mind on activities that are really pointless. Seriously, is it really going to make a difference in anyone's life if I don't spend an hour "liking" everyone's posts?
When did we all become so important that we have to be in constant contact with friends that we don't actually know except on line? We have iPhones, iPads, cell phones, pc's, e-mail, Face Book, Twitter, Linked In, blogs, My Space, Pinterest, and so many other apps and sites, I can't even count them all. And it's not just that we think we have to be in constant contact with others, it's that we have to make sure that our every thought and action has to be posted for the world to know. We are self-important and keep ourselves continually electronically connected to a world that doesn't even exist outside of our own electronically conceived one.
We have traded the truth for a lie. The facts are, we are not that important. We do not have anything of so much value to say that if we aren't connected continually, we'll simply implode. We let real relationships go because we are on line with our friends, whether real or imaginary, and never have to leave our own homes.
I remember a time when we didn't even have a phone in our house. I remember when we lived next door to our family, my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grand-parents. I remember that time when the world was big and I was small, and now it's the other way around. There is no more mystery in the world, no more awe or wonder. There is no more whimsy, and I miss it. Everything I do, from friendships to work to play to church is all available on line. Of course, there are numerous advantages to this electronic world we live in but not enough that I am willing to give up the things that make me happy.
Living in a house with my daughter and her family makes me happy. I have a 2-year-old granddaughter and 11-month-old grandson here all the time. Sure, it can get a little frantic from time to time, but I have a door that shuts and a room that contains my electronic friends. Even those who I've met in person because of the world wide web.
God bless you, my friends.
When did we all become so important that we have to be in constant contact with friends that we don't actually know except on line? We have iPhones, iPads, cell phones, pc's, e-mail, Face Book, Twitter, Linked In, blogs, My Space, Pinterest, and so many other apps and sites, I can't even count them all. And it's not just that we think we have to be in constant contact with others, it's that we have to make sure that our every thought and action has to be posted for the world to know. We are self-important and keep ourselves continually electronically connected to a world that doesn't even exist outside of our own electronically conceived one.
We have traded the truth for a lie. The facts are, we are not that important. We do not have anything of so much value to say that if we aren't connected continually, we'll simply implode. We let real relationships go because we are on line with our friends, whether real or imaginary, and never have to leave our own homes.
I remember a time when we didn't even have a phone in our house. I remember when we lived next door to our family, my aunts, uncles, cousins, and grand-parents. I remember that time when the world was big and I was small, and now it's the other way around. There is no more mystery in the world, no more awe or wonder. There is no more whimsy, and I miss it. Everything I do, from friendships to work to play to church is all available on line. Of course, there are numerous advantages to this electronic world we live in but not enough that I am willing to give up the things that make me happy.
Living in a house with my daughter and her family makes me happy. I have a 2-year-old granddaughter and 11-month-old grandson here all the time. Sure, it can get a little frantic from time to time, but I have a door that shuts and a room that contains my electronic friends. Even those who I've met in person because of the world wide web.
God bless you, my friends.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Dancing With Bear: A Love Story
Dancing With Bear Publishing began in honor of my late husband, J. Bear Marler, who passed from this life 12/18/2010.
Although I had been writing erotic romance and not living the way I knew God wanted me to, I sold out for a publishing contract.
That first contract led to many others with several different publishers, and although I have since requested those publishers to release me from the contracts, most refused. So I have removed all evidence of those books from my websites, blogs, and other pages in the hopes that a lack of publicity would also be a lack of sales, and thereby encourage those publishers to release me from the contracts I have.
After writing A Love Story, which I self-published, I began a spiritual journey back to the place God wanted me to be, and I opened the virtual doors of Dancing With Bear Publishing to help others realize their dream of publication. I put out a call for "clean" reads and had so many submissions, I had to close the submission call after only one month, I still was not where God wanted me with the publishing company.
God did not call me to publish "clean" reads, He called me to use my writing talent to glorify Him, and to publish work that also glorified Him. Since then, I have published When God Talks, It's Time To Listen, and Comfort & Joy book one: forgiveness. The submissions call is once again open but the guidelines are very strict in what will be accepted. Dancing With Bear Publishing now only accepts godly material, whether non-fiction or fiction, as well as books with strong moral story lines in our children's department.
I feel such a sense of peace now that I am in line with what God wants from me, and using my talent to glorify His Son Jesus Christ. I pray that everything produced within DWB Publishing is a blessing to others and will draw people to the Lord in humility, for the forgiveness of sin.
God bless and keep each and everyone who reads this blog. I pray for your salvation, your healing, and for the blessings of Heaven to be poured out upon you.
Although I had been writing erotic romance and not living the way I knew God wanted me to, I sold out for a publishing contract.
That first contract led to many others with several different publishers, and although I have since requested those publishers to release me from the contracts, most refused. So I have removed all evidence of those books from my websites, blogs, and other pages in the hopes that a lack of publicity would also be a lack of sales, and thereby encourage those publishers to release me from the contracts I have.
After writing A Love Story, which I self-published, I began a spiritual journey back to the place God wanted me to be, and I opened the virtual doors of Dancing With Bear Publishing to help others realize their dream of publication. I put out a call for "clean" reads and had so many submissions, I had to close the submission call after only one month, I still was not where God wanted me with the publishing company.
God did not call me to publish "clean" reads, He called me to use my writing talent to glorify Him, and to publish work that also glorified Him. Since then, I have published When God Talks, It's Time To Listen, and Comfort & Joy book one: forgiveness. The submissions call is once again open but the guidelines are very strict in what will be accepted. Dancing With Bear Publishing now only accepts godly material, whether non-fiction or fiction, as well as books with strong moral story lines in our children's department.
I feel such a sense of peace now that I am in line with what God wants from me, and using my talent to glorify His Son Jesus Christ. I pray that everything produced within DWB Publishing is a blessing to others and will draw people to the Lord in humility, for the forgiveness of sin.
God bless and keep each and everyone who reads this blog. I pray for your salvation, your healing, and for the blessings of Heaven to be poured out upon you.
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