Wednesday Book Giveaway & Guest Blogger Dr. Patrick Johnston

Happy Thursday!

This week's Wednesday book giveaway and guest blogger has been moved to Thursday, this week only.

We have a special guest, Dr. Patrick Johnston, who definitely doesn't let any grass grow under his feet. He has a terrific message to share. 

Welcome Dr. Patrick Johnston ... and your lovely family.

Dr. Patrick Johnston is a family practice physician and the father of nine home-educated children. He has authored nine novels and one non-fiction workbook. He directs Personhood Ohio and the Association of Pro-Life Physicians. His ninth novel, his medical thriller Body By Blood, is contracted to be published through Chalfont House in September of 2015. His family website is www.JohnstonFamilyMinistry.com. 

His daughter’s album, Born to Be a Misfit, by “Anna J”, is available on iTunes, CD Baby, and Amazon. Don’t buy it. :-)

You can find out more about Dr. Johnston at these sites.

www.JohnstonFamilyMinistry.com
www.PersonhoodOhio.com
www.TheRevoltTrilogy.com
www.ProLifePhysicians.org
www.StopSchoolLevies.org
www.TheWhyNovel.com

The Strangest Marketing Strategy

When my 15-year-old Anna wound up bored half to death on the couch after an ACL surgery, she picked up a guitar and began to write music. Turns out her ADD is accompanied by an amazing gift. A dozen songs later, she’s cut her first album - More than a Misfit by “Anna J.” When it released, my wife Elizabeth got the bright idea of videoing Anna sing a cute little ditty she wrote entitled “Don’t Buy My CD.” In the wake of the catchy tune, in her goofiest hillbilly accent, Anna begged people not to buy her CD. The strategy worked like a charm! Within a week, the video saw over 134,000 shares on facebook.

Sometimes, the more strange and unique the presentation, the higher the product rises above the flood of competitors vying for attention in the marketplace. I’ll call it the “Anna J”* factor.

I bagged a publisher for two of my three novels released this year - an Amish fiction novel in January and a medical thriller in September, but publishers considered my recent novel - The Why - too controversial. Kids and guns make Christian publishers about as edgy as Frank Peretti’s attempt at contemporary romance. So I self-published this novel and planned to market it employing the “Anna J” factor.

Let me give you the puzzle pieces and let’s see if you can guess how I put them together for a unique marketing strategy.

My wife Elizabeth isn’t a fan of my fiction writing. She prefers non-fiction. Of my nine novels, she’s read two.

Due to some financial difficulties, hobbies that are expensive are a big “turn-off” to Elizabeth.

Hobbies that I can’t do with at least some of my nine kids are also a big “turn-off” to her, whereas hobbies that involve the kids are… you guessed it, a “turn-on.”

I first wrote The Why to be a screenplay, but it drove Elizabeth crazy having to get the kids dressed and ready for the filming. It was a lot of work for my 7 1/2 month pregnant wife at a very busy time in our lives. Moreover, she’s even less pleased with my film-making aspirations as she is with my fiction.

Two of my older children - Charity and Anna - are also interested in film-making.

My two oldest boys are gifted marksmen. Shooting guns is a hobby we all enjoy - including my wife.

Don’t mean to give you the impression that my wife makes my world go round, but she does! She’s an anchor in my rocky world of endless aspirations and ever-growing ambitions.

Now you have the puzzle pieces. Given these factors, and my desire to honor my wife, spend time with my children, and simultaneously “Anna J” this novel to the NY Times bestseller list, what do you think I did?

I created a five minute action-packed promotional video with eight of my nine children to promote novel. You can watch it at TheWhyNovel.com.

Has the promo sold a million novels in the past month since the book was published? Nope. Were my kids as thrilled with the outcome of the film-making venture as I was? Not by a long shot. Has the promotional video attracted any producers to the screenplay? No offers yet.

But did we ever have a blast! And we did it together as a family. How many authors can boast a strategy that brings even their little children to the drawing board? Was it work to create the promo? Yes - but a couple weeks of filming instead of six months. Moreover, it was an inexpensive venture that didn’t involve thousands of advertising dollars we didn’t have.

Most importantly, my wife is happy.

Children who adore their father and a happy wife beat a Best Seller any day. I can’t take my novels to heaven with me. But I can take my family.

Dr. Patrick Johnston's 

New Book

When the dollar collapses, widespread rioting and looting threaten the peace of a family in Zanesville, Ohio - "the Y City." Eight children lose their parents and are forced to survive in a stretch of woods surrounded by lawless anarchy. Running out of food and facing threats from encroaching violent gangs, they are tempted to doubt God's love. When they capture a thief, they learn that the attack on their home was no random act of violence. Torn between justice and mercy, their faith heated in the fire. Will God answer their prayers and deliver them, or must their faith remain blind to facts?

You don't want to miss the book trailer at www.TheWhyNovel.com.

Well done, Dr. Johnston. I can't wait to read the book.

Dr. Johnston is giving away a FREE copy of his new book. Make sure to leave a comment for a chance to win, and don't forget to include your email address so Patrick Johnston can contact you.

We have a winner from last week. Congratulations, Cynthia A. Lovely! You've won a copy of Julia Arduini's book, Entrusted. We need your email address. Can you contact me at bonnie.leon52@gmail.com?


Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie