Preorder your copy of Chicken Scratch today!
Chicken Scratch: Lessons on Living Creatively From a Flock of HensSpring 2023
Creativity comes into play in just about any field. Looking at situations from different perspectives, finding new uses for old things, combining disparate ideas or ingredients or even colors–all are creative endeavors. And when writer Ann Byle became a chicken owner, she began to look at her hens with new interest and the keen eye of an artist. Even though chicken-tending proved to have its own challenges, Ann discovered that her feathered friends offered surprising lessons and inspiration for her own work, lessons on living creatively.
With Chicken Scratch, Ann brings us good fun and meaning-making at the intersection of creative living and our egg-laying friends. She mixes quotes, stories from all kinds of creatives, and practical advice to help all of us invested in living more creatively. Drawing inspiration from her flock of hens, Ann explores curiosity and courage, embracing your creative self and letting go of what holds you back, and living well in the creative life. Each chapter includes questions for journaling, next-steps-in-creativity exercises, and a sidebar from “The Left-Brain Chicken,” putting solid process-related steps to each chapter.
The creative life can be profound, but also funny, exasperating, and downright weird–much like living with a flock of hens. If we take the time to notice, we have much to learn from our beloved chickens, things like the value of curiosity, how we might welcome challenges in our lives, and even when to let go of perfectionism. It’s time to name our creative impulses, to claim them, and to squawk them from the rooftops!
The Joy of Working at Home: Embracing the Freedom, Avoiding the Pitfalls
Working at home was the great experiment of the global pandemic. Can you do good work from a tabletop or corner desk at home? Can you survive the merging of family and work amid a pandemic? Freelancers have long known the answer is a resounding yes!
The Joy of Working at Home offers top tips and advanced advice from seasoned freelance writers who know a thing or two about time management, creating a workspace, setting boundaries, and staying healthy. Inside you’ll find:
•Best practices for a useful workspace
•Tools for managing your schedule and time
•Top tips for setting boundaries
•Technology that helps, not hurts
•Ideas to reclaim your creativity
•Advice on staying healthy and professional
•Grace for blending work and family
Working well at home is doable, enjoyable, and practical. The Joy of Working at Home helps create a framework for those newly working from home and helps those already doing so to improve their experience for the best work possible.
The Baker Book House Story
In celebration of Baker Publishing Group’s 75th anniversary, now you can experience the engaging true story of how one determined Dutch immigrant founded a used book store that grew into one of the largest Christian publishers in the world. Includes more than fifty photos.
The Revell Story: Offering Hope and Help to Readers for 150 Years
In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Fleming H. Revell publishing company, discover the history of one of the most influential Christian publishers in the world, from the works of D. L. Moody to today’s bestsellers.
Christian Publishing 101: The Comprehensive Guide to Writing Well and Publishing Successfully–For New Authors, Editors, and Students
Fully revised for 2020, with new chapters and updates throughout. Christian Publishing 101 provides an overview of the vibrant Christian writing and publishing landscape through interviews with seasoned authors, experienced editors, and publishing professionals.
• Explore memoir, children’s, fiction, devotionals, historical, poetry, collaborative writing, and more
• Discussions on digital footprint, blogging, and using social media effectively
• Advice on dealing with resistance, facing the nos, creating an active writing life, and writing from vocation
• Guidance on pitching to editors and agents, writing style, publishing options, editing your work, and making a living
• Assignments with each chapter encourage next steps
Contributors include some of the most accomplished names in Christian publishing: Jerry Jenkins, Mary DeMuth, James Scott Bell, Stan Jantz, Andy Scheer, Tim Beals, and Bill Myers.
Each chapter is brimming with useful information, helpful advice, and heart-felt encouragement for all on the writing journey. Perfect for any writer looking for insight, guidance, and inspiration.
Co-Writing and Ghost Writing
When Angels Fight: My Story of Escaping Sex Trafficking and Leading a Revolt Against the Darkness
Leslie King was only 15 years old when she was trapped in a life of prostitution. She became one of the thousands of sex-trafficked individuals in the United States, often invisible to “regular” people who know nothing of the seedy underside of that life. Sold by men who promised love but delivered only heartache and caught in drug addiction to escape from the pain, Leslie’s life offered little future and no hope.
Then God spoke.
And Leslie answered his call, putting all her trust in God to deliver her. She got clean, got off the streets, and started rescuing other prostituted individuals. Today Leslie is a passionate and heroic advocate for trafficked women and girls in her community and across the country.
More than a gritty, no-holds-barred deliverance story, When Angels Fight also includes stories from those Leslie has encountered in her work–police officers, judges, and other advocates and activists. Leslie also arms you with what you need to fight alongside her to make a difference in your own community. Walk this hard road with her, and you’ll grieve, you’ll be empowered―and you’ll never be the same.
Called to Care: Opening Your Heart to Vulnerable Children through Foster Care, Adoption, and Other Life-Giving Ways
More and more individuals, families, and churches are seeking ways they can respond to the biblical mandate to care for “the least of these.” The desire to help children coming from difficult situations is a necessary starting point, but what comes next? You need to know the steps for getting involved and what will truly help.
Filled with real-life stories and practical advice, Called to Care starts by helping you honestly assess your motivation to help–sometimes the wrong motivation sets the stage for an unsuccessful experience. From there, the book shows what adoption and foster care really look like in a variety of situations, from domestic and international adoptions to short-term foster care and foster-to-adopt arrangements. Also included is how churches and individuals can minister to refugees. Rounding out this comprehensive yet concise book are tips for assessing your preparedness, how to meet common emotional and physical challenges, and the most effective ways to help families stay together and thrive.
Bethany is a global nonprofit that supports children and families with world-class social services, all designed to help families thrive. We believe every child deserves to be loved, connected, and empowered through family.