Vietnam Veterans Book

Searching for men who were part of the Vietnam Draft Lottery to interview for a book. 

More information on my business site - www.erinannmcbride.com/vietnam-book

Unlimited LDS Audiobooks and Ebooks - All on YOUR Smartphone!

What does a 30 day FREE membership get you? 

1,500 free ebooks

500 audiobooks

All on your smartphone!

Deseret Book has launched it's new ebook and audiobook service called Bookshelf Plus. And for a monthly fee of $9.99, or an annual membership of $99/yr, you get access to thousands of books. 

I am a book fanatic. (I don't just write books, I avidly ready them too.) I listen to or read a new book almost every 3 days. But it can be very hard to find LDS ebooks at a reasonable price! Drives me crazy! So it is a great gift that I can FINALLY access the Deseret Book catalog, and listen to them on my phone. 

Fun fact- The subscription/membership (service) is called Bookshelf Plus - that's the membership/subscription service that allows you to read or listen to UNLIMITED ebooks and audiobooks.
The actual app you download (from the Google Play store or the Apple iTunes store) to your phone is called the Deseret Bookshelf. You can use Bookshelf without a Plus membership. You will just be limited to a small amount of free materials. You can still use the app to buy ebooks/audiobooks at regular price.

To clarify- pay for a membership with Plus, and you get access to THOUSANDS of free books. Without a membership, pay regular price to buy ebooks. 

Bonus- when I downloaded the Bookshelf, it wasn't some crazy huge app that killed the memory on my iPhone 6. (With over 1,000 pictures on my phone, mostly of my adorable baby nephew Charlie, free space on my phone is a thing of the past. And don't even dare suggest I remove some of the pictures!) 

When you download the app, it comes with links/icons for official Church materials (Gospel Doctrine lesson book, Teachings of the Prophets, etc) right on the front. It even has links to the most recent General Conference talks right there the minute you download the app. That's links to both the audio and e-book version, which is really convenient. There are even links to classic church talks, and to free literary classics (I immediately downloaded Les Mis and Large Catechism (by Martin Luther)). 

You can see from my phone screenshots below how easy it is to download a book. You see it in the "discover" tab, click on it, then click download and open, and voila, it downloads. That fast and easy. And because you have your annual membership, you don't have to pay for it!

Don't forget the 30 day free trial membership if you aren't sure you want to commit yet! But you will want to commit, trust me. It's great!

Let's say you wanted to buy my first published book, "Beyond Perfection." If you check it out on Amazon, the Kindle version is $14.99 (of which yours truly gets something like 50 cents if you buy it.) (Seriously, moms, don't let your babies grow up to be authors.) 

On Deseret Book, you only have to pay $9.99.  But if you have a Bookshelf Plus membership and the Deseret Bookshelf app, YOU GET IT FOR FREE!

If you are a regular consumer of Mormon books, LDS Church materials, clean e-books, and uplifting audiobooks, you are going to love this new offering from Deseret Book. 

RECAP-

DESERET BOOK BOOKSHELF PLUS MEMBERSHIP

30 DAY FREE TRIAL!!

THOUSANDS of free e-books! THOUSANDS!!

Tons of audiobooks that you can't get anywhere else!

After your 30 day free trial, it's either $9.99/mo, OR $99/yr. 

And you can get it all on your smartphone. 

Affiliate Blogger Disclaimer- I did not get paid to write this post. I am a beta user and blogger of the product. If you use my links to purchase the Deseret Book Bookshelf Plus membership, I receive a commission. But it no way, shape, or form, effects the cost of your membership or purchases for me to receive the commission. 

Personal Life Reboot

I'm going through a personal life reboot right now. Yet again, through events completely out of my control, the world has been turned upside down on me. A month ago I was the church youth group leader (YW president), and then released completely unexpectedly. And then last week my job came to an abrupt (but welcome) end. (I had expected my job to last 2 more months.)
Not bad changes.
Just completely unexpected changes.
Suddenly, I have nothing to do. And I really do mean absolutely nothing.
I do have a book launch I'm slowly getting through. And I'm writing a book as much as my muse allows me. But really, no obligations, events, time sucks, etc. going on.
I've forgotten how to be this way.
But before I can figure out what comes next, I'm doing a very intentional personal life reboot. I'm reading books that have meant something to me and guided me professionally. I'm contacting mentors for advice. Organizing my material objects. Indulging in some creative activities. And really making sure I know what my priorities are, so that I can make a plan on how to achieve and focus on those priorities.

