Another Call to Faith Book Giveaway

Goodreads Book Giveaway

A Call to Faith

by J. Patrick Thomas

Giveaway ends December 02, 2012.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

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Call to Faith Spawns New Ebook

While marketing my book I utilized the Kindle Free Days that go along with signing up for the KDP Select program. I put together a comprehensive Ebook and video on how to best market your book and have tens of thousands of downloads during your Kindle Free Days. The Ebook is entitled, “How to Get Five Figure Downloads.” I hope it helps you out.

A Call to Faith Featured on Digital Book Today

On September 13, 2012, A Call to Faith, the Journey of a Cancer Survivor, was featured as the book of the day on Digital Book Today. This is a great place to get the word out about your publication. Both my website traffic and my book sales rose pursuant to this feature.

Pixel of Ink Emerging Author

J. Patrick Thomas was featured as an emerging author on Pixel of Inc. for his novel "A Call to Faith, the Journey of a Cancer Survivor." Thomas will be out soon with a new ebook sure to help author's market their stories.

Author J. Patrick Thomas to Appear on New Televsion Series “Impact with Pastor Dave.

The DayStar television network will be launching a new television series this fall called, “Impact with Pastor Dave.”

Coming to the DayStar network in mid to late October will be a new television series entitled, “Impact with Pastor Dave,” with each new show featuring a guest speaker who has been through a traumatic event that has positively affected their faith in some manner. Pastor Dave Arogbonlo is the host and head pastor at The Living Word Chapel in Houston, Tx. More can be found on Pastor Dave and his ministry at http://www.livingwordchapel.org.

  

Author J. Patrick Thomas to Appear on New Televsion Series “Impact with Pastor Dave.”

Author and four-time cancer survivor J. Patrick Thomas will be featured on the program this fall describing his bout with bone cancer and how his faith ultimately healed him both physically and mentally. His #1 Amazon Cancer Bestselling book, “A Call to Faith, the Journey of a Cancer Survivor,” will be the topic of discussion during Thomas’ interview with Pastor Dave. about.me/jaythomas

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Feature Article

The following was published in the quarterly newsletter to patients, survivors, and family members by Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  I was treated their for the first cancer I had, thyroid cancer, in my late twenties.  I appreciate all the staff of Bridges, and the doctors and nurses who cared for me there.  I hope you enjoy the story.
As I looked up at the building, I realized that I had passed it hundreds of times as I traversed the city in my mergers
and acquisition business duties, never giving it a second thought. Today was different — very different. You see, during a routine physical a lump was found in my throat, and it was determined that I needed to see a specialist. I had a friend who just went through cancer treatment and suggested that I go to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. I took her advice. My wife and I stood before MSKCC wondering what the appointment would hold. I was nervous and anxious, as I was only 29 years old and had never been sick a day in my life.
As I recall, the waiting area was warm and comforting, although I felt cold and somewhat panicky inside. The hospital staff had received my documentation from my primary care physician and was well aware of my situation. A biopsy would be needed of the nodule in my throat, which was about the size of a peppercorn. To make a long story short, the biopsy came back positive for papillary carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Not the news I was expecting to hear. If you are going to have thyroid cancer, this is the least aggressive form of the several that are out there. The treatment protocol does not call for radiation or chemotherapy, but surgery. Surgery didn’t sound too bad, except that it would be my throat that they would be cutting!
The friend who had suggested I go to MSKCC had had the same surgery there and said that all went well for her. She actually had a plastic surgeon on hand to do the closing, so as to minimize the potential scarring. Having her to talk to throughout the process was a great help in knowing what to expect. My surgery went off without a hitch as well. I let the general surgeon close my wound, as opposed to a plastic surgeon. Must be a guy thing!
As it turns out, this was not my last experience with cancer. I later learned that from somewhere along the family genetic line I got a faulty p53 gene, which has something to do with turning on and off cancer activity in cells. As I aged, I was diagnosed with two melanomas; both were caught in time and were removed with surgery. No need for any radiation or chemotherapy.
Then, havoc struck again. My family and I had moved to Charleston, South Carolina. As I was getting on a ride at the fair with my daughter, the act of putting my arm around her snapped the bone in my right arm.
I was in such pain that I flew off the ride before it started, without any thought of my daughter, who was only five at the time. The doctors had determined that it was a pathological fracture, and after much testing came up with a diagnosis of Ewing’s sarcoma, a primary bone cancer.
I am now in remission from the bone cancer, but lost the use of my right arm. I was looking for hope during that journey, but it was difficult to find in those days. I am thankful for publications like the Bridges newsletter that let us share our stories and inspire us with messages of hope from other survivors

