Find Hope in this Mad World

Intent

A message of hope in a mad world

       Buy Today from Amazon:

Buy now at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Intent-Krista-Wagner-ebook/dp/B00N18VLTM

My Intent

Take me to the place

where I am in your will

where the thoughts will spill

across the pages

Turn this story into

a song that praises Your name

where the reader will never be the same

in Love that changes

Show me the way

to share the Truth of You

the faith of the saved Jew

through Intent

Lead them to see

to armor themselves against evil

Happy Frightfully Fun Halloween!

Looking for a scary, but safe read? Enjoy Halloween with a copy of INTENT!

Courtesy of the Graphic Fairy

Speaking Engagements

Krista Wagner is the author of Intent, two upcoming novels, and several published poems. She's been writing since the age of seven. Wagner has a M.F.A.  in Creative Writing and has been teaching college English courses since 2008.  She can adapt her presentations to any age group and any audience size. Contact her today for your next speaking engagement: wagnerfamily131@yahoo.com

 Attention Schools, Libraries, and Book Clubs:

Option A: Request a book reading and Q & A Session with  Krista Wagner. To make the presentation more exciting and relatable, be sure to order your copies before the day of the speaking engagement. 

Option B: Select Krista Wagner to host an exciting author workshop at your location. She offers theme-related content, creative writing exercises, the realities of writing/publishing, and other educational opportunities.

Speaking Engagements

Giveaway Contest

Celebrate INTENT's 1 Year Anniversary by entering the "Intent is Intense" Contest. All you have to do is comment on your favorite thing about thrillers. The comments with the most likes wins a free Kindle version of INTENT! Contest runs 9/1/15-9/6/15. Winner will need to supply an email address in a private message to me in order to receive the copy. Have fun posting!
 

https://www.facebook.com/intentbook

Intent Book Trailer 2

The Gold

How to Promote Your Novel

Mystic Dragon Book Festival

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mystic-Dragons-Festival-of-Books/396414370526504

 

Mystic Dragon's Festival of Books

 

Frank and Son Collectible Show

Saturday, August 15th, 2015

19649 San Jose AveCity of Industry, California

 

Artists of all kinds will be selling their work, being interviewed, and available for chatting. I will be there with copies of my novel, INTENT.

"This is our first annual book fair at Frank & Son Collectible Show. We will be in exhibit area. Dot Cannon, of Over Coffee Podcast will be performing live interviews followed by Q/As throughout the day...General Admission FREE."

Please come out and support your local artists.

Krista Wagner

Book Signing

California State University, San Bernardino

Coyote Bookstore

6100 University Pkwy, San Bernardino, CA 92407

Thursday, June 18th 11AM to 2PM.

(909) 537-3966 or (909) 537-3375

Book Signing

I will be doing a book signing at the Norman F. Feldheym Library in San Bernardino.

Location: 555 W. 6th Street, San Bernardino, CA 92404
Date: Saturday, July 18th, 2015
Time: 1-3PM.

Reader Reviews

**To those of you who have read Intent, I thank you for your support. I hope that you will take the time to post a review on Amazon and spread the word--my readers are the ones who keep this story alive.

Reader Reviews:

"This is a well-written story that captivated my interest from the first paragraph. So much happens throughout the book... each event shaping and transforming Raylee Johnson (the main character) in both expected and unexpected ways. I read this book in less than 24 hours, not wanting to put it down."

"I read this book the day I got it! I was unable to put it down. It's captivating! Raylee, the main character, is somebody who everyone can relate to in one way or another. Just when you think you have the characters figured out you realize that you don't! I recommend this book 100%. I spent my entire evening reading Intent with the intention of starting it and finishing in a few days but I just finished it. It was so captivating I couldn't put it down. Krista Wagner did an amazing job in vividly explaining the characters, scenes and backgrounds. Raylee has characteristics that a lot of people will be able to relate with...I know I did. The way the story line develops and not to mention the plot twist! Amazing! Above all, I especially enjoyed how she incorporated Christ and the consistency through out the book. I will be recommending this book to friends and family. As a matter of fact one of my friends has already asked to borrow it."

"Great book. Very hard to put down, read it in three sittings. Can't wait for her next book."

"Great book easy to read and all can relate one way or another to what this gal goes through"

"The characters are interesting and believable. It's an unpredictable ride to find the truth that keeps you wanting to read more."

"Intent is a fast-paced mystery-thriller with a riveting plot and stunning characters. With danger lurking around every corner, Intent keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end."