Some of the books that have helped me figure life out include the following

Who Moved My Cheese? 

This book, told as a story about mice in a maze, is about adjusting attitudes toward change in life, especially at work. Change occurs whether you are ready or not, but the book affirms that it can be positive. I come back to this book every time an outside force moves the cheese on me (again). 

A Sequence of Little Nudges

My friend Rebecca wrote this book (and I helped edit and format it). She is a training and organizations expert that really understands the process it takes to set a goal and work towards it. Most importantly she understands and values the importance of motivation to help you get going and stay moving. This isn't a feel-good story book. It's more factual and yet casual. A good one to come back to when I am contemplating new ideas and goals for the future. 

Outliers; The Story of Success

Some people may consider this a strange book for me to count in my list of personal life reboot books. But this was one of the most life-changing books I've ever read. Malcolm Gladwell (one of the greatest writers in modern times, if not the 21st century) explains the extraordinary success of some very high profile people- Bill Gates, the Beatles, etc. And he explains their personal backgrounds and experiences that led to their exceptional success. For me, to understand how and why some people have achieved such remarkable success, while others who are equally talented and smart have not, really hit home. It wasn't about being the smartest or most talented. And in some cases it wasn't about hard work either. In many (if not most) it was about timing- being in the right place at the right time. Bill Gates wouldn't be Bill Gates if he hadn't grown up in an affluent neighborhood in Seattle at precisely the time he did. The Beatles wouldn't be a phenomenon if they hadn't accepted one of the worst gigs ever in Hamburg. (leading to what is now known as the Hamburg principle.) 

And like some people have had extraordinary success all due to timing, some people have encountered more setbacks, through no fault of their own, due to timing. He doesn't address failure much at all. But the converse of what he did talk about is what made a huge difference to me when contemplating some of my own successes and failures. 

For instance, I had a major professional setback for several years. Why? For a long time I struggled with the "why" question. Why couldn't I get a job? Why did I get laid off? Why did some friends seem to have so much success, while I kept getting setback further and further? This book helped me find the answers to the why. 

And helped me start seeing my way to success.

Fun Surprise from Samoa

How fun is this?
My parents are serving a mission for our church in Samoa right now. I called to tell them about my book arriving today. They surprised me with all these fun videos!

When Books Fly is LIVE!

I'm not quite sure what happened, but the book I didn't expect to see until May 10th is already here! My book is live!
Now to go full throttle into a book launch a month earlier than anticipated.
You can get your copy of When Books Fly: Social Media Secrets for Best-Selling Books on Amazon here and Barnes and Noble here.

Obviously a new book means it's time for a HAPPY DANCE!

My Books is About to Fly!

Happiness is seeing an ad for my upcoming book out in the wild!

New Book by Juli Caldwell - Guilt Trip!

Avery Elliott is so busy hiding from her past that she doesn't realize she’s been stuck in a rut for the last decade or so. Despite a job she loves, a hilarious great-grandma she adores, a reliable Friday night date, and two of the best friends a girl could ask for, she’s not happy.

So why can’t she move forward with her life? 

After Mr. Friday Night humiliates her and bails, Avery spins it into an opportunity. She joins her friends on a singles cruise, hoping to reset her stagnant life.  Instead, her great escape becomes a floating prison, locking her in with everything she needed to get away from. 

And then someone she never thought she’d see again appears on board, a blast from the past who’s haunted her for far too long. Avery has to decide if she should leave the past where it belongs, or fight for a happiness she never thought she deserved.

Guilt Trip is available on Amazon!  In honor of its release and Valentines/Singles Awareness Day, Juli Caldwell is having a Worst Date Ever contest. Visit her facebook and share your awful story--BOOM. You're entered. Give Guilt Trip a shout out or a retweet on Twitter--another entry. Make sure you hashtag it #guilttrip and let her know @ImJuliCaldwell so she can find your entries! Winner gets signed paperback or ebook, whichever they prefer! Winner announced Sunday Night.

which do you like better?

