Stories of Faith and Courage from Prison by Connie Cameron

I'm thrilled to have Connie here today. Let your heart be blest as you read on. Connie's moving tale about her book and the passion she had while writing it, and now promoting it, will stir your heart.

She's also giving away a copy of her book to a new reader. Comment and leave you email address, and your name could be chosen!


Last week, the latest book from AMG Publishers hit the bookstores. “Stories of Faith and Courage from Prison” is a 365 day devotional about many aspects of incarceration. These moving testimonies of inmates, ex-inmates, loved ones of inmates, wardens, correction’s officers, prison pen pals, prison chaplains, and volunteers, will give a unique insight into prison life and hopefully spark an interest in prison ministry. Connie Cameron co-authored it with Jeff Peck, formerly of Prison Fellowship International.

“A female inmate wrote to me six years ago,” Connie said. “And when I wrote back, the timing of it ended up literally saving the inmate’s life.” She has been passionate about prison ministry ever since. As a board member of the Licking County Jail Ministries for four years now, she regularly goes inside the local jail and into prisons in Ohio ministering to hurting people. Sometimes she goes to prison with another woman from the board, and other times her husband Chuck accompanies her.

Three years ago God laid it on her heart to combine her two passions (inspirational writing and prison ministry) and write a devotional book about prison. That summer she attended a Christian writer’s conference and met the editor of AMG Publishers, a Christian traditional publisher. He was looking for the very book she was proposing about prison-related stories.

“I was elated!” Ms. Cameron exclaimed. After more than fifteen years of writing and longing for this very thing to happen, she received the call from her agent with the exciting news that a contract would be coming from that same publisher.

“It’s been more than a year of full-time work involved, oftentimes 14 hour days to meet the different deadlines, but at last it’s finished!” Ms. Cameron exclaimed. “I’ve had to read the book through many times before it went to press, and each time I was moved at much God cares about ‘the least of these’. It’s humbling, too, to reflect on how we can’t ‘out sin’ the love of God.” At 464 pages, “Stories of Faith and Courage from Prison” will have a first print run of 5,000 copies. Along with the marketing efforts of Connie and Jeff, AMG is also heavily marketing the book at venues all across the nation. An electronic book is being created of the devotional, as well.

The book endorsements include:

1. Pastor Chad Hovind, author of Godonomics and Fast Track Bible;
2. Carol Kent and Allison Bottke, both prolific speakers and authors, and
3. Bill Glass, founder of Bill Glass Champions for Life Ministries, along with many others.
4. Jim Harris of Alabama is a contributor and has also read the entire book. He said, “I never knew all the different perspectives of prison ministry that there are out there. This book was an eye opener, even for someone like me who has been an inmate and is now in full-time prison ministry.”

She added that while most devotional books are geared more toward women, this prisoner book is aimed at both men and women. “I think it helped to have a male and female co-authoring this body of work. Our differences gave this devotional a nice blend,” she commented.

“While the approximately 2 million citizens behind bars will definitely benefit from reading “Stories of Faith and Courage from Prison”, it is also beneficial for the friends and loved ones of the incarcerated, including prison chaplains, those in prison ministry, pastors, employees of correctional facilities, and especially for those of us who struggle with prison ministry—which happens to be a lot of us,” Connie said. “Out of all the ministries there are in this world, I think jail and prison ministry is the one ministry the majority of people are uncomfortable with, including pastors. We are afraid of it. Some sadly view it with contempt, believing that “those people” are getting what they deserve. I think Jesus knew we would have difficulty, that’s why He referenced it so often in scripture. One of the most common passages is found in Matthew 25:31-46 and ends with, 'I was in prison and you came to see me.' "The way we treat ‘the least of these’ is the way we treat Jesus,” the co-author continued. “We also tend to lump all inmates into the extremely dangerous category, and that’s simply not the way it is. Many are our friends, co-workers and neighbors who are incarcerated for minor offences or drug and alcohol issues.”
Connie was interviewed on this blog a while back featuring her book, God’s Gentle Nudges. She also has a weekly inspirational column in five newspapers, and has been published in Chicken Soup books seven times, among dozens of other periodicals. For more information about her or how to order her books, please go to: www.conniecameron.com.






I give thanks ALWAYS for you, my dear readers and friends!
Blessings

　

Meet my Writing Friend,
Connie Cameron

 Don't forget to leave a comment, with your email address, for a chance to win a copy of Connie's "God's Gentle Nudges." 

