The Nicholas Book: A Legend of Santa Claus

“If Santa isn’t real…is Jesus real?” So asked one child, on being told that Santa is not “real.” No Christian parent wants their child to doubt the reality of Christ. But is it true that Santa isn’t real? “The death of magic is the birth of unbelief” one pastor writes, and I believe he is right. I also believe it is possible to be straight with our children without killing the magic of Christmas. To prove it, I wrote The Nicholas Book: A Legend of Santa Claus. You can read it with your family on November 26.

Journey back to small town America in 1959, as the story follows the adventures of Joshua and Rachel Kirk, two kids who set off on a quest to learn the truth about Santa Claus. Hearing of a mysterious book that may answer their questions, they head for The Old Page Bookshop; but on the way, they are pursued by enemies, one who wants revenge, and one who wants only the Book. To find the truth, Joshua and Rachel will have to face their fears, and learn to see the magic of the world with new eyes.

Available exclusively on Amazon on Cyber Monday, November 26, The Nicholas Book will help your family rekindle the magic of Christmas, and rediscover the truth behind Saint Nicholas, and the One he loved and served.

Stay tuned for more details.

Angela's Book-Affiliate Program

Okay, Blog Friends and Facebook Folks, we need your help - and we fully intend to reward you for that help. Angela's book releases in about thirteen days, and we have just launched an affiliate program for the book. If you have a blog or website (or even if you don't - hang with me for a minute), you can become an affiliate to help get this book into as many hands as possible. Sign up, and you'll make 30% commission on every book sold on your site.

I've got more details below. Even if you don't have a blog or site, you can get in on the fun, too. You can even make this available on your Facebook page, or via emails you send to friends or family. If you'd like to find out more about how to do that, email Angela at couponquickstart at gmail dot com. You can also get two copies of the book for free (one for yourself, and one for hosting a giveaway on your site), if you sign up for our Review Special (more on that below). Meantime, here's the details I promised, from Angela's website:

A number of folks have asked for affiliate information on my new eBook, Coupon Quick Start Guide: The Easiest, Fastest Way to Serious Savings and Free Groceries. The details are below: I hope you’ll consider offering Coupon Quick Start Guide on your blog or site. I think you’ll find it worth the time and effort!
If you’d like to join the affiliate program, click the link below:

Join our Affiliate Program!

When you sign up, a registration code will be sent to your email address. Use this to register for the affiliate program.

For every copy of Coupon Quick Start Guide you sell through the link on your site, you’ll earn a 30% commission. The book will sell for $4.99, so you’ll make about $1.50 on every book sold.

In the Affiliates Admin (on the eJunkie website, where we’re hosting the affiliate program), click the “Get Affiliate Code” button, and you will be given html code to paste into your website or blog. This will place a link on your site which will lead your readers to the website where they can buy the book (only if they click through this link will you be able to earn a commission for the sale). DO NOT post this code until September 28th so that you will not have any confusion from buyers.

You can join the affiliate program now, but note that the book will not be available until September 28. But hey, that’s less than two weeks away!

I’ve presented the material in this eBook to thousands of people in my Coupon Makeover 101 classes, so I know what a powerful impact it can be in the lives of ordinary people, desperate to save money in a crumbling economy. So help me get the book into as many hands as possible, and make a nice commission for yourself while you do it!

For those interested, I am also offering a Review Special: if you agree to read the book and post a review (on your website, and, preferably, on Amazon as well), I’ll send you a link to get two copies of the book, absolutely free. Keep one yourself, and use the other to host a giveaway on your site, blog, or Facebook page. As you know, one of the best ways to increase traffic to your site or blog is to hold a giveaway.

If you’d like to participate in the Review Special, just send me an email at couponquickstart at gmail dot com, with your Name, website address, and Facebook page. I’ll send you a link and a special code so that you can get the book for free. And although Coupon Quick Start Guide does not officially release until September 28, the free books will be available to you in the next couple of days (hopefully by tomorrow, Friday, the 16^th), so you can read, review, and host your giveaway in conjunction with our marketing campaign, leading up to the launch date in less than two weeks.

Here are more detailed instructions on how to sign up as an affiliate:

1. Click the “Join our Affiliate Program!” link. For convenience, here it is: Join our Affiliate Program!
2. In the “Register” section, enter your email address twice, and choose a password.
3. Click “submit.”
4. This will open the “Activate” dialogue, with a field to enter an activation code. To get your activation code, check your email inbox. There will be a message there from eJunkie.
5. Get the code, and return to the eJunkie website.
6. Enter the code in the “Activation Code” field. Click “Submit.”
7. This will open the “Required Profile Settings” page. Enter your email, password, business name, and PayPal email address. There is also an optional field for entering your website URL.
8. On the “Manage Your Affiliate Account” page, click “Get Affiliate Code.”
9. Follow any remaining instructions; but the next main place you should end up, the good Lord willing, and the creeks don’t rise, is the “Manage Your Affiliate Account” page.
10. Click “Get Affiliate Code.”
11. Under “Select Merchant” you should see “Coupon Quick Start Guide.” Click the “Get Affiliate Code” button below.
12. You will now see a field called “Get Common Affiliate Hop Link (Recommended)”. In the box below, you will see a line of html code. Copy this, and paste it into your website or blog. The result will be a link that looks like this:

Click here to visit Coupon Quick Start Guide.

13. You can also imbed this in one of our buttons (available soon). You might already know how to do this, but if not, shoot me a quick email at couponquickstart at gmail dot com. I’ll be glad to show you how.

Thanks so much for your interest and participation!

Coupon Quick Start Guide

The time is drawing nigh for the first release by Family Lore Publishing. My wife’s ebook, Coupon Quick Start Guide: The Easiest, Fastest Way to Serious Savings and Free Groceries, will be available in a little over two weeks. The release date, September 28, was chosen because it is also the air date for the highly-anticipated second season of TLC’s hit reality show, Extreme Couponing. Seemed like a good date to release Angela’s book: many who watch the show will be interested in learning more about how to do that crazy stuff they just saw on the tee-vee.

Well, Coupon Quick Start Guide is just the thing for those who want to learn how to do this couponing thing. But there is a difference between Angela’s book and the “Extreme” approach. First, Coupon Quick Start Guide is designed primarily (though not exclusively) for newcomers to the coupon lifestyle. Those who want to start saving money without spending a lot of prep time will find it a most welcome handbook.

But also, Coupon Quick Start Guide can be seen as something of a critique of the Extreme approach to couponing. While the book is designed for the neophyte, Angela did include an Appendix, “Fast Track to Extreme,” for those who want to move to a more advanced level. On the whole, Angela’s take on Extreme Couponing is appreciative, as the show has certainly helped encourage lots of people to look into coupons as a way to help them save money during the current recession. The show has also featured several couponers who give away lots of their grocery stockpile to those less fortunate. All to the good.

But Angela does not hesitate to point out problems. Remember that “extreme” can sometimes mean “going too far;” and many couponers have been downright outraged by things they have seen on the TLC show. Angela will tell you why some of this stuff is problematic, or even wrong. Along those lines, she includes an important chapter on ethical couponing, strongly encouraging her readers to stay within the limits of the store policies, legal guidelines, and most, importantly, God’s law.

Check out Angela’s Coupon Makeover Fan Page on Facebook for regular updates (check back here at Family Lore as well). Angela will be hosting giveaways in the coming days, including a number of chances for you to get the new book for free. And save the date: September 28, 2011, marks the launch of Family Lore Publishing, and of the great new ebook, Coupon Quick Start Guide: The Easiest, Fastest Way to Serious Savings and Free Groceries.

Family Lore Press Release

My wife, Angela, and I, have launched a new home publishing venture, Family Lore Publishing. Our first project is slated to release in less than three weeks. Below is the official press release for our venture. Note especially the purpose of this venture, as stated in the press release: "the desire to produce works that help to repair the ruins of the modern family, which is culturally adrift, spiritually starved, and financially broke." To achieve that goal, I write novels (particuarly for young readers), and my wife writes practical books on issues related to family, particularly moneysaving ideas (she's a Coupon Consultant by trade). Feel free to give us a like or a tweet.


Here's the press release:

FAMILY LORE PUBLISHING LAUNCHES WITH PUBLICATION OF COUPON EBOOK

Home Publishing Venture Announces Release of Coupon Quick Start Guide

William Chad Newsom, author of several books, including Talking of Dragons: The Children’s Books of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, and his wife Angela, founder of the Coupon Makeover website, have launched a new home publishing venture. Family Lore Publishing will feature books written by Chad and Angela, beginning with Angela’s new eBook, Coupon Quick Start Guide: The Easiest, Fastest Way to Serious Savings and Free Groceries.


Coupon Quick Start Guide is the first in a projected series of books, written by Angela Newsom, on coupons and the moneysaving lifestyle. The book is slated to release on September 28, to coincide with the highly-anticipated new season of TLC’s popular reality show, Extreme Couponing.


Family Lore also plans to publish a new series of novels for young readers, written by Chad Newsom. The first book in that series is projected for release some time next year. In the immediate future, Family Lore will publish a new eBook by Chad around Thanksgiving of this year. How to Make Your Children Love Stories continues the work begun by Chad’s 2005 book, Talking of Dragons, which presented families with a plethora of ideas for building a storytelling culture in their homes.


“Angela and I have different emphases in our work,” said Chad. “Through her classes and website, Angela has taught thousands of people how to save money on their grocery bill. My writing focuses on storytelling and its relationship to kids and families. But the common thread that runs through both is the desire to produce works that help to repair the ruins of the modern family, which is culturally adrift, spiritually starved, and financially broke.”


Family Lore Publishing exists to create stories, poems, and non-fiction writings that honor and celebrate the great Story, and its wise Storyteller

# # #

If you'd like more information, or to schedule an interview with Chad or Angela, please call them at 336/644-3733, or e-mail Chad at familyloreinfo@gmail.com.

Family Lore Publishing

"There was a curious local character, an old man who used to go about swapping gossip and weather-wisdom and such like. To amuse my boys I named him Gaffer Gamgee, and the name became part of family lore..." 


J.R.R. Tolkien


"Family Lore," which I got from the Tolkien letter quoted above, is a phrase that has stuck in my mind long enough for me to finally use it in some way. It seems to capture perfectly what this new publishing venture is all about. "Family" of course indicates that this is a family venture (or adventure); also that the things we write and publish are written by and for the family (that ancient, venerable, and beleaguered institution). 


"Lore," is a less-often used word these days, but it calls to mind images of stories and ancient wisdom. Tolkien used it a lot, as in this bit of poetry from The Lord of the Rings:


Learn now the lore of living creatures
First name the Four, the free peoples...


Thus Family Lore Publishing. You can learn more about us by clicking on this About Family Lore Publishing link. Today begins my first blog post under the name of this new publishing venture (though as you can see I've used the blog for other things in the past). 


There's more to it than mere definition of words, however. I write because I'm a writer: it's what I do. But a writer ought to spend his time writing about things he cares deeply about. Under God and His Church, the thing I love most in this world is my family. My wife and I are about to celebrate (this weekend) 18 years of a good and happy marriage, for which, God be praised. And in January, God willing, we will see the arrival of our sixth child (four are with us; one is with God, having departed a brief life in a miscarriage). 


My writing has tended to be, for the most part, oriented towards my wife and children. I've written stories and poems for them (some of which you can find on this blog). I am deeply interested in "moral philosophy" (a thoughtful approach to the development of virtue and character), especially in children and families. In particular: is it possible for children to be noble and virtuous, or is that expecting too much? Is "well, you know how kids are" the best that can be hoped for? Must we wait until they become teenagers (or older) before we see strength of character in them? And what about parents? Can we fight the tide of selfish mediocrity that marks so much modern parenting?


I believe stories and storytelling are at the heart of true moral philosophy. That's the kind of thing I will be blogging about here. Look also for book reviews and movie reviews that will help your family navigate the often treacherous waters of modern entertainment. So that's the kind of thing you'll find here on our blog, along with updates on the progress of Family Lore Publishing.


Speaking of that, our first project is moving along quickly, which is all to the good, since the release date of September 28 is fast approaching. This book, written by my wife, Angela, is quite a bit different from the sorts of things I write about. The title says it all: Couponing ABCs: The Easiest, Fastest Way to Serious Savings and Free Groceries. Angela is an expert in coupon use, and, through her Coupon 101 classes, has taught thousands of people how to use coupons to get groceries for pennies or free. Coupons are all the rage these days, of course, but more to the point, they are a small way to exercise wise and prudent stewardship over the resources God has given us. 


And wise and prudent it is: using the principles Angela will teach you in this book, you can easily cut a $100 grocery bill back to$20 or even less. Some of you may have seen the hit show Extreme Couponing. This show focuses on the hard core experts, but Angela's book is for the coupon neophyte: while other books will give you chapter after chapter of extraneous material, or information too overwhelming for the newbie, Couponing ABCs is a true "quick start guide."  (But for those of you who like to live on the edge, there is an Appendix with some principles for becoming an "Extremer.") 


If you are interested in scheduling a class, or learning more about coupons, take a trip over to Angela's website, Coupon Class 101. I'll wait.


We'll be talking a lot more about this book as the time nears. Look for special offers and giveaways, including the chance to get this helpful new book for free.


In the meantime, you can learn more about my books by clicking on the images over to the right and left. You can even buy a copy in our online store. The Crown of Fire is a historical novel for  young readers based on the true story of Polycarp, disciple of the Apostle John, and leader of the early Church. Talking of Dragons is a non-fiction, family-oriented guide to the children's books of J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.

Site Unseen

To those who were readers of the previous, home education incarnation of this blog (you know who you are), you are not in the wrong place. The focus of this blog has changed, but all of the old material can still be found here (browse through "Categories" on your right or use the search function to locate something specific).

The new focus is on stories and how they shape our lives, particularly in the context of the family. This has been a recurring theme in my writing for a number of years, and as it is a particular point of interest for my family, and as I hope this site will grow into a venture that involves everyone in the household, it seemed a natural and even obvious move. Our interest in home education has not waned; if anything, it is stronger. But storytelling is perhaps the most vital element of our homeschool efforts, and so in a very important way, the new website is a continuation of the old.

For more information on what we're up to now, click the "About Family Lore Publishing" tab at the top, or, more conveniently, click here.