The Next Big Thing

This is so fun!

In a few seconds I’m going to share with you my Next Big Thing, but first thanks to Staci Stallings, who’s one of my writer friends on Facebook, for tagging me in the Next Big Thing blog hop!  This is the Next Big Thing blog hop in which you get to hop back and forth through the posts to find new and exciting authors and books.  Some authors will share upcoming books, some will share already released books, others will give you a peek into their current work in progress!  So hop around and enjoy all of the excitement!

The Next Big Thing:

What is the title of your book?

My book is called The Elite of the Weak. It’s the first book in the Revelation Special Ops (RSO) series.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

The idea for my book came through the 2008 OneThing conference, a conference that IHOPKC (International House of Prayer, Kansas City) does every year. They challenged everyone to read the whole book of Revelation every week for 1 year. I did this for a year and a half, because the Lord was showing me so much.

What genre does your book fall under?

My book is a YA Supernatural Thriller. There are spies, gadgets, international intrigues and miraculous incidences.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Hm…I don’t watch many movies anymore, so I had to do some serious research for this answer. Here’s what I came up with:

Imogen Poots

• Hadassah Michelman (main character): Imogen Poots, but she’d have to dye her hair a very dark brown for the role.
• Asher Michelman (Hadassah’s dad): John Rhys Davies (a.k.a. Gimli the Dwarf)
• Eva Michelman (Hadassah’s mom): Catherine Zeta Jones, since I think she’s the only one who could lay the smack down like Eva can.
• Matthew Cho (Hadassah’s friend): John Cho (I had to look this one up for sure)

John Cho

• Aaron Cooper (RSO founder): Derek Luke

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Hadassah, a teen who is heartbroken about the realities of modern slavery, uses the spy skills she learned from her mom to fight human trafficking with a Christian organization called Revelation Special Ops.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

My book is indie-published. There were many who helped me get there, so I shy away from the term self-published at this point. I had the help of critique partners, editors, an amazing cover designer and a very patient, very loving husband who knew everything I didn’t about explosives and guns.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

It took me a month to write the first draft of The Elite of the Weak, and a year to polish it up.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

There are some similarities with the Left Behind series, because of the End Times theme, but I’m writing with a completely different paradigm, doctrine and story.

I found an author recently who is also writing about the international problem of human trafficking. You can learn about Kimberly Rae’s books here.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

The work of several organizations inspired The Elite of the Weak. First, there was Love146, an organization that was founded by some people who are very dear to me. They work to raise awareness about the issues of human trafficking and they build safe homes to restore those whose childhood and dignity were stolen. Through Love146, I learned about Gary Haugen and his organization called International Justice Mission (IJM). They go into some of the brothels and rescue the girls, as well as bring justice against the perpetrators. Then I learned about Exodus Cry, which is a prayer movement with abolition as its goal. They also have built safe houses in several places across the globe. You can find out about each one of these organizations, and more, on my LINKS page.

Many have asked me why I decided to write a story about human trafficking with an End Times theme, and here’s the reason: I long for total abolition. I earnestly pray for it. With every spare moment and dime I work to spread the word and support organizations that work on the ground. But in this age there will never be total abolition. Human beings have been exploiting one another since the fall and will continue to do so until Jesus returns. If I was going to write true hope into the story, I had to include the ultimate justice and abolition: the return of Jesus.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

You’ll visit exotic places, you’ll read through heroic deeds that are similar to what some are actually doing, and there’s also a bit of romance for those romantics among you!

Here are some other writers you can visit right now! Some have answered these same questions today and some will answer them on Dec. 17:

Cynthia Toney

Jennifer Rogers

Karen deBlieck

Joshua Bedford

Londa Hayden

Janet K. Brown

Oh, JOY!

Since my last post was about comfort, I thought it fitting to write this one about joy.

Joy is one of those things that everyone loves to be around but few truly project.

I asked my husband one day if there was any particular fruit of the Holy Spirit I wasn’t showing much of in my life, he said, “Joy.” At that moment he was right. Since then I have been praying.

A few months ago, a friend and fellow writer told me something that both surprised me and encouraged me. She said she gleans joy from the books I write. I so much wanted to project joy, but wasn’t sure if my novels, particularly the ones that highlight modern slavery, transmitted JOY to the reader.

Apparently they do! At least to one.

Thomas Jefferson, in writing the Declaration of Independence, included that we have, from God, the right to pursue happiness. In the movie, Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith explored how elusive that happiness is. I know I won’t be able to wax as eloquently as that movie did on the subject of pursuing elusive happiness, but I do know one thing: happiness may be elusive, but joy…

Joy is permanent. It’s meant to be. I want to be filled with this. I want to spread it all around. I want to inspire JOY in people around me, because it is permanent. And it makes a human being become what God intended–you can sense it in the presence of those who are filled with joy.

Have you encountered someone who, when you’re in their presence, you’re infused with joy? Please, do tell!

And if you’re interested in my books, two of them are FREE today:

The Elite of the Weak

Pharmacia: Those Magic Arts

Slide into the Comfort Zone

The other morning I awoke with a peculiar sentence bouncing through my mind:

“Comfort zone – it’s more than pizza and mac & cheese.”

I’d been told over and over to stretch out of my comfort zone, go beyond my comfort zone, don’t hang out in my comfort zone, but I felt the Lord gently nudging me to think differently about the comfort zone.

I started thinking about prophecy, where, in 1 Corinthians 14:3, it says that prophecy is for edification, exhortation and comfort. I recently heard John Paul Jackson say that these three parts of prophecy are speaking to three different parts of our being: edification speaks to the spirit of a person, exhortation to the body and comfort to the soul.

Our souls are made up of mind, will and emotion (I usually throw creativity in there, but let’s just have three for beautiful mathematics today). So here’s some comfort for our mind, will and emotions:

Psalm 71:21 You [the Lord] will increase my honor and comfort me once more.

Psalm 119:76 May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.

Isaiah 40:1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

Isaiah 49:13 Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

Isaiah 51:12 “I, even I, am he who comforts you.”

Zechariah 1:13 And the Lord answered gracious and comforting words to the angel who talked with me.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore comfort each other and edify one another just as you also are doing.

Okay, so here’s a few remarkable things that I’ve discovered in my study of “comfort”:

• That’s what the name Noah means! Go ahead and follow that bunny trail
• Yes, God comforts us, but we’re supposed to comfort each other, too.
• The return of the Lord is a comforting thought, even if there are times of extreme trouble beforehand.
• Comfort isn’t a bad thing, but something beautiful and biblical.

So slide into the comfort zone. Ask God your questions and allow Him to comfort you. Tell Him your sorrows and allow Him to comfort you. Express to Him the desires of your heart and allow Him to comfort you. Allow yourself to be comforted by a friend. Then go spread that comfort!

Today, The Elite of the Weak is FREE! Grab a copy, have a read, I hope it inspires you!

YA Supernatural Thriller

^{2 Corinthians 1: 3}Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

YOU can do something to stem the tide of human trafficking

Recently, Jada Pinkett Smith appeared before congress to urge the representatives to do more in their efforts to combat human trafficking here in the United States. Here is the link about this in the Huffington Post.

Now, I love this woman’s heart, but is it just celebrities and others of influence who can stand up to the issue of human trafficking? Or is there anything an ordinary person can do?

Here are a few things that anyone can do:

First of all, you can help by notifying Amazon to take down books that endorse human trafficking through sex tourism. Would you like to know how? Follow this link to Love146 Task Force page.

Second of all, you can visit ijm.org and get involved in any one of their Justice Campaigns. I’m doing their 100 postcard challenge right now (you’ll see it on the far right).

Third of all, you can pray. Every Monday evening, 8pm Central Time, Exodus Cry holds an international prayer meeting about this issue of human trafficking through IHOPKC’s prayer room. Every month they take a specific city and pray each Monday for abolition in that city. Mark it on your calendar and join in via webstream.

Fourth, you can give to any one of these organizations, or support one locally that’s setting up safe homes and working with kids at risk.

My YA book series, Revelation Special Ops, was written to raise awareness for teens. Books 1 & 2 are FREE today:

The Elite of the Weak

Pharmacia: Those Magic Arts

One of the most amazing things to me is that it was Jada Pinkett Smith’s daughter, Willow, who was the one to tell her mom about the realities of human trafficking. Willow is 11. Never underestimate the incredible influence kids can have.

His Most Amazing Grace

In the last few years I have been shown the painful reality of the depth of my depravity. It must be parenthood that sparked this. Depths, I tell you, and I don’t exaggerate. I toted around some vainglories that I dared not show to the world. I realized how much smarter I thought I was than you. I realized how highly I thought of myself, and how emotionally, intellectually and theologically superior I considered myself. I prided myself on how little vanity I had.

God gave me three gifts to expose these things and begin the journey toward His amazing grace.

He gifted me with the position of parenthood to begin the purging process. Parenthood can expose all my weaknesses in a single morning. Wow! What a gift! It teaches me how much I need Him, how much I cannot do ANYTHING without His grace.

He also gave the gift of His Word to hold up as a mirror against all this vanity. This mirror shows not only the gaping holes in my character, but it shows the magnificence of the Lord’s nature and character.

The third gift is the revelation of His most amazing grace, a revelation that began as a seed 15 years ago and now has its roots wrapped around my heart, its stems and leaves expanding through my mind, and its flower budding within my spirit. I say with trepidation that I’m at the beginning of the beginning. This revelation is so HUGE!

In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. (Ephesians 1:7-8)

If Bill Gates, a king in the business world, decided to lavish a gift on you, I’m pretty sure you’d be like me.  He’d get to the first million and you’d say, “Ooh, that’s good, I know what I’d do with that.” He’d get to $40 million and you’d stagger a bit. He’d get to $500 million and you’d be pretty sure you’d never know how to spend that much.