Help me choose, my bloggy friends. I know neither one of these is perfect. But they are what I have to work with for the time being. (I'm already working on getting another set made up.)
Which of these banner ads do you like better? the top or bottom?

Special Report is FREE on Amazon today and tomorrow

BUY IT HERE : http://amzn.to/1XBA0pN

"Special Report: Prequel to the Haley and Cam Series" is free on Kindle today and tomorrow. You don't have to have a Kindle to download it. The Kindle app is free to everyone and on nearly every device or phone. 

It's a 67 page look at the first time Haley and Cam met back in Haiti. And you get a glimpse of Haley's life before she fell out of the chair on live television. Some of the story is based on my real life experiences in Haiti, much of it is not! 

When Books Fly!

We have a winner! My next book will be out May 10, 2016!

I am more than a little happy to say that my final manuscript is finished and handed off to my editor. It's all Chelsea's problem now. I'll get to see the edited copy in a few months for a final review. But otherwise, this book is out of my hands. I look forward to seeing it next spring! 

Help Me Name My New Book

HELP! I need a new book title for my new non-fiction book.
Here are the titles currently under consideration-
These are all Title then Subtitle. For instance, When Books Fly: Sell More Books With Social Media Marketing

When Books Fly (title):

Subtitles-
A Guide to Social Media Marketing for Authors
Sell More Books Using Social Media Marketing (My favorite)
Social Media Marketing for Authors
How to Sell More Books Through Social Media Marketing

Sell Your Story (title):

(same subtitles)

Got anymore suggestions or ideas for me?

The publisher is looking for something catchy and witty. I've never been very good at titling books. This is definitely not my strong suit. I can write a book, but I can't write a title to save my life. 

Sharing the Gospel

Sharing the gospel is a topic close to my heart and often on my mind these days. My parents left for their 18 months mission to Apia Samoa this weekend. My cousin Remi comes home from his mission to Texas later this week. So naturally, I'm thinking about missionary work.
I've never been very good at opening up and sharing my thoughts on the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most personal thing in my life, and I find I have to trust someone before I will share my feelings on something so intimate. And yet, as followers of Christ we have been taught to "Feed my sheep" (John 21:17).
Each Sunday for the past few months I have had the opportunity to share my testimony with the young women at church. The more I share my testimony of the gospel, the more comfortable and open I get with sharing it. Still, I have a long way to go.
I wrote "Sharing the Gospel Through Social Media" for both people who are comfortable sharing and those who are more passive about sharing. While some people may have the desire to type out their testimony and share it for the world to see, others may be more comfortable sharing a nice thought or quote. I admit, I'm more the quote or thought kind of girl, although I wouldn't be surprised if people thought I was more forward than I am.
In less than two weeks, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will hold its semi-annual General Conference. It is a big event for us with speakers from the Church leadership around the world. (Not to mention good food and music as well.) Many people will share quotes and thoughts from the conference. Some will do it well, some will does it less well.
As we lead into conference I aim to share a quote or thought from past conferences each day, to help me warm up or prepare for conference. I hope you will enjoy them!
Consider this my own efforts at practicing what I preach (after all, I did suggest something like this in my book), and my own way of more openly sharing something very personal and special to me.

Get my novella "SPECIAL REPORT: THE PREQUEL TO THE HALEY AND CAM SERIES" FREE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY ONLY!

Get "Special Report: The Prequel to the Haley and Cam Series" FREE on Kindle Thursday-Friday only!
http://amzn.to/1LJtd9v

Relationships and Social Media Never End Well

What You Need to Know About Dating, Mormons, and The Rules

“The Rules.” A mythical book of rules for women and dating. According to legend, if you follow their thirty rules for courtship and dating, the man you have always dreamed of will ask you out, woo you, treat you like the queen you are, and eventually propose. But only if you keep to their rules. Their very strict rules.

For the purposes of this article we will be referring to Not Your Mother’s Rules: the New Secrets for Dating, published in 2013. And not the more archaic original.

There are women who swear by The Rules. Others who laugh it off and mock it. There are men who doubt its existence. Others who are oblivious to them. Men who despise them. And then there are the Southern women who just call it common sense.