"Intent by Krista Wagner is an excellent book. Buckle your seat belt and hang on tight as this novel twists and turns through suspense filled pages. I loved it!
Intent by Krista Wagner is a great read. The element of surprise and intrigue are utilized throughout this entire book. As the protagonist, Raylee Johnson, pushes through a seemingly monotonous dead end job and begins to reach the conclusion that her life is without meaning, she is catapulted into a maze of events that leave her reeling. The courage and strength that Raylee finds during this tumultuous and precarious period of her life unfold with dramatic flare.
The reader is led astray several times as the plot unravels down narrow paths of apprehensive action. Clues are scattered like finely sifted granules of sand across the grand canyon. As with any good mystery novel, the reader is never quite sure who's behind it all until the very end. Wagner's ability to infuse the reader with hope and encouragement through a relationship with Christ is worked into the story in a clear manner without being intrusively overboard. There is not a "preachy" feel to this read, as the author takes advantage of her talent for subtlety and cohesively delivers sound Christian doctrine through some of the lives of the minor characters. This book is sure to help the reader effortlessly transfer some healthy prospective into their life. If you enjoy reading a good mystery that has an element of reality without creating nightmares, I highly recommend that you read, Intent by Krista Wagner!"

"Enjoyed this book immensely. From a Pastor's and a Professor's perspective this is well written. I can and do highly recommend this to both young and old audiences."

"Very well written. Really enjoyed the twists and turns that happen along the way. The author does a great job of revealing stuff at just the right moments which keeps the reader guessing until the end."

"I found Intent to be a fast reading tale of romance, betrayal, mystery, and truth. I recommend it to our friends without reservations. We give Intent a 5 star rating!"

"Great storytelling that moves the book along and captures the readers attention."

How to Get Your Book Known

If you are a newly published author, then you know how difficult it is to get your book out there before lots of people. Sure, the publisher will help you--a little bit--, but most of the promoting is up to YOU.

Family and friends are typically wonderful supports, and when you publish your first book, they rush to purchase a copy. But our worlds are so small and soon, the people we know run out. What then? How do we keep the pages of our story fluttering?

Here are some of the things that I have seen, in my short career, work the most effectively in terms of getting larger groups of peoples' interest:

1. Make appearances. If you have children in school or you teach at a school or you know someone who teaches, request a guest visit to discuss your book. This visit can lead to many types of discussions like how you got a publisher, your favorite part of writing the story, some of the challenges you faced, how to not give up on your dream, etc,.

2. Do an inteview-- theauthorsshows.com is an online radio broadcast that allots you a fifteen minute Q&A slot about your novel. I posted the interview on all my social media sites and received a lot of interest and shares.

3. Participate in a book/library event. There's not enough publicity of the physical book these days, and people love to be reminded of the tangible. One of the colleges I work at hosted a library/book event to celebrate reading, and in its one hour venue sparked student and staff interest. It was an awesome way to connect with other avid readers.

4. Contests are amazing. People love to win things. My publisher entered two copies of Intent into a goodreads contest and nearly 800 people entered!

5. I thought that most people preferred to buy books online, through Amazon, for instance. So I was surprised to discover that when I brought copies of my book to church that my Sunday School friends were anxious to buy directly from me. I even sold a copy to my local video store clerk. You never know.

6. When Intent was first released, I purchased 250 bookmarks to promote it. I have handed them out to students, to an In&Out worker, to anyone who seems interested. I keep them in my car and in my work bag because you never know who you might run into.

Author Interview with Sean Paul Murphy

The Promise, or the Pros and Cons of Talking with God is
Sean’s inspirational, coming-of-age tale of first faith
and first love and how the two became almost fatally
intertwined in his life.  It is a poignant and
insightful meditation on surviving in the gray area between
God’s sovereignty and our individual free will.
“Unless you’re a big name celebrity or other well-known
personality, selling your memoir is more than just
difficult; it’s often impossible. After all, everyone has
a story to tell, don’t they? When we received Sean’s
pitch, we weren’t certain it would be one we’d
pursue—even with his clear accomplishments in the
film/movie industry. But a few pages in and I was hooked.”
Publisher, Sheri Williams adds, “Sean’s author voice is
crisp and inviting. It’s like having a conversation with a
close friend and sharing the struggles and revelations
he’s encountered. And, best of all, he’s down-right
entertaining!”
While Sean wrote this book with the Christian reader in mind, the
audience for the book is definitely not limited to
born-again Christians. It was written in casual,
easy-to-understand, non-theological style to make it
accessible to spiritual seekers of all varieties. Human
beings naturally seek to find the transcendent and eternal.
This book reveals it is possible.

 The Interview

1.      Where were you when the idea for this book came to you?

I felt strongly compelled to write this book after dying on the operating table after routine surgery.   That experience made me realize that, although I was a storyteller by profession, I have never told my own story, which I felt some people would find valuable. 

