Ooops. July’s Newsletter

Oh dear, I forgot to post July’s newsletter, after sending it to subscribers. Sorry! 🙁 Some of it is still relevant, at least, so do have a read!

Getting Books Out of Boxes

A couple of weeks ago I did a stock-take and was horrified at the number of books we still have in boxes, when they should be out there, in children’s hands! I mean, producing books to encourage and inspire is great, but what’s the point of having them in boxes? It’s like the man who buried his talent. Not good.

straw bales

Even as I write this, I can hear the combine harvester and the tractors at work in the field over the road – the harvest has begun! We didn’t know when the farmer would come . . . in the same way, we don’t know when the final harvest will come.

I see the boxes stacked up every day, but seeing the actual numbers in black and white hit home. So, I had a long think, prayed, got some advice, and have:

  1. Set up a book of the month on our Facebook page. I chose Under the Tamarind Tree for July, as it’s a lovely book to give for end of term prizes, is suitable for boys and girls, and would make lovely summer family reading, too. I have been putting up one chapter of the book every day on our Facebook page, so people get a taste for the story, and those who can’t afford to buy the book can read it to their children.

    Under the Tamarind Tree

  2. Started a competition! Please join in! At the top of our Facebook page I have pinned a post where if you share the post, you have the chance to win a copy of Under the Tamarind Tree. Please, please, do share! The more people comment, like and share Facebook posts, the further they go, exponentially, and will help others know what we do. You can find the post here. And you could win a book!
  3. Set up some Facebook ads. Please pray the ads will reach the people who would be interested, if only they knew. And pray for wisdom as I set up the ads, because it’s not easy to get it right.
  4. Started a Sale on our website. This is the first sale we have ever had. I believe the books are worth every penny of the full price, but if it gets the books out of boxes, I’m willing to try the Sale route. Do take a look. Books start at £2.99/copy – please let all your friends know by sharing the link via email, Facebook and twitter. Thank you! 🙂
  5. I have put up a new page on the Dernier Publishing website, about what we do, in an attempt to gain some interest. You can see it here. Do share.

It seems to me that people are sincerely concerned for their young people, and if only they knew our books existed, and how they have changed lives, they would buy them. As you do! 🙂 We need to spread the word.

And don’t forget, you can also buy our books from Christian bookshops.

Share the Wealth

Someone loves the Beech Bank Girls books! “My 10 year old has read the first 2 of these and loved them so much she wanted to get them for her best (non christian) friend for her birthday. She said they would explain to her really well what being a Christian meant. Love my little evangelist! Will get her the others and stock up for her to give away!”

Beech Bank Girls books

Camps and Clubs

Let’s pray for camps and clubs taking place over the summer. They can be life-changing. I went on a Crusader’s (now Urban Saints) holiday to Cumbria when I was about fourteen, and it was hugely helpful to me in my new-found faith. If you would like books for a club/camp you are involved with, to give away to participants, please let me know. I have a soft-spot for camps, and taking a book home means the message goes home with the attendees, to water the seeds you have sown.

The City Kid

The City Kid goes to Uganda! Author Clive Lewis took as many copies of The City Kid as he could manage when he went out to Uganda to visit family recently. He gave several copies to Dickens Zziwa, from Scripture Union Uganda. These books are hugely appreciated, with their life-changing message.

The City Kid in Uganda

If you, or someone you know, is visiting a church or school abroad, could you give them a handful of books to take with them? The young lad in the story gets himself in such a terrible predicament, he wants to end his life, but finds Christ. It’s a gritty, moving story. One of the young lads we know who read it told us, “This is how life really is.”

We are still working on more efficient ways to get our books to Africa. Please pray for this process.

And that’s all for now! Thanks so much for your support,

Janet

P.S. Don’t forget to enter the competition to win a copy of Under the Tamarind Tree! And visit our Sale.

P.P.S. Are you a retailer? Happy to give you extra discount on our sale books. Please contact me for more info.

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Why Christian Novels for Young People?

Now, more than ever, we are living in a society in which overt sin is becoming ever more pervasive and ‘normal’; the darkness can at times seem overwhelming and our children are out there in it.

 

Dernier books in RwandaThe need for excellent books for young people written from a Christian worldview is great. There are plenty of stories which have incited interest in the occult and witchcraft, violence, materialism and worldly relationships, but what about books where the Lord is God, where faith in the Lord Jesus Christ matters, where people pray and read the Bible?

