Christians with the Heart of a Servant - M. D. McCue

Meet
M. D. McCue
of Comfort Keepers

Kingsport, TN


There are times when God works in very obvious ways and M.D. was one of those ways. I first met M.D. McCue three years ago when a good friend called me and told me she knew someone who was hiring. I had served as an Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Sales at a local manufacturing company and when the company was sold, our plant was closed. I left my job behind and began the tedious task of job hunting. Our family had specific needs at the time and there was nothing more to do except ask God to provide.

I still believe the year I spent job hunting was one way that God worked to groom me. During that year, I kicked up the writing a notch or two and really began to study the craft, make connections and begin Mountain Breeze. However, though I was searching for a job on a weekly basis, the unemployment funds eventually came to a halt. Fear set in as my husband and I began to step out on faith. Three weeks after my unemployment ran out, M.D. came into the picture.

The owner of a local Comfort Keepers , M.D. seemed to be the answer to our prayers. I interviewed with him and his wife El, and before I knew it, not only had we become wonderful friends, but co-workers as well.

In all my years of working outside the home, I have never met a man more honorable and Christ-like than M. D. His work with Comfort Keepers is not only his source of income, but it is his ministry as well. Please take a few minutes to meet Comfort Keeper, M. D. McCue and see his Heart of a Servant.

Tell us what Comfort Keepers is and what prompted you to purchase a franchise

Comfort Keepers is a non medical in-home care service. When families need help with the care of an aging parent, or any loved one, we try to be an extension of the family by providing most of the household services needed to help them remain in the comfort of their own homes as long as possible. Our services include companionship, meal preparation, light housekeeping, errand services, grocery shopping, medication reminders, grooming and dressing guidance, transportation, and personal care services.

Many years ago my family had to deal with the issue of trying to help mom stay in her home rather than going to the “dreaded nursing home.” She just needed a little help to stay at home. With our own family obligations at that time, we were not always available to help out. We tried hiring private caregivers and soon found out that for us, it was not working out. First, there was the issue of dependability. Sometimes they would show up and often they would not. Next, there were credibility issues. The elderly folks are often very vulnerable and easily taken advantage of. Finally, we found that some of the caregivers just did not have the patience to deal with the elderly. If a solution such as Comfort Keepers had been available back then, mom could have had several more years of independence by staying in her our home. In fact, it may have added more “quality years” to her life.

Since Comfort Keepers provides caregivers primarily to the elderly, how did you see this as a personal ministry?

Having dealt with the challenges of caring for our own aging parents, my wife and
I have a heart for this business. When we get a call from a family member inquiring about our services, we find that most are at a loss for how to start the process of finding a workable solution for the care of their loved ones. The main choices are family, independent caregivers, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, or private agencies such as Comfort Keepers. During this time many families must deal with mixed emotions such as guilt, anger, and frustration. This is where we have a great opportunity to help the family make the best choices and understand all of their options. Our desire is that we will reflect Christ during the entire process.

You have said that you and Elvera place a lot of prayer into the running of your business. How has this affected your Comfort Keepers franchise?

From the first day Elvera and I considered getting into the home care business; we knew that unless it was God’s Will for us to buy this franchise we would not do it. We pray on a daily basis to seek His direction for this ministry. We employ about sixty people and have served several hundred clients in the five years that we have been in business. We have employees and clients from all walks of life and they all have one thing in common….God loves each of them and they all need Christ. We have continued to pray and God has continued to bless Comfort Keepers. I’d say we are on to something.

What would you say is the most important aspect you'd like your Comfort Keepers franchise to portray?

“We Care” We care about our employees and our clients. We feel that we can be a witness for Christ not just by what we say or do but also how we operate this business.

Tell me one of your most rewarding moments with Comfort Keepers.

Comfort Keepers consist of over 550 franchises throughout the United States and overseas. We are divided up into eight regions. Every year each franchise is allowed to nominate one caregiver for the “Caregiver of the Year” award. This means they are considered the best of the best. This year our caregiver Louise Kersey was chosen as the regional winner for the Southeast and will now compete as one of the eight finalists for this prestigious award. We know that we have some great employees but to be recognized by one of the top leaders in our industry is quiet an honor.

How do you feel God has blessed your business?