           

            2. What makes your book unique? 

“The Promise, or the Pros and Cons of Talking with God” is my own story.  No one could tell it but me.  In fact, many aspects of my life came as a complete surprise to even my closest friends.  Still, although the book is very personal, I have discovered that many people relate to it very deeply.

2.      Who is your primary audience?

 The book is a spiritual memoir, and since I am a Christian, I suppose the primary audience would be Christians.  However, I didn’t write the book specifically for that market.   This is not a theological book.  It is a very human tale that is both unique and universal in its appeal.  As a teenager I underwent a surprising and extraordinary spiritual conversion that falls well outside commonplace experience.  However, the awkward parallel story of first love, which my faith journey ultimately plays out against, should be aching familiar to anyone who has loved and needlessly lost.  Both stories are well worth telling, but combined I believe they possess a special value.

            Aside from love and spirituality, the book also deals all too knowingly with the subject of suicide.  My love story ends with a suicide attempt on my part.  Fortunately, my life was spared by divine intervention.  My sister would not be so lucky.  Her tragic death allowed me to experience firsthand the suffering I nearly inflicted on my family and friends.  In a final strange irony, the death of my sister resulted in a brief reunion with my lost love that gave me peaceful closure to our relationship, and my relationship with God Himself.

3.      What draws you to this genre? 

I’m a screenwriter.  To date I have written fourteen produced feature films.  I never imagined I would write a memoir.  I have always been a very private person and I was completely satisfied drawing oblique references to my formative life experiences through the framework of  myfilms.  However, after suffering a near death experience and battling a potentially fatal illness, I felt a very strong need to tell my own tale and give my testimony.

4.      What kind of research did you have to do?

Fortunately, I value the written word and I have saved almost every personal letter anyone has ever written me.  That correspondence provided the backbone of my story.  Also, when I began writing I downloaded a hundred or so songs from each of the years featured in my book.  I would randomly play the music of the years I sought to recreate as I wrote about them.  It’s amazing the memories the songs brought back.  It was a very useful tool.

5.      What challenged or surprised you about writing this story? 

The biggest challenge I faced was balancing my need to tell my story truthfully against my desire to protect the privacy of the people who played major parts in my life.  This was particularly true in the case of my former girlfriend, whom I call Kathy Gardiner.  “The Promise, or the Pros and Cons of Talking with God” is about my relationship with God, but that relationship plays out mainly against the backdrop of my relationship with Kathy.  She is a very private person so I did everything within my power to obscure her identity by changing practically every traceable detail concerning her life.   This was also true of other individuals I discuss, including an old friend I essentially accuse of murder.  On the other hand, I was genuinely surprised how many people wanted me to use their real names in the book.

6.      What did you enjoy most about writing this story?

I can’t say I enjoyed writing it.  It was an emotional rollercoaster for me.  I felt bad for my wife, who had to endure my moodiness at the time.  Although most of the memories were sweet and charming, others were extremely painful for me to confront.  I find the first half of the book easy to read, but there are a number of chapters in the second half that I still avoid.  What surprises me most is that people often talk about how much humor there is in the book.  I’m glad.  I never intended it to be gloomy – despite some of the serious subject matter.  Overall, I am happy I wrote it, if only for the impact it is having on the people who read it.

7.      What do you want your audience to come away with after reading your book? 

I want people to realize that it is possible to have a true personal, relationship with the living God.  I want people to know you can reach beyond the world and touch the eternal and transcendent.  However, there’s a reason I called it the pros and cons of talking with God.  There are cons.  With knowledge comes responsibility, and there is often a temporal price to pay when you ignore God’s will in your life.  Faith might be all you need to be saved, but you must learn obedience to experience all of the riches God has in store for you.   

            9.  What are your plans for the future?

Ideally, I would prefer to move away from movies to books.  I have started a follow-up to my memoir called “Unconditional, or the Pros and Cons of Missionary Dating,” which will prove how little I learned about love during the events of the first book.  I have also started a novel.  However, film work, both as a writer and an editor, keeps getting in the way.

Sean Paul Murphy is an award-winning screenwriter with fourteen
produced feature film credits including the faith-based
favorites “Hidden Secrets,” “Sarah’s Choice,” and
“The Encounter.”   Sean lives in Baltimore, Maryland.  He is happily married
with three step-daughters, and he can be found every Sunday morning playing guitar at his church.
For media appearances, interviews, or to schedule signings contact info@touchpointpress.com .

Here are the links:

Amazon:   http://amzn.com/0692200533

B&N:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-promise-or-the-pros-and-cons-of-talking-with-god-sean-paul-murphy/1120025418?ean=9780692200537

Touchpoint:  http://touchpointpress.com/bookstore/

Personal:

My webpage:  http://seanpaulmurphyville.blogspot.com/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/SeanPaulMurphy

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/sean.p.murphy.60