 

Boy reading Christian bookThese don’t have to be dry subjects! – they can be as alive, real, funny, scary and sad as any secular story, but with the enormous extra bonus of a spiritual perspective.

 

What we fill our minds with, is what we become. What are the children you care about filling their minds with?

 

Greek girl reading I Want to Be an Airline PilotOur vision is to produce excellent, relevant, fun novels for young people aged 8-17, to encourage and inspire them in their walk with God, and to show non-church kids what they are missing!

 

Every now and then we hear more depressing statistics about young people leaving the church; anything we can do to show them that it’s great to be a Christian has got to be good and it’s a fact that most people come to know the Lord when they are young.

 

Schoolgirl readingWe can’t afford to be complacent.

 

We have heard about young people becoming Christians after reading our novels, and had reviews saying, “This is the best book I’ve ever read.” And who knows how many seeds have been sown, all over the world? Thrilling!

 

Reading the books with your children gives you an opportunity to discuss issues raised in the stories, such as prayer, forgiveness, bullying, teenage pregnancy, body image, illness and freedom of choice. Words are powerful, but you only have a small window of opportunity before your children grow up. The Bible urges us to share our faith with our children; stories give an opportunity to chat things through – don’t put it off.

 

children readingOur children’s faith is priceless.

 

One day ‘the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.’

 

We so want our kids to be there.

 

If you share our vision, please sign up for our news and prayer letter. Once a month we will keep you in touch with what’s new.

Janet Wilson

Janet Wilson, Founder of Dernier Publishing

 

May the Lord bless you, and the children on your heart,

 

Janet Wilson

 

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Christian Clubs and Camps

Let’s pray for Christian clubs and camps taking place over the next few weeks, all over the world. Such precious times!

Group of girls

If you would like to order books for a church event you are involved with, please use the coupon code: CHURCH at checkout for 20% off your order.

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The City Kid goes to Uganda

Author Clive Lewis visited Uganda recently. He says: “I took over 30 copies of The City Kid with me on our recent trip to Uganda, distributing them to various people with an interest in youth work. Dickens Zziwa [CEO of SU Uganda] was very pleased to receive 12 copies as well as the modest proceeds from another dozen that I ‘sold’ for a donation to Scripture Union Uganda.”

The City Kid in Uganda

We are delighted that young people in Uganda will have access to this excellent book. Please pray for those who will read it! 🙂 The City Kid is a ‘prodigal’ style story about a young lad who gets involved in corruption and tries to end his own life. But he is spared, and finds Jesus. That’s a very short summary! Why not buy a copy, see if it might be suitable for the young people in your life?

N.B. It’s a gritty book, not for the faint-hearted. You can read the first chapter here. Click on the link, then scroll down!

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Faith, Hope and Love

Book Launch

We had a wonderful time at the book launch of Rebecca and Jade: Choices last month. Thanks to all who prayed! Thanks also to author Eleanor and all at Bethesda Evangelical Church in Hay-on-Wye for hosting this lovely event. Lots of people came, ate cake, bought books (including Beech Bank Girls books) and talked!

Eleanor Watkins

The book was sold in the Hay Festival Bookshop. Please pray for the girls who will be reading this book, making choices of their own.

Rebecca and Jade: Choices in the Hay Festival Bookshop

Rebecca and Jade: Choices in the Hay Festival Bookshop

Death and Grief, Life and Hope

News of so many tragedies involving young people have hit our screens recently, and have left us all reeling. The terrorist attacks in London and Manchester, the terrible fire at Grenfell Tower, the forest fire in Portugal. Grief, shock, pain, fear uncertainty, homelessness, lives that will never be the same again.

Even young people who don’t know anyone directly affected are shaken, and many don’t know where to turn. Most have never had to think about death and grief before; now many are thrown into a new reality.

We are trying to get as many books into young people’s hands as possible, to sow seeds of life and hope. I know you will be trying to do the same.

child

All our books hold out the seeds of faith, hope and love.

The first review I ever received via email, was about The Treasure Hunt, from a girl called Emily, and was just one short sentence: “This is the best book I ever read!” I knew then we were on to something. Not because The Treasure Hunt is the best written, most brilliant, most entertaining, thrilling book in the world, but it has a secret ingredient . . . it’s not just entertainment . . . it holds faith, hope and love. As do all our books. And there’s nothing greater than these three things.