The riches of God’s grace that He is lavishing on us is so much greater than $500 billion.

The benefits of grace look like this (and remember, this is only the beginning of a vast ocean):

Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ~ John 1:16

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. ~ Romans 5:1-5

In love He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ~ Ephesians 1:4-6

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. ~ Hebrews 4:16

Grace is the doorway for so much blessing–I could write a thousand pages just for the introduction!

By grace we are saved, and by grace we can walk in love as Christ loved us.

By grace our sins are covered, and by grace we can be holy, just as He is holy.

We are made new. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit. My heart pounds with excitement, though only my feet have gotten wet in this vast ocean.

“Grace, it’s the name of a girl, it’s also a thought that changed the world…It travels outside of karma… karma… it travels outside of karma.” ~ Bono

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. ~ 2 Corinthians 8:9

So dive in to His most amazing grace!

This ocean is deep and the waves are wild, but I have to tell you,

the water is fine…

the water is fine…

My YA novel, The Elite of the Weak, is FREE today. All day. Go grab a copy!

Guilted to Give and Other Similar Crimes of Passion

Have you ever had someone try to get you to like them by making you feel guilty? Blech! I *shudder* at memories of ever doing this to someone else. (If you’re one of those people I ever did this to, and I haven’t said so yet, I’m sorry.) It feels miserable for both parties.

And how ready is your heart to give when you have your wallet opened by the pliers of guilt? I don’t know how you feel about that, but I’m usually like, ugh!! wanting to grab my belly, ready to heave my last meal. Guilt is a nasty motivator.

You’ve seen the pictures: kids in deplorable poverty with the charity’s plea for your donation at the bottom, and little accountability about where that money goes.

Some have gone so far as to call this “poverty porn”.

I want to tell you, though, that nothing exemplifies a Christian so much as generosity. A willing heart that gives generously (of both time and resources) shows Jesus to the world in ways that few other actions do. A generous person shines the light of Christ in powerful ways.

But I strongly believe that a person coercing and manipulating people into giving money by making them feel guilty does not demonstrate Christ. It does the opposite.

The only good that guilt can ever do is lead us to Christ who frees us from its crushing weight.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is conviction. There is the quickening of the Spirit upon a heart saying, “I need to be a part of the solution! Whether I give time, money or both, I need to be part of the solution!”

Whenever I seek to bring awareness about the issues of human trafficking, or of extreme poverty, or of the plight of child soldiers, I seek to inform those who want to learn, as well as those who were once as ignorant of these issues as I was.

I was grieved and convicted about my ignorance, and in response I’m committed to as much action as a I can do right now.

If I ever leave you feeling ‘guilted to give’, I give you permission to call me out for it. Seriously.

Real love doesn’t use the pliers of guilt. Neither should real generosity.

God bless you!

My book, The Elite of the Weak, is FREE today on Kindle.

Book 2 of this series is now available as well.

Lena Nelson Dooley interviews Precarious Yates

Here’s where you can find me today! This interview was so fun! Many thanks to Lena Nelson Dooley for the interesting questions!

All over the place this week

This week I’m spending three days at WoMen’s Literary Cafe as one of 10 books participating in the launch of Karen Baney’s Nickels. This is a fun cyber launch and I love the company I’m in. There’s a book for everyone here.

You can also find me here with these authors, as we each share the one most important lesson we’ve learned from our walk with the Lord.

The Elite of the Weak, book description

Released Dec. 2

 

The Elite of the Weak. Weak because their hearts are broken for the oppressed. Elite because they keep the code.

 

Hadassah isn’t like the rest of her friends in high school. Neither is she like the kids in her church’s youth group. At least not when she’s in the African jungle trying to rescue an abducted child, or when she’s crawling through an air duct on a surveilance mission in Queens. Hadassah was born for such a time as this. She also wasn’t cut out to do this work alone.

 

The Elite of the Weak

by Precarious Yates

Book 1 of the Revelation Special Ops series.

Book trailer: The Elite of the Weak

Here’s my book trailer for

Released Dec. 2

In the trailer I say that slavery is worse than ever. Slavery has been awful since the first person was enslaved, so why do I say that it’s worse now?

One of the reasons that it’s worse now is not just the sheer numbers of those who are trafficked, including the children, it’s the extent that people go to as they defy law and ignore their conscience. It reminds me of the state of Israel during the days of Hosea, Amos and Jeremiah. I’m so glad that people are speaking out about this issue. Legislators, too, are writing laws that make it tougher on perpetrators. But bodies and souls are still being sold at an alarming rate as the merchants are finding ways to circumvent the laws. Inform yourself (visit my links page), write your congressperson or senator, and tell as many people who will listen: this should not be happening!

The paperback of The Elite of the Weak is now available through CreateSpace.

The e-book is available for $.99 on Kindle, iTunes and Nook.

God bless you.