Since starting this business five years ago, we have dealt with all of the normal challenges that any new startup business must go through. God has provided every need that we have encountered. Not every need was provided on my timeline. For some reason, unknown to me, God is not always on my schedule. For these times I’m reminded of my need to not rely my resources but on God’s. He has never let me down. God has used this business to draw me closer to Him. Evidence of His blessings on this business can be verified by the fact that we have met or exceeded every financial benchmark that Comfort Keepers Corp. has set in place for franchise owners.

In a world where speaking your faith is becoming more and more unacceptable, tell me how you are able to minister to your clients?

On several occasions, we have had employees ask me if it was ok to witness to our clients. We have also had several clients let me know that they didn’t appreciate our caregivers “talking about religious matters to them.” At one of our bimonthly caregiver meetings, I addressed that issue. Francis Assissi once said “At all times preach the Gospel…..when necessary use words.” Opportunities to “be” a witness for Christ goes far beyond our words. “Be” is a state of being. If I claim to be a true follower of Christ then every aspect of my life should reflect that claim including my deeds as well as my words. My job is to be faithful. He is in charge of effectiveness.

I’m a firm believer that you get back ten fold what you give. Have you received any special rewards for your efforts?

In my desk I keep a folder with letters and thank you notes from past or current clients. I review these often to remind myself why I got into this business in the first place. Words like “We couldn’t have made it without you.” or “Comfort Keepers has been an answer to our prayers.” or “Thank you for the care and compassion given to mom or dad during their last days.” Often we are with hospice client’s right up to their last moments here on earth. We work with clients that often are not appreciative of what we do for them. We work with clients with different forms of dementia. Some can be very difficult or even violent. We now have about sixty caregivers which means we are dealing with sixty different personalities which often means sleepless nights, stress, long hours and limited financial rewards for our efforts. However, I do expect to receive special rewards for my efforts but I don’t think it will be in this lifetime. God assures us that all acts of kindness and aithfulness will be rewarded.

When you and your wife decided to venture into the world of in-home non-medical care, were there any particular concerns you may have had?

We knew from the very onset that this was a very competitive business and we realized there would be many unforeseen challenges facing us being the new kid on the block. One of my main concerns was how to set us apart from our competitors and not just be a “me too business.” There are three key elements of a good caregiver (dependability, credibility, and patience). Maintaining all three on a consistent basis puts us heads and shoulders above most of our competition. Staffing with the best caregivers is vital to our success. Our employee standards are high and our expectations are lofty. Finding and keeping employees that meet our standards is and always will be a challenge. Once again, God has provided our needs.

I asked earlier how you felt God had blessed your business; now tell me how you feel you’ve been blessed personally?

It has been said; “find a job that you like and you will never have to work again.” Well I’ve found that job with Comfort Keepers. Prior to buying this franchise, I worked in the coal mining industry in Kentucky for close to twenty-five years. By some folk’s standards, I suppose I was successful at what I did, however I did not have a passion for that job. For the first time in my life, I actually feel like I’m doing what God wants me to do to serve Him. I’ve developed a closer relationship with God because I’ve had to learn to trust Him instead of relying on my limited resources. I’ve met some wonderful people that also have a passion for serving others. All in all it has been a great opportunity to serve God by helping others.

Placing caregivers in the homes of the elderly requires a certain amount of trust. How do you reassure your clients they are safe?

We take great pride in the quality of our workforce however with over sixty employees there is always the chance that someone may act improperly. Our responsibility is to make every effort to hire the right people to begin with. We go above and beyond the basic requirements for proper screening. During the first interview with a potential caregiver we ask a series of questions that were designed by Comfort Keepers Corporate to identify very precise traits that a quality employee should have. Next we check their business and personal references. If their references check out ok then we do state and national background checks by a professional company that has been approved by the State of Tennessee and Comfort Keepers Corporate. Each employee must be bondable by our insurance company so they must have a clean record. We also check the State of Tennessee Abuse and Sexual Abuse Registry. Next we get a DMV report since we often take our clients to appointments. Though it’s not required, we always order a credit report on each employee to determine if they are financially responsible. Finally, and most important, if I can’t picture this person taking care of my loved ones then I won’t hire them.

Would you define being a caregiver as a difficult job physically or emotionally?

