In this month of May … we are celebrating the 5th month of the 5th year of Silent Alarm. So much has happended since Silent Alarm was originally published, making its message all the more relevant. All aspects of “The Front Porch” … blogging, JOHN TV and the newsletter … will be dedicated to Silent Alarm thoughout the month of May.
In March 2002, so much had happened in the prior six-months … The terrorists’ attack on September 11th, Enron, Worldcom, and the related implosion of Arthur Andersen. I so clearly remember wondering if we would learn anything from these experiences … or if we would simply hit-the-snooze and go back to sleep in our desire to get back to “normal.” I knew there was so much to be learned … and it was that desire which gave birth to Silent Alarm: A Parable of Hope for Busy Professionals. As a parable, it was not designed to be a recipe to fix our business community or the world … but rather a story to create an experience to look inside. In the last five years, many lives have been touched … because readers have allowed the story to touch them. And some of them have been nothing short of a miracle. I know, because they invited me in to participate in the miracle.
I also clearly remember my very first breakfast meeting with Clint Greenleaf who would eventually become the publisher of Silent Alarm. He described Silent Alarm as a powerful “evergreen” story … meaning a message that would always be alive. Five years later, Clint has become a great friend. And five years later … the message of Silent Alarm is more relevant than ever. If the great recession has proven anything, it has proven that in 2002, most hit the snooze and went back to sleep.
A publisher typically doesn’t celebrate the 5th year Anniversary of a book in a society that thinks only the most recent publications could be relevant … unless its message is evergreen! And if it is … then five years is only the beginning! And so in this upcoming 5th month of the 5th year we are celebrating in five ways in May:
1. Five for Fifty For the first-time ever … and only through May 31st, we are offering a special 5-for-50 package … five autographed copies of Silent Alarm for $50. This is only available by calling our office at 630-357-7897. We hope you will be part of our wake-up call by sharing the message in a meaningful way with those you care about most!
2. Special Postings and Give-Aways The Front Porch will be packed with celebration. All blogs, JOHN TV and our May 2010 Issue of “The Front Porch” newsletter will be focused exclusively on Silent Alarm throughout the month. We hope you will join the conversation by posting your comments and becoming eligible to win one of the 25 personalized copies of Silent Alarm to be given away throughout the month of May.
3. New Formats for Waking-up We will be busy throughout the month working with Greenleaf Book Group and BackThird Studios on the upcoming summer release of the Audio, Ebook and Large Print editions of Silent Alarm.
4. Free Discussion Guide Many small groups and book clubs have experienced some amazing conversations by using Silent Alarm. The Silent Alarm Discussion Guide is available to download for free in the hopes that it will encourage group discussion or continued personal reflection.
5. Finally … Silent Alarm in a “flash” This summer we will release a “flash movie” in celebration of the fifth year of Silent Alarm. With music, pictures and words of inspiration … we hope it will serve as a gentle alarm for waking-up … that can be passed person to person via the internet. We hope you will enjoy it when it comes to or in-box! There has never been a better time for waking-up … than there will be this summer!