I Wanted to Check out of this Hotel Called Earth

I will be changing the format on my author site. I need to get back to sharing with you about my book, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.

In about two weeks the book will be officially in the marketplace.

It has been a hard, long road I have traveled to get to this point. I started writing, Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, almost ten years ago. It will be ten years next March.

Why did I start writing the book? I am glad you asked.

I was at the end of my rope. I didn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I felt the ship sinking and I didn’t have a life jacket.

I was having weekly pity parties, and no one was showing up to help me celebrate.  I was fighting self-doubt, anxiety, fear, failure, depression, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

I was ready to check out of the hotel called earth.

I was in a school parking lot on March 31st 2001 sitting in my Ford Explorer considering suicide. I didn’t want to face the trails of life any more.

I had retired from teacher, and was going from one job after another searching for something that I could feel good about after retirement. Nothing was working for me. I failed at each job I partook in. I even started my own business of find funds for businesses when they needed some while waiting for their invoices from costumers to come in. That failed because I couldn’t see taking money from them when they desperately needed cash at that time.

Every job I tried I needed to try to convince people of getting something they may not need. I worked at a department store in the housewares department. I sold pots and pans, coffeemakers, knifes, etc. I was pretty good at it. I even earned a seven day free trip to a health spa for me and my wife because of my efforts.

One Christmas Eve, I was working the late shift. I noticed that there weren’t any women shopping in my area. It was all guys desperately looking for something for their wives at the last minute. I had a field day. I came up to a guy and asked him if I could help him, and he said, Yes! please find something for my wife for christmas. I can’t think of anything! I saw dollar signs in my head, and directed him to the sets of pans. I convinced him his wife would love a $500.00 set of new pans.

There were several men just like him wandering around, lost in my section. I sold something to eveyone of them. I set a record for sales that night. They bought from me because I was  a man and they trusted me.

I went home that night and wondered, What have I done? I sold a bunch of men something their wives probably didn’t need just so I could make another sale. I was very upset with myself, and quite the job a couple of weeks later.

( Men…never buy your wife something for the kitchen at Christmas. Go down to the jewelry department. You will be rewarded much more if you do that.)

So I went on like this, going from one job after another in sales. The last sales job I had was in leasing, and the same nightmare was forming while doing that. I was trying to have someone lease something when it may be better to buy it outright.

I hit rock bottom on March 31st. I drove to that parking lot I told you about. I was sobbing so much I could hardly see out the window of the rig. I stopped and parked, and was on verge of doing something very drastic.

I finally cried out to God, “I can’t take this anymore!” There was a sudden calmness inside my rig, and in me. The air even seemed different. It was as if God was saying, “It is about time you came back to me. Now let me carry you the rest of the way.”

The rest is history. I started writing Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, a couple of weeks later.

It took me almost ten years to get my thoughts down, and organized. There were doubts along they way. Satan did every he could to stop me, but I prevailed, and now you have to chance to read my story and learn for yourself how to survive in a not so friendly world.

I hope you will read it and let me know what you think of it. I have been blessed with some very impressive endorsements written in the book. I have had many authors and important people in the publishing world recommend the book.

You can preorder Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, and save 27% by going to www.winepresspublishing.com. Go to the top and click on “bookstore.” Write in the search area, “Signs of Hope.” That will take you right to my book page. The book will only cost $14.59 there for a short time, and then it will be $19.99 once it is public. Take advantage of that now.

God bless you nad NEVER give up. Fight back the attacks of Satan and turn to God to supply you with all the armor you need to survive.

 

God has Performed a Miracle

Free Books Given Away at Workshop

I wanted to update you on the progress of my book getting published. It looks like it may come out sooner than thought. I will try to give you a publishing date as soon as I know it.

I will be doing a workshop in Asheville, NC on April 21st. If you are going to the NEA-R Eastern Regional Teacher’s Conference there, I hope you will take the workshop. I have lots of goodies to give away.

I have to tell you that God worked all this trip out for me. I am just a local farm boy/retired teacher from Salem, Oregon who happens to have a book coming out on how to survive in the not so friendly world.

The title: “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World, is very timely. The word “hope” is a buzz word right now. People are seeking hope.

The fact that I was chosen from Oregon to do a workshop clear across the nation in North Carolina, is nothing short of a miracle.

NEA In Washington D.C. found out from my local Uniserv consultant, that I had written a book. That happened to be exactly what they were looking for.

They contacted me and invited me to do the workshop. They are paying the air, room, and food. (I could get used to this!)

My publisher is providing five books to give away during the workshop. There will even be a pre order form for the attendees to order the book before it even comes out. (YAHOO!)

The contact person told me that there was a limit of 50 people allowed to sign up for the workshop, and it is already full. They are allowing some standing room only people to come to the workshop.

So, this little ole retired teacher/author will have an open gate to plug my book and sell some books in an all expense paid trip to Asheville, NC. Can’t beat that.

The cover design is finished and I am very pleased. It has a picture of a man at the ocean holding out his hands to the skies and looking for hope.

The back cover is waiting for the publicity designer to OK. It is a very precise and explosive message to those who are hurting.

I will have business cards and post cards done before my trip to North Carolina, so I will have those to hand out as well.

My publisher will also provide handouts for the workshop to make it a very good experience for all of the attendees.

Keep checking here for more updates. It will a fun ride from now on. Things are rolling very fast!!

Out!