Being a caregiver is not for the faint of heart. It requires a special kind of person. The financial rewards are modest but the opportunity to impact someone’s life is unlimited. We perform light housekeeping duties as well as personal care services that are not extremely physically demanding. However, the emotional demands can be quite stressful at times. Many of our caregivers become very attached to their clients and as their physical or mental condition declines, even to the point of death, their compassion is very obvious. On the flip side of the coin, caregivers often experience the joy of being part of the plane of care to encourage a client to push themselves physically during the recovery process from hip or knee replacement surgery.

Can you tell us what lies ahead for your franchise?

The need for the non medical services we provide will continue grow as us “Baby Boomers” mature. In fact, research indicates that there will soon be a shortage of caregivers to meet the growing demands of this group of seniors. Our local Kingsport Comfort Keepers Franchise will soon be five years old. We have continued to grow even as new competitors spring up. Our staff consists of about sixty caregivers, Cindy Sproles our office manager, Tami Southerland our care coordinator, Stephanie McCraw our scheduler and our newly appointed operations manager Linda Bambino. We will take God’s lead and as He continues to bless this ministry, we will continue to serve faithfully. My desire is for Comfort Keepers to continue on long after I’m gone.

The love and desire M.D. puts forth shines not only in his business but in his personal life as well. He is a man who does not fear asking, "Do you know Jesus?" It was once said, "That to speak of how to live your life is one thing, but to live it how you speak is another." M.D. lives what he speaks.

Thank you for your time M. D. I've made a link at the beginning of this interview to the Comfort Keepers home page. Should you know anyone in need of special assistance, please contact the Comfort Keepers in your area. You'll be doing someone a favor.

2007 Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer's Conference

"When friends re-enter our lives, the blessings we received the first time are doubled."

One of the best things about blogging is the opportunity to post whatever you like. Pictured with me is my wonderful friend Gina Holmes. If you know Gina, there's no explanation needed. For those of you who don't know Gina or me...well, trust me. We're just goofing off. (Which is something we do quiet well when we're together.)

It's wonderful to have the chance to visit with the friends that God allows into our lives. I met Gina four years ago at the Blue Ridge Mtn. Writer's Conference. It was a friendship which bonded immediately and has remained faithful since. She has mentored me in writing, taught me, guided me and supported my writing. She's the greatest and I'm fortunate to call her friend. Gina started Novel Journey which is her personal ministry to promote Christian authors and their work. Novel Journey has blossomed into one of the premier blogs in the country, earning respect from major agents and publishing houses. To quote Gina, "God blesses what He blesses when He blesses and He has blessed us. The work that Gina Holmes, Ane Mulligan and Jessica Dotta do is completely selfless.

The writer's conference allowed me to renew my friendship with Alton Gansky who was recently featured as one the "Heart of a Servant" interviews. Al is a wonderful mentor, friend and a superb author. His heart is truly one of a servant as he reaches out to guide aspiring writers. (Don't worry, your eyes aren't blurry...I let Gina take the picture. She's obviously a little shaky when she takes pictures!)

I met Candy Arrington two years at this very conference when we shared a fiction critique class taught by author, Gayle Roper. Candy writes for Focus on the Family and also has a book entitled Aftershock which deals with ministering to families who've been struck with the reality of suicide. She is a wonderful teacher and I keep some of her work by my computer as "the perfect example." Once again, this conference brings old friends together again. Candy reads the Mountain Breeze devotions and when I saw her at the conference her first words were, "How's Tim?" She'd been one of the many praying for God to heal him and her prayers (along with mine) were answered. I encourage you to visit her website and get to know her better.


Name one person who could walk past four laughing women who are spouting joke after joke, and not laugh? There's not one. When the four of us got together at the conference, we consistently drew a crowd. There's Chris Egbert (writing mentor to all of us), Ane Mulligan, Gina Holmes and me -- a recipe for silliness. Oh, what fun! However, when the rubber meets the road, these women proved to be the ultimate support system. They are wonderful. So wonderful that when it came time to announce the winners for the 2007 Blue Ridge Mountain Writer's Conference, they stuck close to see who would win the Writer's Contest. That means when the devotions, poetry, Bible study, and non-fiction winners were announced, these girls sat close at hand waiting to see if my entry in the fiction division would place.