So you’ve Self-Published; Now What? A Guest Post on BookMasters

August 15, 2012 by bookmasters12

The hard part is done.  You have completed your new best seller.  You have just purchased a new wheel-barrel to collect all the cash that will soon be rolling in.  Your family, friends and co-workers have kept you afloat for the first several months with more than acceptable sales figures.  But wait.  What is happening?  Is there more to life than Amazon?
The Online Train is Moving
The online giants have lulled you into a world where everything is packaged perfectly for your new baby.  Great picture of your book, a brief description of your work, and even an attractive picture of you, the author, with your bio.  Reviews with loving words and nothing but kind gestures.  Armed with your Best Seller Ranking, you are now ready to move on to other and possibly more lucrative distribution channels.  Be careful.
Other Channels of Distribution
Don’t get me wrong, the online giants are wonderful places to sell your book.  In fact, many authors go no where but online.  In the words of self-publishing guru Dan Poynter, the hardest place to sell a book is at the bookstore!  On the surface, you would assume that the large and independent bookstores would love to sell your book.  Why not?  After all, there is another title they can add to their repertoire, and the margins aren’t so bad as well.
A lot depends upon the Publisher
Selling your book directly to the consumer either through your website or through an online source is a relatively straight forward proposition.  It gets a little trickier when you venture off the online train and attempt to move to the major wholesalers.  One thing to look out for is whether or not the publishing entity will take returns on your book.  If so, all is good.  If not, this could be a major hurdle that you have to overcome in order to get your book distributed offline.  The retailer at the end of the line needs to be able to return it to an entity, like a publisher, if the consumer is unhappy with their purchase, or there is something wrong with the book itself. 
Don’t be Caught off Guard
While the online market is a great and necessary place to be, such can be said of the offline market of bookstores, big box stores, and the plethora of other opportunities for sales.  If your publisher will not accept returns, it is not the end of the world.  There are companies out there who specialize in distributing other publisher’s books once completed.  Usually another ISBN is established and away you go.  Make sure if you are in the early phases of your project, you check on returns and what is really in the fine print of expanded distribution.
Author Bio
John Patrick (Jay) Thomas is a four-time cancer survivor who lives with his family in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina.  Jay attended Gettysburg College and The American University before embarking on an entrepreneurial career on Wall Street.  Jay turned to the teaching profession after his life-threatening bout with bone cancer, where he has taught at Charleston Southern University, Southern Wesleyan University, and more recently at West Ashley High School.  He has traveled as a missionary and may be one of the few people that tell you cancer was the best thing to ever happen to him.  You’ll have to ask him why.

J. Patrick Thomas Joins BookDaily.com

Charleston, SC August 14, 2012  BookDaily.com is pleased to announce that J. Patrick Thomas will be featured on the popular book sampling site – joining the ranks of the most famous authors in the world.
As a featured author, various chapters of Thomas’s true story are now available to thousands of readers to sample – free of charge. At BookDaily, book fans can browse, search and read first chapters from a selection of more than 80,000 titles.
J. Patrick Thomas is currently promoting A Call to Faith:  the Journey of a Cancer Survivor.  An inspirational story in the health and spirituality categories, A Call to Faith is a true story set in Charleston and finds its characters meandering throughout the Lowcountry.
Young and aggressive, beautiful wife and children, and a small fortune before the age of thirty.  He had it all – or did he?  He never knew his marine aviator father who died in a plane crash when he was young.  Struck with the tragedy of a younger sister who committed suicide in college and who continued to pay apparitional visits in times of need.  Encounters with God at just the appropriate time when giving up on life was more than a thought.  But the toughest battles may still lie ahead of him; finding his faith in God through cancer and divorce. Visit Thomas’s website at www.acalltofaithbook.com and his BookDaily page as well at http://www.bookdaily.com/book/3365961/a-call-to-faith-the-journey-of-a-cancer-survivor.
Launched in May 2009, BookDaily has rapidly become the leading source of book samples by email. More than 10 million sample chapters have been distributed through BookDaily.com and through the site’s email subscriptions.  The site is a division of ArcaMax Publishing, the leader in consumer news and entertainment by email.

Four-year-old cancer survivor McKenna May has made it to Disney World

McKenna, who is recovering from treatment for leukaemia, made headlines around the world last month after her father refused to sign a release form for the theme park holiday in Orlando, Florida.
He reportedly told her that a sicker child with less than six months to live should get the trip.
She had already postponed the holiday twice because of her cancer treatment, which finished in June. Chemotherapy treatments following her diagnosis at age 2 have affected her speech and immune system.
But the story has a happy ending, MyFoxOrlando.com reports.
McKenna has arrived at Give Kids the World in Orlando – a resort built for children with life-threatening illnesses who are visiting the area’s attractions such as Disney World, Sea World, Legoland and Universal Studios’ Harry Potter park.
“It’s really exciting,” McKenna’s mum Whitney Hughes said. “It’s also kind of a shock factor too, can’t believe we’re actually here.
“I had faith that it would (happen), but I didn’t think it would happen this fast.”
McKenna’s father William May of Toledo, who is not married to Ms Hughes, said donations made to the Make-A-Wish organisation should help those who are terminally ill.
“Spend the money on a child who this might be their last memory,” Mr May said in refusing the gift on his daughter’s behalf.
But after the story hit the news, businesses and individuals across America teamed up to raise money for the trip, including McKenna’s two young nephews who sold icy-poles on the street.
A group called Jamie’s Dream Team ended up sponsoring the vacation.

Teenager builds cancer detecting artificial brain

17 year old Brittany Wenger won first place in the Google Science Fair.  Her achievements are nothing short of genius.  Wenger wrote a cloud-based computer program that makes breast cancer detection less invasive. She called it the “Global Neural Network Cloud Service for Breast Cancer.”
With breast cancer statistics on the rise, Ms. Wenger has taken a great step to advance the progression of detection in this type of cancer.  As with all cancers, early detection is critical in surviving cancer.  Brittany plans on studying computer science in college and then going on to medical school.  Could a cure for cancer be around the corner?  With young minds like Brittany’s, one can only hope so!

Tragedy Strikes Mount Pleasant Community

Taylor Early was tragically killed in a car accident several days ago.  John Taylor Early MT. PLEASANT – John Taylor Early, 20, of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina died on Wednesday, July 18, 2012. Born Monday, September 9, 1991, in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, he was the son of J. Gary Early, Jr., and the late Sonya W. Cox. John “Taylor” was recently accepted into the U.S. Army and was scheduled to leave Monday to finalize his enrollment process. He was a graduate of Bishop England High School and was awarded a full academic scholarship. “Taylor” was attending Trident Technical College aiming for a career in Criminal Justice. He loved the great outdoors, hunting and fishing, and was a First Degree Green Belt in Shaolin Kempo. He was preceded in death by his mother, Sonya Cox and his paternal grandmother, Clift J. (Lady) Early. He is survived by James Gary Early, Jr., of Mt. Pleasant, his grandparents, Jean Cox Graham of Mt. Pleasant and Mr. and Mrs. James Gary Early (Pamela Owen-Early) of Mt. Pleasant; aunts, Jennifer DeLoche Ward of San Francisco, Leigh Owen Wilkes of Mt. Pleasant and Shelly J. Cox of Florida; cousins, James Hunter DeLoche of San Francisco and Owen Covington Wilkes of Mt. Pleasant, Nick and Jack Cox of Jupiter, FL. The family will receive friends Saturday, July 21, 2012 from 5-7 PM at McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, 1520 Rifle Range Rd, Mt. Pleasant, SC. A memorial service will be held at “The Point” at Home Farm, Mt. Pleasant at 5:30PM on Sunday, July 22, 2012. Taylor was an avid animal lover and in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Pet Helpers Spay and Neuter Clinic, 1447 Folly Rd., Charleston, SC 29412.

Best Christian Workplaces

Chicago-area megachurch Willow Creek Community Church, New York-based American Bible Society, and California-based Joni and Friends are among the Christian organizations that made it on this year’s Best Christian Workplaces list.
The Best Christian Workplaces Institute released its 2012 list containing 38 organizations this week. The institute had surveyed and examined in total 88 organizations representing 14,000 workers on issues such as job satisfaction, commitment, Christian witness, supervisory effectiveness, work satisfaction, personal growth and development, management effectiveness, customer/supporter satisfaction, teamwork, communications and pay and benefits. Employees of the organizations responded to over 55 questions regarding these topics.
“We salute the leaders of this year’s Best Christian Workplaces for their intentional efforts to create healthy, flourishing environments for their staff,” said Al Lopus, president of BCWI, in a statement. “These courageous leaders pursue the high calling of being a faithful steward of their staff as well as those they serve, in good time and bad.”
In order to participate in the Best Christian Workplace surveys, organizations must have a Christian mission, purpose or goal statement and have at least 10 full-time employees, according to the institute’s website.
BCWI explains that the reasons for the survey include: diagnosing and improving the health of the organization’s culture, honoring employees by asking their confidential feedback, establishing benchmarks to see growth, and gaining visibility through certification/recognition.
Other Christian organizations that made it on this year’s list include: HOPE International, MOPS International, The Navigators, Logos Bible Software, and Samaritan Ministries.