A wonderful devotional you will love!

 
How long have you known that you were a writer?

Actually I was first published in the third grade. It was a poem about a snowman whose “hat blew away on a cold winter day”. They printed it in our school newspaper and I didn’t even know it had been selected until I read it in the paper. I think it was at that moment that the thrill of getting published took hold.

Although I have always loved to read and have admired published authors, it really wasn’t until my early thirties that I resumed that desire to write and get published. My children were around five and seven years old at that time and I read them bedtime children’s books. I clearly remember one evening after reading them what I thought was a poorly written book, saying to my husband, “I think I could write better than this.”

He challenged me with, “Why don’t you try?”

But writing for children proved to be harder than I realized, so I enrolled in a home study course with the Institute of Children’s Literature. I completed both the beginning and the advanced courses and it was well worth the time and money as it taught me the discipline of writing, along with how to market my work.

That's interesting, Connie. What is the genre that you now write in?

Well, at my book signings (especially at art/craft shows), I like to tell people that I write “inspirational non-fiction chicken soupy God stories”. If I just say “inspirational non-fiction,” they don’t always get it. But as soon as I reference “Chicken Soup”, a look of understanding crosses over their face and they usually perk up and show some interest.

But I really do love writing true modern-day God stories that readers can relate to, and that point them to Jesus. It is a wonderful feeling knowing you are doing what you were created for. And, I am so blessed to have a husband who (quite literally!) supports me.

So were any of your children’s manuscripts ever published?

No, none of my children’s manuscripts were published. I was frustrated by this at first, yet my desire to be a writer continued to increase. When I attended my first writer’s conference I changed my course. I heard the instructor state, “You should write what you like to read”. Since my children were growing up I no longer read children’s books; however the Chicken Soup for the Soul books were just hitting the market and I thoroughly enjoyed them, along with reading daily devotionals and Guidepost stories.

So, after trying my hand at true, short, inspirational stories, I was hooked – and I haven’t looked back since!

God knows where we should go, doesn't he? How do you spend your writing days?

I am a morning person so I am at my creative best before the sun comes up. I have found that from about 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. is my prime time to work on any fresh, new writing (lots of peace and quiet and not many interruptions). Later in the day I usually spend a few hours editing, social networking, and marketing my short stories to anthologies and periodicals. I currently have two book proposals circulating so I stay in touch with my awesome agent, Diana Flegal of Hartline Literary, on a regular basis.

I love the mornings, too! Please tell us more about your published writings.

My latest writing publications have been contributions to compilations. The Cup of Comfort Book of Bible Promises just came out in March 2010, and that story is about my personal struggle with grief after my stepson was tragically killed in an accident.

I have also been published in five other Cup of Comfort books, including A Cup of Comfort Women of the Bible Devotional, where I have seven devotionals in that book. But most of the anthologies have one story of mine, including the four Chicken Soup books that I have been published in.

In 2005 God’s Gentle Nudges was published with the Pleasant Word division of Winepress Publishers. It has 31 of my short stories in it, and most of them were previously published in compilations, periodicals, and Sunday school take home papers.

The order that the stories are grouped in depict my first recollection of faith-in-action as a child, followed by my adult search for “truth”, and then culminating in my becoming a Christian and developing my Christian walk. Readers tell me that they like seeing how God has worked throughout one person’s life in these short stories. Unlike anthologies (groupings of short stories by different authors) the reader does not have to become acquainted with new main characters in each story. It has been selling well and I continue to receive positive feedback from readers.

You make it easy for us to understand. Can you give some examples of the everyday “slice-of-life” happenings that you write about?

Sure. I write about things that most people can relate to, such as the mix of fear and excitement that revolves around moving to a new home and location. For instance, when we had to leave a beautifully remodeled suburban house that was in an area with good schools, and head to the country to a 150-year-old farmhouse, we faced many challenges. Besides the anxiety of new schools for our pre-teen kids, we also had to adapt to all kinds of critters (both indoors and out). It was lonely with no neighbors in sight, however very conducive to writing. I never lacked for material as I wrote about how a pond populated with muskrats challenged us “city folk”, and how irises popping up at the end of our country lane had greatly comforted me in the spring.