When they announced my name as the winner, I nearly fell over. Yvonne Lehman, author and founder/director of the conference presented me with a certificate, and what a thrill -- Not only to win a contest, but to share it with wonderful friends. Since I was a little girl I've always wanted to be a writer. It's taken years to develop and learn the craft. Though I am far from being the greatest writer, I am improving with each year that passes. More so, allowing God to use me as a tool has been equally, if not more rewarding.

A special thank you to my wonderful writer friends who encourage, support, teach and work with me; who set the example that when God is in the lead, abundance will follow.
Thanks to Yvonne Lehman who works so hard year after year to offer this opportunity for me and others, to learn to be a writer. It's that "heart of a servant" which shines.

Christians with the Heart of a Service -- Virginia Smith

Another in the series, Christians with the Heart of a Servant.

MEET MY DEAR FRIEND AND AUTHOR GINNY SMITH!

I first met Virginia Smith standing in line at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. In just a matter of minutes we had struck up a conversation that had everyone around us smiling. I believe there’s nothing more engaging to the people around you than good humorous conversation. This was exactly what Ginny, me, and great friend, Rose had in our favor.

That day began a lasting friendship that hundreds of miles failed to tear apart. Ginny gave me a copy of her first published book that day and before the week was out at the conference, I had managed to read through and fall in love with Mayla Strong and her quirky ways. Though I can’t say that Ginny’s character, Mayla, is based off of the author herself, I can say her humor has rubbed off.

In the year that I’ve come to know and love Virginia Smith, I can definitely say, without a doubt, she harbors the Heart of a Servant.

Please meet author, and best friend, Virginia Smith and her story of Christians with the Heart of a Servant.

Hi Ginny! I appreciate you taking time out of your deadline filled schedule to provide us with an interview. Last year when we stood in line at the conference, Just As I Am had just hit bookstores. During this year, God has blessed your writing over and over and over again. Let’s start by having you tell us what great things have happened to you and your writing this year.

You’re right when you say God has blessed me – abundantly and thoroughly! His blessings started with a second book contract, this one for a Christian murder mystery. I had never written a mystery before, but I’ve always been a huge fan of Agatha Christie, so I dove into that book and tried to make it as good as hers. (Murder by Mushroom comes out in August, so you can judge for yourself if I succeeded.) Then after I turned in the manuscript for that book, my editor said she wanted another one! And the same day I received the contract for Bluegrass Peril (which is set in the Kentucky thoroughbred industry and will be in bookstores in December), I also got a contract for a three book series from yet another publisher! So I received contracts for five new books within a six-month period. Only God could have arranged that!

How does it feel to have God working so intensely in your life right now?

At times a bit overwhelming! But that’s not a bad thing – when I start feeling like I can handle everything on my own, that’s when I get into trouble. It’s only when I’m certain that I don’t have the strength or ability or stamina to accomplish all the things on my To Do list that I can totally rely on God. And of course He always comes through.

Tell us about how Mayla Strong came into fruition. Is she based from something or someone who has impressed you?

The physical model for Mayla was a visiting singer in my church. I had never seen anyone with facial jewelry ministering before, certainly not in my traditional church. But this girl wore a stud mid-way between her lower lip and chin and obviously loved the Lord. I was intrigued. If she got the piercing before she became a Christian, why didn’t she take it out afterward? And what did her home church think? And what did her mother think? The more I wondered about her, the more I realized that I needed to write a book about her, and especially about how a church full of traditional church folks would treat her if she walked in off the street.

But the comparison to that girl ended there. Mayla soon became a real person to me. She took on her own characteristics and personality. I made her appearance really radical – I gave her purple hair and pierced her nose, too! And I put her into some situations that young people today really do face. I gave her friends who weren’t Christians, and even had her befriend a gay man dying of AIDS.

A lot of people ask if Mayla’s story is autobiographical. The answer is no… and yes. I’ve never had purple hair or facial piercings, but I have encountered judgmental attitudes in the church, and I’ve encountered judgmental attitudes in the world because I belong to Christ. What a hard place to be – between two worlds, trying to figure out how we can fit either place! But just like Mayla, God never leaves us alone, and if we let Him, He always leads us to the place He wants us to be.

Murder by Mushroom releases in August of this year. What inspired the plot behind this story?

