When Will The Storms Stop?

Thanks to all of you who have been joining us here. The response has been wonderful.  We just past 3,625 new subscribers. That is a huge increase in 2016. We only had 1,000 a year ago. Help us to make it to 4,000.  Could you be the one that puts us over the top? Our goal for the end of this year is 5,000.

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Doug Bolton, the founder of the blog, Signs of Hope, which is at www.dailysignsofhope.com, has written a new book, “Signs of Hope for the Military: In and Out of the Trenches of Life.” It will be reaching out the many military and veterans who may be battling anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, rejections, and the many other usual suspects. There are 22 military connected suicides every day. That is almost one every hour. Doug wants to help stop those statistics.  

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If you follow Twitter, join me by following @heavenencounter. Many veterans are starting to follow and we hope to have many more to share thoughts and ideas with. You can also connect with my on Facebook by putting my name in the search area.

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I see it has been almost three months since I last posted here. I have spent my whole summer battling an infection in my spine. I am just starting to feel well enough to be able to stop the daily IV doses of antibiotics.

I missed so much because of this. My family went on summer trips, but I couldn’t go because of the IV treatments everyday.

I wasn’t able to drive because the effects of the antibiotics made me drowsy and sleepy. So, not only was I in severe pain, I also was grounded and sent to my bedroom like a disobedient child.  I spent three weeks staring out my bedroom window hoping some birds or squirrels might come by for me to see.

This is a pretty sad story so far.

I want you to know something. I never faltered. I never cursed God. I never gave up my positive attitude.

I could have given up and let the dark side have its way.

It reminds me of when I was in a huge battle with depression while in the military, and beyond. I spent many days wondering what the world was all about, and if I wanted to be a part of it.

In 2001 I actually was sitting in my Ford Explorer thinking of checking out of this hotel called earth.

God woke me up that day. He stopped me in my tracks. He had plans for me, and it wasn’t my time to leave this earth. So now I am writing this post to you to share hope.

I also share hope on my blog at www.dailysignsofhope.com. As the title states, you get daily signs of hope. Check it out and join me there as well. Find out why 94,000 people are subscribers to the blog.

I have been labeled as the “hope whisper.”   I go to writer’s conferences and people address me with that name.

Why? Shouldn’t I be angry at the world? I had over ten years of serious ailments including five surgeries. This latest trial has been one of my hardest to accept.

I don’t feel anger. I don’t think this world is an awful place to be.

I have learned that we will all face trials and storms. Some will be raging storms. I have also learned that each time I make it through the storm I am a little stronger. I even learned that I can use my adversity, pain, and suffering to help others who may be going through the same things.

Remember:

You are never alone.

You are never forsaken.

You are never unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!

The Hope Whisper

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Another shocking announcement! ( That got your attention!) “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, ” is now out in eBook form. I You can acquire it at all the eBook outlets. It is only $4.99 compared to $19.99 in the bookstores. Help it climb the www.amazon.com best selling list. You can even order it right from this site by clicking on the Amazon icon on the right.

If you want a hard copy with the autograph of the author on it, just click on the bookstore tab at the top of this page to order one. It is only $15.99 plus shipping compared to the $19.99 price in the retail stores.

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I have a podcast here that I did with John Kremer, the marketing guru. He invited me to share unusual places to sell books. Take a listen and hit those streets running: goo.gl/WGTF7

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I thought I would recap my adventure at the Oregon State Fair signing I did a couple weeks ago.

The weather was great this year. Last year there were some near 100 degree days, and the attendance was way down. Many of the authors signing, said it was the worst year they had ever had.

This year it stayed in the 80’s almost everyday, and the attendance was up.

Last year I sold 21 books. This year I sold 46 books. I call that a great improvement.

However, the lady to my right sold 580! She is the famous “Pig Lady.” Most of her books are centered around a pig. Her very first book, “Priscilla,” has sold over 700,000 books. She used that success as a catalyst to propel her writing career. She is now 82 years young, and she said she had three more books coming out  this year.

Why is she so successful?

She has 15 titles to sell is one big reason. The more books you have to sell at a signing the more chances you have of selling a book. I only have one right now, so I am OK with my 46 sales for my one book, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” 

Another thing she has done is put together a platform, and a brand. Everyone that came by said, “There is the pig lady.” Many of them had bought an earlier book and wanted the latest. The label of the “pig lady” has helped her sell thousands of books. She even has a big sign at her table that says, “Yes, I am the pig lady.” That alone brought people to her table to see what that meant.

By the way, her name is Colene Copeland. She built her platform and brand, by going to all the grade schools in Oregon and talked about pigs. She even had a pot bellied pig with her for the kidss to pet. She also traveled aroung the country with her pig.

So many of the twenty to thirty year old buyers at her table said, “You came to my school when I was in the fifth grade. I still have your first book, “Pricilla.” Colene would then show them the follow-up books, and there was a sale almost every time.

Building a brand and a platform is a must to be a successful author. Work on getting something about you well known to others.

I have been told more than once, that I was the “Hope Whisper.” I am just now starting to build on that and start having that saying on signs at signings.

We’ll see how that works.

Get your brand and platform growing daily. It doesn’t happen over night. Colene Copeland took thirty years to build hers.

Remember:

You are not alone.

You are not forsaken.

You are not unloved.

And above all…never, ever, give up!