I’ve written a few sad stories, some about the death of my seventeen year old stepson. Even though I share the loss and the way it impacted me and my family, I always try to give God glory by revealing how He comes through for us and ministers to us. Grief stories need to be dealt with delicately so as to not bog the reader down emotionally. Sadly, death is something we all have to deal with, and it can be especially challenging to write about it in an inspirational way. Yet, knowing that my writing can help others to have a healthy grieving process, gives me the extra incentive to tackle such heavy subjects.

One of my goals in publishing God’s Gentle Nudges was to show readers how God can work consistently throughout one person’s life. Unlike an anthology of various authors where the reader must get used to a new main character in each story, they could stick with the same person and family.

I have been told by several people that I have a gift of being able to see God in the small stuff, and then express it in a way that touches the heart. I give God all the credit because outside of those home study courses and a college English course, I’ve had no other formal training.

Wonderful. What one thing about being an author do you wish non-writers would understand?

Actually there are two things, and they would probably sound petty to readers but I think authors would relate to them. The first is that authors are not rich. For some reason, as soon as someone knows you have published a book, they think you are rolling in the dough – far from it!

And the second thing I would like non-writers to know is that authors do not get their books for free. If we’re fortunate, we get a reduced rate. Or maybe we get a handful of books free, but family members usually get those or we give them out as promotions. Otherwise we pay full price, too.

So true. Anything else about you that you would like us to know?

Yes, there is. Probably the main reason it took me so long to finally get a book out there was that I knew that writing and speaking went together like a hand and glove - and I was terrified of speaking. What changed that? Well, that in itself is a God story, and in the essence of time and space, I’ll give the short version.

An inmate read a story of mine in a Chicken Soup book and wrote to me. Not knowing prison rules, I wrote back to her and included a copy of God’s Gentle Nudges. The timing of its (disallowed) arrival resulted in literally saving the inmates’ life. We are now close friends and I write and visit her regularly. An article about us was published in a local newspaper and a member of the board of our local jail ministry contacted me about getting involved in our local jail. Full of fear, yet knowing it was God’s will, and “if He brings you to it, He will see you through it” (a favorite quote of mine that I love to share with inmates), I stepped out in faith and the rest is “His” story.

My heart has been filled with compassion for these hurting female inmates ever since. Most know very little about the truth of God’s love and forgiveness. Many have hit bottom and yearn for a true friend to share God’s love with them. I now speak regularly to groups of women both inside and outside prison walls, giving them hope and encouragement in Christ.

I know that feeling of fear. Public speaking is one of the most feared in the world. Would you give us your blog and web page so everyone can check it out?

Certainly.

• My web site is http://www.conniecameron.com/
• My blog is http://conniecameron.blogspot.com/.
• I am also on facebook.
• You can contact me through any of those venues, or my email is connie_cameron@sbcglobal.net.
• I live in Ohio and I give local speeches. I also enjoy having book signings at fairs and craft shows all over the state. So if you live in Ohio, look for me!

Don’t forget to leave your comment for a free copy of God’s Gentle Nudges.

Thank you, Carole for having me!

And, thank you, Connie, for joining me today. I've loved learning more about your writing career. Best wishes for more success!

Blessings, dear readers!

Special People

One of the highlights of my year! Meeting Diana Flegel, my literary agent.


She's just as wonderful as she sounds over the phone.
Knowlegeable, interested, concerned and prayerful about her clients and their work, fun.

Two of my fellow writers: Max Lewis (in the middle--and he's not really, uh, as snobbish as he looks--snicker--he just had a time getting the rest of us to behave.) His very sweet wife, Valerie, on the end in the white sweater, Connie Cameron between them, wonderful Diana on the end, with me between Max and her.

Books galore from authors like Tamela Murray Hancock and Doug Varrieur and Connie Cameron. Topics like the market, and critique groups, and research. That subject took us down the trail of dogs, but we managed to curb our ever present curiosity. We even got in some critiquing and brainstorming over Connie's newest project--and is it an exciting topic! Can't wait to see it in print.

And, of course, we had some of Tim Horton's famous and delicious coffee, and muffins of each individual choice (although certain people who shall remain nameless, deviously got samples of two different types of muffins by ingeniously cutting them in halves. Hmmm).

• Max writes suspense.
• Connie is a superb and published nonfiction author.
• Valerie is a supportive wife. Smile
• Me, you all KNOW what I write. (That's what comes of having somewhere to talk, I mean write, what I want)
• And Diana. Our agent. The best.

A fun, meaningful day.

Blessings!