Year of 5,000 Books

For several years, Ron and I were the couple in charge of hospitality for the MJAA Conference in Irvine CA. During that three-day conference, if you were a volunteer, hospitality was open for you 24 hours a day. Whether you needed a meal, wanted to grab a snack or have a hot cup of coffee, we made sure everything was there. A few years ago, Ron’s missionary schedule precluded our continuing to serve in this way.

Remembering the Past…

As a result, I had not attended this conference, which always seemed to fall on Valentines weekend until last year when my friend, Marlayne Grion, announced that she would have a table. Because of our work at the conference and our association with Chosen People Ministries, people knew me and I felt I could help her become visible to those she had never met so I offered to help her. When I arrived I realized that I was right…She needed my help! For although the conference had begun on Friday afternoon and I did not arrive until two o’clock on Saturday, only a few people had stopped by her table because it was hidden behind a pole making her invisible. Lucky for me, God had always given me an extra measure of chutzpah (lack of fear) when I was faced with situations like this. Sizing up my friends situation, chutzpah took over and I walked around meeting and greeting people I had not seen in a while. Then I invited them to visit Marlayne.

Pressing on Towards the Goal…

Exactly one week from now, I will be setting up my Year of 5,000 Books table at that same MJAA Messianic Conference in Irvine CA. Unlike my friend Marlayne, people know me. However, where my friend had a physical book to sell, I am pre-selling Casa de Naomi – The House of Blessing – Book One - Yearning. Though that might seem odd to some it is what the Ruach Ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) has told me to do…So I press on towards the goal! If you are wondering why I have not completed Philippians 3:14 scripture I sighted above which ends, “...to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus,” it is because I want you to understand what a huge undertaking of faith it is for me to do what no one else has done! So let me explain by posting my “Dear Friend” letter that is on my website and accompanies my promo package.

Dear Friend,

Because my husband is a missionary, we spend many Sundays in churches and revisit them often. When we do women have confided how relieved they are that we have come and how difficult it is to get their non-believing spouse, relative, friend, or associate to attend the service. Though they know the Lord wants them to speak about the gospel, they fear loosing these relationships and remain mute.

I wrote the Casa Series so that men and women could use the gift of literature to reach the lost. These novels reveal a unique people and their history. Both you and those you gift the books to will enjoy the romantic, historic, fiction. In the first volume, Casa de Naomi – The House of Blessing - Yearning the reader experiences Naomi’s problems, which multiply as she hides who she is and marries Chaz, a man she believes to be Catholic without sharing her secret with him. When she is unmasked as someone other than what he thought her to be, she flees.

As Chaz prepares to leave town, a friend challenges him invoking Gods name. Our hero responds, “Leave God out of this!” This startling conclusion to book one will cause those who have read that novel to read Fulfillment, the second book in the series to discover how our star-crossed lovers’ story ends. They will be surprised to discover the novels name indicates Naomi and Chaz’s desire, which is in Messiahs…Jesus hands. The culmination of their individual salvation stories will guide the reader from our characters journey into their own and show them how to enter into a relationship with Christ our Kinsman Redeemer and experience Gods love for them.

I have signed a contract with Tate Publishing. Casa de Naomi ~ The House of Blessing ~ Book One ~ Yearning will be released in the fall of 2011. While in prayer, I discovered that the Lord wants to get these books into the secular bookstores. That is a tall order since secular bookstores do not carry Christian or Messianic books. However, there is a plan that will accomplish what most believe to be impossible - pre-sell 5,000 books. To my knowledge, no one has pre-sold this number of novels. When we accomplish what most believe to be undoable, the secular booksellers will call the publisher and order the book. And that my friend will get our Lords message spread! I cannot do this by myself. Please join me. Together we can accomplish the impossible, which will cause secular booksellers to order the series.

Change…

If I had attached this letter to my prom package or you had visited my website, you would discover how you could help me and that is important. With the conference uppermost in my mind, I have added new requests. What appears on the letter follows. However for this conference, please pray that:

1. People stop by my table to visit, buy the novel for themselves and other believers.

2. People determine how many gifts they will give this year and purchase the book for these people.

3. People buy books to keep in their trunk to hand out to those who do not know the Lord or give to the Angel Fund so I can do this.

4. People invite me to speak, do a reading, or develop a unique Casa de Naomi event for their church or friends.

5. Lastly, since one does not have to be attending the conference to drop by the Messianic Marketplace, encourage those who live in Orange County, CA to stop by the Hyatt in Irvine and visit my table.


Since many of you live far from me and others have already made plans for this weekend, I have posted my original appeal below:

You can assist me in two ways. First, order Yearning from my website or blog. Second, invite me to speak or do a reading for a group of your friends or your church or any other group setting which you deem appropriate. Since the goal of my visit is to pre-sell the novel, response cards will be available, and I will ask those attending to purchase books.

Yours in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ),
Paula Michelson ~ Messianic Author ~ The Casa Series
Due fall 2011 - Casa de Naomi – The House of Blessing
Website http://www.paulawordsmith.com
Blog http://paulawordsmith.blogspot.com
Email or call me at 949-310-3360 to set up an event for your church or group