I’ve read “The Rules” (both the original and updated) a few times. I’ve followed The Rules at times. I’ve broken every single one of The Rules at times. I can see the arguments from both sides. And I’ve heard the laments from the men.

But lately I have wondered if The Rules really work for Mormon women in a singles ward?

Let me explain.

In my mid-singles ward there is/was a consistent 3:1 ratio. Three women for every man. Three beautiful and talented women for every single man. And not all of those men are looking to date. Plain and simple, it can feel like a competition to get the attention of the good guys and get a date. The women feel like they have no choice but to be proactive, invite the guys over, flaunt what they got, and make sure they are noticed and remembered.

All of this goes against the teachings of The Rules. And I can’t help but wonder, if Mormon girls in singles wards changed their approach, and followed The Rules, would there be more dating and relationships?

The Rules

1. Be a Creature Unlike Any Other
2. Look Like a Creature Unlike Any Other
3. Don’t Talk to or Text to a Guy First
4. Don’t Ask Guys Out by Text, Facebook, etc.
5. Don’t Sit or Stand Next to a Guy First or Flirt First
6. Wait at Least Four Hours to Answer a Guy’s First Text (and then 30 minutes thereafter)
7. TTYL: Always End Everything First
8. Don’t Answer Texts or Anything Else after Midnight
9. Rarely Write on His Wall and Other Rules for Social Networking Sites
10. Stay Away From His Facebook Profile
11. Don’t Email a Guy First and Keep it Brief
12. Make Yourself Invisible and Other Ways to Get Out of Instant Messaging
13. Don’t Talk Too Much in the First Few Weeks
14. Don’t Just Hang Out or See Him 24/7
15. Let Him Suggest Skype and Visit You More in a Long-Distance Relationship
16. Don’t Lose Your Friends Because You’re So Obsessed with a Guy
17. Don’t Introduce a Guy to Anyone First, Invited Him Anywhere First, or Friend His Friends First
18. Don’t Write to Guys First, Ignore Winks, and Other Rules for Online Dating
19. Don’t Pay for Dinner or Buy His Love in Any Way
20. Don’t Choose a College or Job or Relocate Because of a Guy
21. Don’t Get Wasted on Dates or at Parties, So You Don’t Say or Do Anything You’ll Regret
22. Buyer Beware… Weeding Out Bad Guys (Cheaters, Addicts, Players, and Time Wasters)
23. Don’t Be Self-Destructive by Dating Married, Unavailable, and Other Mixed-Messages Guys
24. Stop Dating a Guy Who Cancels More than Once
25. Don’t Send a Guy Anything You Wouldn’t Want Him to Have If You Broke Up
26. Don’t Accept Booty Calls or Meaningless Hookups
27. Wait Before Sleeping with a Guy
28. Don’t Put on the Freshman 15, Go to the Gym, and Other Rules for Looking Good at Every Age
29. Wait for a Guy to Follow You on Twitter First and Rarely Return Tweets
30. Don’t Date Indefinitely without a Commitment

(A few of The Rules don’t quite apply to Mormon culture obviously. So we’ll skip over and ignore those.)

Do The Rules apply or work for women in a singles ward where the ratio of women to men can be staggeringly not in their favor? Where just getting to talk in the hallway to a man can feel like a weekly competition? And Sunday dinners and taking a plate of brownies over to a guy you like is an expected commonplace occurrence?

Or is it possible that The Rules are what we need to help spur more dating, and less hanging out and waiting for something better to come along?

Where’s Waldo?

In my most recent mid-singles ward we had about 400 people attending on an average Sunday. With 5 Sunday School classes, an overflowing sacrament meeting, 2 Relief Societies, and 2 Elders Quorums, it can feel like an Olympic event just to find your best friend to sit with. You can meet a new person, have a fabulous conversation with them, and then it may be months before you spot the person at church again. There are so many people in our ward it can feel like Where’s Waldo in there week after week.

So when The Rules suggest that a woman should never instigate a conversation, or angle herself into the seat beside his, invite him over first, etc., it might seem like a really bad strategy. How else will a guy ever notice you in a sea of other women, if you don’t help him out a bit? He may truly never see her in the crowd.