Terence

We had our own individual tragedy, as the day after we returned from holiday our cat, Terence, was hit by a car in the road. We buried him in the garden, where he loved to play. Sweet, fun little kitty, full of mischief and adventure. I know many people not far away have lost loved ones, and he was only a cat, but we still miss him.

Cat helping to pack Dernier books!

From a Children’s Worker:

“I gave them [books] to the children I work with on a Wednesday. Noah (9) said ‘Hey! This is a Christian book!’ with a big smile on his face.”

Delighted to hear stories like these. So many children, even from church families, don’t have the opportunity to enjoy books that will encourage them in their faith and feed them good things. Thanks to Wendy, who gave these books away. Who knows what the Lord might do through them?

Revenge of the Flying Carpet Cover

Drum roll, please! Fresh from the designer, here’s the front cover of Revenge of the Flying Carpet. Thanks to illustrator Lorraine and designer Gill!

Revenge of the Flying Carpet

Please pray we will have the finances to bring this book out as planned in the autumn. We give a lot of books away, but the costs involved in production generally include the cover illustrator, designer, editor, proofreader, typesetter, and the cost of actually printing the book. As we have low print runs, the cost per copy is high. It’s a dream to sell thousands of copies, so we can lower prices and reach more children (there are 1.9 billion children in the world – the dream is to reach as many as we can, as long as we can!). Please pray with us, because we know the Lord is able to do way more than we can ask for or even imagine. 🙂

Thanks for reaching the end of the newsletter! Bless you for putting up with me for this long. 🙂 Here’s a win/win offer . . . 10 books for £50, to help you with your clubs, camps, end of terms and parties. Any books you like . . . just contact me if you’d like to take up the offer!

May the Lord bless you,

Janet

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Book Launch!

The book launch of ‘Rebecca and Jade: Choices’ took place on a sunny day in Hay-on-Wye during the Hay Festival.

Rebecca and Jade: Choices, YA novel

Rebecca and Jade: Choices, YA novel for teenage girls

Thanks to all who came, and congratulations to author Eleanor Watkins on her 44th book release!

Eleanor Watkins with her latest book, Rebecca and Jade: Choices

Eleanor Watkins with her latest book, Rebecca and Jade: Choices

Here are a few pictures from the day:

Janet Wilson and Eleanor Watkins

Eleanor with Janet Wilson from Dernier Publishing

Hay Festival

Hay Festival

Rebecca and Jade: Choices in the Hay Festival Bookshop

Rebecca and Jade: Choices in the Hay Festival Bookshop

Eleanor Watkins

Eleanor Watkins signing books

 

You can buy this fab book for teenage girls here, or from your local Christian bookshop. More details about the book here. Any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. 🙂

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Stories

Stories entertain, amuse us, and we learn from them. They can inspire us for good or evil. They leave a “taste in our mouth”. The best stories hold us long after we have put the book down. Make sure your children are reading good stuff!

Dernier Publishing books for young people

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May News!

Sadness and Gladness

Manchester

I was planning on writing something completely different this month, but the news of the tragedy in Manchester has eclipsed all other thoughts. It’s difficult to find the words to say. Even though we may not know anyone personally affected, the sadness on our screens has touched us all. The sight and sound of young people screaming and running, the mum desperate for news of her daughter, images of children injured, hits hard. So much grief, so much trauma, some who will be affected forever, scarred for life. And what about the perpetrators? What could have possessed them to turn to such evil? We know so well the verse, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come that they might have life, and life in all its fullness.” The suicide bomber was just 23. Let’s pray for everyone caught up in this appalling evil, that the Lord will have mercy, and turn many to himself, that He might bring light and life out of this dreadful tragedy.

If you live in or near Manchester and know anyone who could take our books to young people in hospital, or to those who have lost loved ones, please contact me.

Another thought: the suicide bomber was brought up in this country. Please pray we will be able to get our books into school libraries. Even in places where there is no Christian teaching, perhaps some might come to find life through our books.