5 Secrets to Surviving Cancer

5 Secrets to Surviving Cancer

A cancer diagnosis is probably the most devastating news any of us will ever get. In fact, medical parlance describes typical reaction to it as the “Five Ds”: fears about dying, dysfunction, discomfort, disability, and dependence.
As the population ages and grows, and survival rates improve, more people are living beyond their cancer diagnosis. Today, 13.7 million Americans have a history of cancer, with 18 million expected in 2022, the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute estimate.
In response to this growing number of people, some in medicine have begun focusing on the quality of life survivors have, not just when cancer treatment ends but at the start of the journey — at diagnosis. This is a critical time when patients can be overwhelmed with information about their cancer and treatment, and have countless questions about what to expect and whether they will survive.
This also is the time when many patients ask: What can I do now to beat this thing? And how can my loved ones help?
With those questions in mind, Stewart Fleishman, M.D., founding director of Cancer Supportive Services at Continuum Cancer Centers of New York, wrote “Learn to Live Through Cancer: What You Need to Know and Do.” In it, he details the LEARN — Living, Education, Activity, Nutrition — System, which spells out what people with cancer can do to not just survive treatment but to promote their own healing.
“The LEARN System gives you a plan instead of staying up late on the Internet and finding information which may or may not apply to you,” he tells Newsmax Health. “The message is: Control what you can and in the long term you’ll be better off. This puts the power and the tools in the hands of people who want to be able to do something.”
The common-sense system is rooted in basic healthy-living tenets: live a meaningful life, educate yourself, stay as physically active as you can, get adequate rest, and eat whole foods. But applying them during cancer treatment is actually innovative, Dr. Fleishman says, because most people simply lie low when they are fatigued and wait to feel better.
There is more than common sense behind each part of the LEARN System, he notes. Each piece of the plan is supported by the medical literature, from papers backing physical activity during cancer treatment to studies underscoring the importance or restorative sleep, Dr. Fleishman says.
Here’s a summary of the LEARN System:

Living
Living means setting aside time every day or at least once a week to do something that is important and life affirming to you. Living tops the list because it is the most important part of the system, Dr. Fleishman says, even though engaging in what you love to do can hurt because it is a reminder of what you may lose. But doing something that is joyful and reminds you of the time before you got cancer can reinforce why you want to survive. It might be calling a dear friend or keeping in touch with the world beyond cancer by reading the newspaper (and skipping the stories about cancer), he says.
Education
Decide what questions you have and prioritize a list, he advises. Some will likely be answered during an initial consultation with your practitioner and others on follow-up visits. Decide how much information you need and want to know. Beyond your practitioner, seek information from reliable sources such as the American Cancer Society and the American Society of Clinical Oncology.
Activity
As you’ve likely heard before, physical activity helps maintain flexibility, strength, heart function, energy level, and positive weight and body image. During cancer treatment this is particularly important for promoting a higher quality of life. What’s more, exercise minimizes the side effects of treatment and reduces the chance of cancer recurrence or secondary cancers. Small studies also suggest evidence of improved survival from exercise, Dr. Fleishman notes. Start out slow by walking or rolling if you’re in a wheelchair. Get a referral to a physical therapist for specifics for what you can do. Certified cancer centers have relationships with physical, occupational, and other therapists.
Rest
Sleep and restorative rest help promote healing. (Restorative rest is a period of resting that gives us a feeling of being refreshed when we awaken.) But many medications routinely used during cancer treatment, such as pain and anti-nausea drugs, disrupt the normal sleep cycle by promoting sleepiness. Naps can fight fatigue, but keep them less than an hour so nighttime sleep is not disrupted, Dr. Fleishman advises. Avoid any sleeping aids, some of which can interfere with cancer medications like anti-nausea drugs. Instead, try deep breathing exercises to relax and avoid reading and television before bed which can keep you awake.
Nutrition
Eating a diet of whole foods, healthy proteins and fats, and deeply colored fruits and vegetables is critical in helping you maintain your ideal body weight and muscle mass. Many people fighting cancer want to indulge in high-fat comfort foods like macaroni and cheese, and burgers and fries, Dr. Fleishman says. But that will add fat, not lean muscle mass, which the body needs for strength. Because cancer treatments can lower disease resistance, make sure fresh fruits and vegetables have been scrubbed clean of any bacteria with a white vinegar and water solution followed by a cold water rinse.
“People need to keep in mind that if the treatment works, there is life after cancer,” Dr. Fleishman says. “You can get back to a good quality of life. But you can’t wait to recover. You sort of have to work in stereo,” fighting the cancer and promoting good health.

Sounds like a great charity. I can relate, I was bald with the bone cancer for almost 2 years! Came back nice though. Ha!

Mission Statement

The St. Baldrick's Foundation is a volunteer-driven charity committed to funding the most promising research to find cures for childhood cancers and give survivors long and healthy lives.

New Book on Surviving Cancer

I am a bone cancer survivor and after ten long years have summoned the courage to put the whole experience down on paper.  The title of the book is A Call to Faith, The Journey of a Cancer Survivor, by J. Patrick Thomas.  The book should be available from the publishing house in about 3 to 4 weeks.  Details can be found at the book's website:  www.acalltofaithbook.com.  I hope you enjoy it!