It’s a tough call to make. I’ve been a Rules Girl, and I’ve been the anti-Rules Girl. I’ve asked out men, and I’ve patiently waited and wished for a man to ask me out. And here’s what I can tell you- The Rules do work. Even when it might feel like they don’t.

But I’m not here to try and convert every woman over to The Rules. It’s a choice.

The Argument in Favor of The Rules 

Sharing the Gospel through Social Media is LAUNCHED!

It's official! "Sharing the Gospel through Social Media" is LIVE! 

You can get it on Barnes and Noble Nook here. 

And you can get it in paperback or on your Kindle from Amazon here. 

I'm hoping to see it pop up on a couple of other key sites in the next few days. And really hoping that it got picked up by Deseret Bookstore. So if someone out in the Jello Belt sees it in a bookstore, would you please take a picture of it (with you in it would be great) and send it to me??

Sharing the Gospel Through Social Media

It's official! My new book, Sharing the Gospel Through Social Media, is published and here!
This book was published by Cedar Fort Books and will be sold in bookstores around the country, and online.
Heed the prophets' call and learn how to use your social media skills for good! This comprehensive guide shows you how to kindly and respectfully spread the good news of the gospel through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, your blog, and in many other ways. Perfect for leaders or the everyday Saint, it will help your whole family become modern member missionaries!

Blog Tour Coming- Want to participate?

Erin Ann McBride and Cedar Fort Publishing & Media are pleased to announce the “Sharing the Gospel Through Social Media” blog tour, which will run from February 21-March 3, 2015.

If you’re interested in participating in this blog tour, please email Cedar Fort or visit their blog at http://blog.cedarfort.com/blog-tour-sharing-the-gospel-through-social-media/ to sign up.

About the book:

Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ has never been easier. This book was written to help bishops, ward mission leaders, stake presidents, stake public affairs directors, mission presidents, and every day member missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, learn to navigate and appreciate the potential of social media in their missionary efforts. Explanations, ideas, and strategies are provided on how to incorporate Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and other networks into Mormon missionary efforts. This ebook makes it easy for even social media beginners to effectively share the gospel online.

Who's the crazy girl now?

Just when I think my life is dull and boring, the Universe likes to prove me horribly wrong. What craziness am I to today?
-Proofing my book, "Sharing the Gospel through Social Media," that comes out February 10th. (Published by Cedar Fort Books.)
- Planning a dear friend's wedding- WITH LESS THAN 2 WEEKS' NOTICE! The crazy girl will have a less than 3 week engagement. But then maybe I'm the crazy one for taking on her reception with just 2 weeks and no money to pull it off!
- Christmas, because you know, it's Christmastime and all
- Working part-time
- Writing another book that I'd really like to have finished by Dec 31
- Working for 2 different clients on book editing, formatting, and marketing stuff
- All that other life stuff!

All of my books are free on Amazon

All of my books that are currently available are free on Amazon Kindle December 11-15. If you haven't downloaded them yet, now is your chance. 

Links and reviews of each available book below. 

The Agency: A Novella

"This speedy read tells one young go-getter's adventures as she works in the ad/tech world for a woman who is in the running for the Worst Boss Ever award. It had me holding my breath and flying through the pages wondering how (and if!) Anne Marie was ever going to escape the stinging of this Portuguese Man o' War. Fun novella-length story--not a lot of depth, but just a great beach or airplane read." 

This Just In 

"I love these books and I can't put them down! I read the first one in two days and laughed, was in awe of the suspense, and felt smarter by the end of it. Definitely ideal for Book Club Books and summer beach reading!" 

But if you get "This Just In!" don't forget it's the second book in the series. You'll want to get "You Heard It Here First" as well!

You Heard It Here First

"I had read articles by this author for Meridian Magazine and always enjoyed her sense of humor and down to earth take on modern life, so I jumped at the chance to read her book. It was fun and fast from start to finish and left me wanting more. It is rare to find a "clean" love story that isn't preachy in any way. Who says being moral and honest has to be boring? Not Erin Ann McBride! I have already purchased the next Haley and Cam book and hope there will be many more in the series."

If you've already purchased or read one of these books, have you left a review on Amazon yet? Reviews of self-published books really do make a huge difference in sales for the author. Please take a minute to go leave a few stars and comments for me!