The MY TENDER HEART BIBLE Book Tour Continues with Three Interviews (including one on Catholic Faith Network!)

One of the joys of having a new book out is getting to chat about it in meaningful and fun ways. This week I have three special interviews to share with you. First up, on February 22nd at approximately 9:45 am, I had my first ever LIVE tv interview. The lovely Colleen from Catholic Faith Network interviewed me as a part of their morning show. Here’s the segment. It’s just under six minutes and I hope you are keen to take a peek. =)

Next, that very same day, I had an early afternoon chat with author and interview host Valerie Fentress over on her Instagram page. Valerie does monthly interviews with Christian authors and asks really fun questions. (And in the super fun department, I will be hosting her on my blog later this month with Five Fun Facts about her Easter book, so stay tuned for that.)

Most recently, yesterday, I had a nice chat with Kathy O’Neill over at her blog. Here’s the link for that: https://kathythepicturelady.wordpress.com/2023/03/10/laura-sassi-tells-us-about-her-newest-childrens-book-my-tender-heart-bible/ She also asks great questions and her dog, Molly, often chimes in as well. While you are there, you might also enjoy checking out her treasure trove of great ideas for connecting art to faith with kids.

BOOK SALE! Finally, now through Easter, my publisher is offering a special price for both MY TENDER HEART BIBLE and HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD. When you order through them, use the code SASSI!  to receive 20% off either title on the Paraclete Press website. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

OBSERVING LENT with MY TENDER HEART BIBLE: A Calendar of Readings

Are you looking for a way to observe Lent with your littles ones and introduce them to God’s grand plan for redemption? Nothing too pressured and very flexible — but wouldn’t it be neat to set aside 12 “Bible Heart Moments” with them between now and Easter to read 12 stories that point to God’s redemptive love and culminate with the glorious resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ on Easter morning?

Here’s a map for doing just that with MY TENDER HEART BIBLE.  Sweet blessings to you all!And it starts next Wednesday so you have time to order your copy. NOTE: I’m also sharing this over at Big Books, Little Ears as part of a bigger guest post with tips for reading Bible story books with multiple ages. Here’s the link. Thank you, Kristin, for having me as your guest.

March 1, 2023 Creation Joy Genesis 1:1 – 2:3

March 5, 2023 God’s Garden Genesis 3:1-24

March 8, 2023 Star Promise Genesis 15:1-6

March 12, 2023 Great Escape Exodus 14:10-31

March 15, 2023 Tasty Blessings Exodus 16:11-18

March 19, 2023 Brave Queen Esther 14:13-17

March 22, 2023 Welcome, Jesus Luke 2:8-19

March 26, 2023 Dove Love Matthew 3:13-17

March 29, 2023 Precious Children Mark 10:13-16

April 2, 2023 Worry Cure Matthew 6:25-33

April 5, 2023 Donkey Parade Luke 19:35-38

April 9, 2023 Easter Joy Matthew 28:1-10

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NEW RESOURCE: Check out the MY TENDER HEART BOOKS Website!

Did you know that MY TENDER HEART BIBLE, which released earlier this month with Paracete Press, is part of a series? The second book MY TENDER HEART PRAYER BOOK will release this coming fall. And in the super neat category, my publisher Paraclete Press has created a special website for the series: https://mytenderheartbooks.com

It’s your go-to spot for all things MY TENDER HEART starting with oodles of fun stuff related to MY TENDER HEART BIBLE including:

The link to the MY TENDER HEART BIBLE story time which aired with Paraclete Press last week

A downloadable activity kit for MY TENDER HEART BIBLE which includes:

• Printable Bible verse “Tender Heart Moment” cards
• Printable Greeting Cards for Kids to color and give on special days
• Printable Tender Heart Stickers
• A special preview of My Tender Heart Prayer Book – coming this Fall!

Easy links for purchase from a broad array of vendors

The beautiful book trailer produced by Paraclete

A regularly updated listing of all my events

An “About the Creators” section

A contact tab so you can reach out to me or them

And this LOVELY endorsement from best-selling author Crystal Bowman:

The title says it all! My Tender Heart Bible is a sweet Bible storybook, just right for little hands and little hearts. Written in rhyming verse and paired with adorable illustrations, this collection of favorite Bible stories will help young children learn about people and events from the Bible, while reminding them of God’s unconditional love. I need it for my grandkids!