Something More Cheerful

Mary Weeks Millard giving Christian books to Star School, Rwanda

Mary Weeks Millard giving Christian books to Star School, Rwanda

Praise the Lord for something more cheerful to report. Earlier in the year, author Mary Weeks Millard visited Rwanda. She says:

 

“A highlight of the trip was to visit Star School, at Masaka, near Kigali. I prayed over the piece of ground and have had the joy of seeing a large school grow on the site, over about 10 years. The school has a Christian foundation and seeks to educate children whose parents might not otherwise be able to afford good schooling for them. It has nursery, primary and secondary departments. Many children are sponsored through Mission Possible UK, and it was a delight for me to see the boy whom I have sponsored through the years. He is now in the top primary class. However, the main point of the visit was to give books to the library, and I took 25 books from Dernier Publishing. These were well received – there are very few fiction books for leisure reading in the library – and the boarders were very pleased with the new additions.”

Such good news! These stories with their biblical themes have so much potential to touch lives. Another box of books recently reached a school for deaf children (most of whom are orphans) in Kenya. Please pray with us for all who read our books, wherever they are in the world.

Three More Bits of Good News!

1. Dernier books translated into CroatianFirst bit of good news: Mystery in the Snow is going to be printed in Croatian, to join the first three Beech Bank Girls books and The Treasure Hunt.

Yippee! So thrilled that non-English speaking youngsters will be able to read this fun story about four Christian kids who solve the mystery of the shed burglaries. 🙂

2. Second bit of good news: I met Joanna from Angel Tree for a business meeting (honest!) earlier this week. Angel Tree is the arm of the Prison Fellowship which gives gifts to prisoners’ children at Christmas, along with a Christian book if the prisoner wishes (which most do). Joanna from the Prison FellowshipPlease pray Joanna chooses the right books for the children, many of whom are vulnerable, and may not hear the good news any other way. We are delighted and privileged to be able to share in this ministry.

3. Revenge of the Flying Carpet came out as a kindle book a while ago: we are planning on bringing this out as a paperback in the autumn. The new cover hasn’t yet been finalised, but here is a sneak preview of the cover image:

This book deals with the subjects of revenge, justice, mercy and forgiveness through the eyes of a young lad with the worst sister in the world. Vital issues, from a Christian perspective, all rolled up in an engaging story. More news in due course!


Best News!

Rebecca and Jade: Choices, YA novel

They’ve arrived! Real copies at last!

I have saved the best news for last. 🙂 We now have copies of Rebecca and Jade: Choices, ready for release next Tuesday (30th May)! This is a powerful and moving novel written from a Christian perspective for teenage girls. Two sixteen-year-olds become friends, despite their differences. When one of the girls finds herself pregnant (I’m not telling you which one!), they both have choices to make, which have far-reaching consequences.

One mum who reviewed it for us said: “It sensitively covered issues facing teens today including pregnancy, relationships, friendship and support . . . Gave me a good opportunity to open up the subject of abortion with my daughter and we had a really good chat. She’s got someone in her year who‘s pregnant (at fifteen).”

Eleanor Watkins with her latest book, Rebecca and Jade: Choices

Author Eleanor Watkins with her latest book, Rebecca and Jade: Choices

(She said some other lovely things, too, but they include spoilers, so I’ll have to keep those things to myself for the time being!)

This isn’t a book telling readers what they should do. It’s an invitation to readers to think about the choices they make. Oh, and one of the girls becomes a Christian, but, again, I’m not telling you which one! I hope you will buy this book for all the girls you know (contact me for quantity discounts), because the choices they make will determine their future, as they do for Rebecca and Jade.

The launch will take place in Bethesda Evangelical Church in Hay-on-Wye, on Tuesday 30th May from 11am – 1pm. You are all totally and very warmly invited! Author Eleanor will be signing books, I will be there too . . . and it’s during the Hay Festival, so lots to see and do if you love books!

Rebecca_and_Jade_Launch_Invite

If you can’t come, would you like to buy a copy anyway? Click here to take a look.

That’s all for this month, but before we go, would you join me in a brief prayer, that our books will touch young lives?

Dear Lord God, Heavenly Father, please help us to get our books to where they are needed. Please use them to touch children with your love, to bring light and life in the darkness, hope and joy where there is despair, comfort for those who grieve, to bring truth to those who seek it, and eternal life with you. Amen.

Janet Wilson

Janet Wilson, Founder of Dernier Publishing

Thank you so much for being here with us,

Janet

P.S. The new books look way better in real life than they do in these images! 🙂

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