Honestly? A plate of food. Really! I was sitting at lunch beside an editor at the American Christian Fiction Writers conference. She was telling those of us at the table that they were starting to look at cozy mysteries. (Cozies are “gentle” mysteries, like Agatha Christie wrote, as opposed to suspenseful or graphic ones.) Never one to pass up an opportunity, I decided if I could come up with a good idea for a mystery, I might be able to sell it to her. So I sat there as we ate, silently praying for an idea and wracking my brain. And there, on my plate, was a piece of chicken covered in mushroom sauce. Mushrooms! I had a friend who used to hunt wild mushrooms in the woods of Kentucky, and she had warned me how poisonous some of them could be. But how could I make poisonous mushrooms the theme of a story for a Christian publisher? How do I mix mushrooms and church? What about… a church potluck? Voila! When lunch ended, I stood up and said to the editor, “I have an idea for a mystery. A kitchen klutz gets tired of being teased about always bringing potato chips to the church potluck, so she decides to make a casserole to impress everyone. Unfortunately, someone plants poisonous mushrooms in her casserole to kill a gossipy old lady.” The editor smiled and said, “I like it. Send me something.”

As I developed the story, a theme emerged. Pride and gossip are so common in our society today, and both of them play a part in this story. I’m really happy with the way the story turned out.

You were so sweet when I asked you to come to my home church as the keynote speaker at our first ladies’ conference. Your heart of a servant showed through as you flew into your hometown in Kentucky and then drove four hours. You certainly went above and beyond the call of duty. Tell us how you prepared for this speaking engagement.

Oh, I was thrilled to do it, Cindy! I had such a good time at that event.

I prepared for that event the same way I prepare to write a book – by covering it in prayer. Sometimes I am overwhelmed with feelings like, “What in the world do I have to say to anyone? Why would anyone want to come hear me talk, or read something I’ve written?” But God always reminds me that when I think I have nothing to offer, that’s when He can really use me the most. I have to be empty, with nothing of my own to get in the way, before He can fill me so that His love overflows to those around me.

With that conference, the Lord knew exactly who would be there. He knew what He wanted to say to them, how He wanted to minister to them that night. When I came up with the idea of a personality quiz, I thought, “Gosh, this is really going to be dumb. What am I doing? This can’t be from God.” But the entire theme of my talk grew out of that fun little personality quiz. As I studied and prayed about what I’d say, so many personal experiences came to my mind that I could use to relate to the ladies who attended. As always, when the event was over and I looked back on it, I marveled that God used exactly the right words to get His message across. And let me tell you, it’s a pretty awesome feeling when you realize God has used you to touch someone!

Obviously, God uses you through your writing. Tell us how you prepare to put a novel together.

The same way – through prayer. Every story idea I’ve ever gotten came to me because I prayed and asked the Lord for one. See, I truly believe that God has an infinite number of stories to tell, and He carefully selects the author of each one. He has a whole list of stories that He wants me to write, and He is working on me every day, improving my skills, deepening my relationship with Him, until I’m ready to write that specific story. When I’m ready to work on it, He lets me know what it is.

And as I write stories, prayer is a day-by-day, minute-by-minute thing. So many times I’ll be typing away in front of my computer, and I’ll get stuck. I’ll sit back and say, “Okay, Lord, I have no idea what happens next. I need some help here!” and He always comes through. Always. Sometimes I’m amazed at the twists and turns my stories take, but He knows the entire plot before I even begin.

Tell us about the Voice of Joy Ministries and how it has sent Mayla to prison.

Voice of Joy Ministries is a small outreach ministry in central Kentucky that my mother is associated with. They conduct retreats and provide meals for the underprivileged and provide Christian counseling for free to those who can’t afford it. I’ve spoken at VoJ retreats, and I really believe in the services they provide because I’ve seen the Lord change people’s lives through VoJ.

In the last scene of Just As I Am, Mayla is asked to embark on her next act of Christian service – visiting a man in prison. She says, “Okay, God, I’m going to prison!” I really didn’t think anything of that, it just seemed like a natural thing for a new Christian to do, to visit someone in prison. But a few months before the book was released, I was praying about it one day and I felt like the Lord was telling me that He was going to reach someone in prison with this book. I got very excited about this, because I’ve always admired people who have a heart for prison ministry, and have spoken and sung in prisons several times. But how to get the book inside prison doors? Prisons are very cautious about books, and regular people can’t send books to prisoners. Apparently some people have laced drugs in the pages, so they just don’t allow it anymore.