Crystal Bowman—award-winning, bestselling author of more than 100 books for children including, Our Daily Bread for Kids

I hope you will bookmark it for easy reference. (I’ll also include on my website’s designated book page for MY TENDER HEART BIBLE.)

Happy Monday, all!

Time for the First… MY TENDER HEART BIBLE Friday Round Up!

My new book, MY TENDER HEART BIBLE, released a week and a half ago and, in celebration I have FOUR fun things to share today – including a GIVEAWAY! I hope you will grab a cup of coffee or tea and check them out.

First, on Tuesday, I was delighted to be hosted by Paraclete Press for a special TENDER HEART-themed Valentine’s Day story time which included a chat with host Rachel McKendree, a reading of three of my favorites from the collection, a Q&A and a sneak peek at my next TENDER HEART book which will be out in the fall. You can enjoy that here:

Second, in case you missed my interview over at Terrie Hellard-Brown’s “Books That Spark” podcast, here’s the link for that plus a snap-shot quote which really shows my heart in writing this new book.

Third, yesterday I was honored to be guest blogger over at Darlene Beck Jacobson’s blog on a topic close to my heart — sharing God’s Word with little ones in RHYME! (PLUS, Darlene is giving away one SIGNED copy of my newest release: MY TENDER HEART BIBLE. (This is the giveaway I mentioned above!) Find all the details here.

Finally, be sure to check out Sally Matheny’s review of MY TENDER HEART BIBLE. Her reviews are always so thoughtful. While you are there, I hope you will enjoy exploring her many other reviews as well.

Check back in next week for more fun bookish things! Happy Weekend, all! (And if you aren’t following my blog yet and want to, I’d love that! Buttons to do so are in the sidebar and footer.

MY TENDER HEART BIBLE Featured on BOOKS THAT SPARK Podcast

This week it was my pleasure to be interviewed by podcast host Terrie Hellard-Brown. Her podcast, Books that Spark, reviews children’s books that spark imagination, emotion, questions, and discussion leading to teachable moments with our kids. Her podcast posts each Tuesday morning. 

Terrie has interviewed many authors including Crystal Bowman, Annette Whipple, Glenys Nellist and more. Recent topics include Teaching our Children to Pray and How to Disciple Our Children.  And in our podcast we chat about Helping Children Delight in God’s Word.

Here are a couple of visual nuggets to whet your appetite.  And here is a link to the podcast. And here’s a link to the transcript if you prefer to read. Enjoy!

For more information about Terrie, visit her website at terriehellardbrown.com.

JOIN ME for a Valentine’s Day VIRTUAL BOOK LAUNCH EVENT for MY TENDER HEART BIBLE!

VALENTINE’S DAY INVITATION! You and your little ones are invited to a special Valentine’s Day Book Launch Event for MY TENDER HEART BIBLE this coming Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at 3pm Eastern. Hosted by Paraclete Press, the event will include:

1. An introduction to My Tender Heart Bible
2. A little chat time with the author – me!
3. A reading of THREE of my favorite stories from the collection
4. A Q&A
5. The unveiling of some awesome free resources to go with the book

I hope you will join us! To sign up, press here. It will also run on on Facebook so you can check here for that.

And if you want to order a copy for your church, school, or home library… or to give as a gift, check here for easy links.

And, just in case you haven’t seen the book yet, here is the book trailer:

I hope you will join us!

The Making of MY TENDER HEART BIBLE with Laura Sassi

Every day recently, I’ve been doing a little something special to get ready for my newest board book to release. Last week these special efforts included filming a short video introducing MY TENDER HEART BIBLE. Well, I just noticed that the video is now up on Paraclete’s website as well as their YouTube channel, so that means I can share it!

I hope you have time to take one minute and 37 seconds to listen. It’s short, but you wouldn’t believe how much time I spent getting my part just right! I hope it inspires you to order copies for the little ones in your life. Check my website’s designated book page for quick links to order the book through several major vendors.

Stay tuned for more fun bookish news in the coming days! Blessings, all!

The COUNTDOWN for MY TENDER HEART BIBLE is on!