But chaplains can get books into the prison libraries! So I contacted the American Correctional Chaplains Association, and boldly asked the president if I could send him a copy to see if he would endorse it. He did!

I was really excited about this, but of course I had no idea how to handle the logistics of getting books into the hands of prison chaplains. That’s where VoJ came in. They loved my book, and believed in its lifesaving message so much that they volunteered to handle the distribution to prison chaplains who request the book for their libraries. They even discussed it with their attorney and decided to sponsor a campaign so people could make a tax-deductible donation to provide a copy of my book to a prison facility! And thus was born the “Send Mayla to Prison” campaign. They’ve provided hundreds of books to correctional facilities all over the country.

When you wrote Just as I Am did you ever imagine Mayla would be used to minister to youth in prisons?

As I wrote the book? No! But neither did I think Mayla’s story would touch such a wide range of people. I’ve had e-mails from women and men of all ages telling me how Mayla has touched them. And though the “Send Mayla to Prison” campaign really targeted youth facilities and women’s facilities, men’s prisons have been the biggest requesters! In fact, I got a letter from a man in a Mississippi prison a few months after the campaign started telling me he loved my book so much he started using it as a discussion guide for a group of inmates. He was writing to tell me that one of them accepted the Lord! Imagine that!

Ginny, I know your love is science fiction. How did you get from science fiction into Christian humorous and cozy mysteries?

God made me do it. (grin) I had been writing science fiction and fantasy for years, and though I knew my skill had developed and my stories were good, I couldn’t manage to publish anything. I prayed and prayed, begging God to pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease let me publish something. And finally one day He answered my prayer. Directly. With words spoken into my heart. He told me I would publish something – but it would be contemporary fiction instead of science fiction, and it would be a book that honored Him.

Frankly, I was a little disappointed. I really didn’t want to write contemporary stories! I loved sci-fi and I wanted to write that. But I loved God more, and I recognized that this was “the Call” that so many writers long to receive. So I agreed. I dedicated my writing to Him, and told Him I’d write whatever stories He gave me.

I do still love science fiction and fantasy, and some day I hope He’ll open up a door for me to publish in that genre. But in the meantime, He has given me a deep love for contemporary humorous stories, too. I’ve gotten to the point that, given a choice between sci-fi and a humorous mystery, I’ll choose the mystery first!

What lies in the future for your personal ministry of speaking and singing?

I just signed with a speaker’s bureau, Glass Road Public Relations, and they’re taking me out of my comfort zone a bit by setting up speaking engagements all over the place! But I do love to speak. I learned my speaking skills during my career as a corporate director, and I used to love to present to large groups. But when the speeches were over, I’d say, “You know, Lord, if I could just talk about something with some lasting value, I could get so much more excited about it!” So now I have that opportunity.

And singing? Ah, I sing purely as a personal act of worship. Sometimes God creates an opportunity for me to sing in public, and I do it gratefully, but I don’t think I have a future in store as a singer. He did allow me to record a solo CD a year or so ago, and I really enjoyed that. I enjoy offering that CD at my speaking engagements, and sometimes people enjoy taking a copy home with them. Often people say, “When are you going to record another CD?” and I say, “That’s up to the Lord. If it was up to me, never.” I think I’m a better writer and speaker than I am a singer, so that’s where I’d rather spend my time. But I do enjoy singing in church on Sunday mornings.

Six books later….are you planning number 7?

Of course! I’m still working on books #5 and 6 at the moment – those are the second and third books in the Sister-to-Sister Series. And I’m researching another mystery, this one set around a barbeque festival in Kentucky. Then there’s the sequel to Just As I Am. That book is already written, waiting for the publisher to issue the contract and set a release date, but I’d like to write a third Mayla book to complete her story.

I don’t think I’ll ever stop writing books! As long as God keeps giving me stories, I’ll keep writing.

Ginny, you're such a blessing to aspiring writers and to those who listen to you when you speak. God does use you in wonderful ways. I am thrilled to call you my friend and my sister in Christ. Thank you so much for your time. We're really excited about the books. Can't wait to read them.

Please check out Ginny's website, sign up for her newsletter and you can even donate to The Voice of Joy Ministries sending Mayla to prison. Ginny's sight is www.virginiasmith.org

She'll be introducing her books through the website and through Christian bookstores across the country.