With less than three weeks to go until MY TENDER HEART BIBLE officially releases, I’ve been busy getting ready. In anticipation, here are just a few of the things I’ve had on my to-do list:

1. Training Teddy, who has been my special bear since I was two, to be my storytime companion. He’s holding a tooth brush because the theme of our visits will be establishing cozy bedtime routines that include brushing teeth, getting in jammies, praying and snuggling up with a favorite stuffy to read books like MY TENDER HEART BIBLE!

2. Scheduling school, library, and bookstore events for the winter and spring. If you would like me to visit your school, library or bookstore, please reach out to me via my contact page.  I’m also offering a handful of free 20-minute virtual visits, so reach out to me there as well if that is of interest.  Check out the visits I have set up so far on my Upcoming Events page.

3. Setting up a small, but enthusiastic, book launch team to do things like share the book in their communities, recommend the book for purchase at their local schools and libraries, share about the book on social media etc. 

4. Arranging and then preparing for a virtual book tour that includes stops at blogs, podcasts and more. Let me know if you’d like to be one of the stops.

5. Creating extension activities and crafts for teachers/parents to use after reading MY TENDER HEART BIBLE.

6. Being intentional about connecting and engaging daily on my various social media feeds. I hope you’ll join me there. There are buttons in the header and footer here for easy connecting.

7. Updating my author bio info on various book-related websites. 

8. Preserving daily time in the midst of all this to write new stories, poem, and picture books. (I have several in progress.)

9. Remembering to BREATHE and ENJOY the process…  

LEARN MORE about the book, including links for where to purchase, on my website’s dedicated MY TENDER HEART BIBLE book page.

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Pre-Order SIGNED Copies of MY TENDER HEART BIBLE

Will you help my new bible story book make a BIG SPLASH when it releases next month by pre-ordering your copy today? Published by Paraclete Press, MY TENDER HEART BIBLE is a collection of 12 of my favorite bible stories, retold in rhyme with a simple prayer “heart moment” for each. Presented in 24-page board book format, it’s perfect for birth through about age 6. The publisher’s website offers a great description of the book as well as a sneak peek at three of the spreads which give a very good sense of the book. Here’s the link for that: https://paracletepress.com/products/my-tender-heart-bible

I didn’t realize with my first two books just how important pre-orders can be in capturing the attention of readers, booksellers, reviewers and more. As I have now learned, those pre-order sales get included in the sales numbers for the first week of the book’s release. High numbers can influence how many runs a book has, whether it makes a best-selling list and more. All good and fun stuff!

So, if you are thinking of purchasing MY TENDER HEART BIBLE (perfect for Easter, birthdays, baptisms, baby showers etc), I would be delighted if you would consider pre-ordering it from Paraclete Press, Amazon, Christian Book or your favorite vendor.

Or. if you want SIGNED copies, my local book store has a special deal for you! If you PRE-ORDER my new book from The Town Book Store in Westfield, NJ, any time between NOW and February 7th (the book’s release day), owner Anne Laird is offering a 10% discount off the retail price. Simply mention that you want the “MY TENDER HEART BIBLE DISCOUNT”.

If this interests you, please call the store. Be sure to explain that you would like to have the book signed by the author and pass along the names you’d like included. They will take the order and do the transaction. I will then come in and sign the book or books. Depending on where you live, you can either pick them up in-store at no extra charge, or have them mailed. There will be a shipping fee to cover the cost of mailing, but they can give you those details.

You can reach The Town Book Store at (908) 233-3535. You can also email the owner, Anne, at anne@townbookstore.com. Either way, remember to ask for the MY TENDER HEART BIBLE discount.

Thank you, The Town Book Store, for making this possible and thank you, readers, for supporting my books!

NOTE: If you are long-distance and prefer to order from the vendor of your choice, I’m also happy to make arrangements for a signed book plate to be sent to you by sending me a SASE. Just let me know and we can make that happen.

COVER REVEAL: Introducing MY TENDER HEART BIBLE by Laura Sassi

MONDAY JOY! I have bible story board book coming out in February 2023 with Paraclete Press and the cover is just starting to pop up on the web, so I thought I’d share it here too.

The book is called MY TENDER HEART BIBLE and it’s something I was working on this past spring. It was the joy of each day. Hasn’t illustrator, Sandra Eide, done a marvelous job of capturing the wonder of meeting Jesus?

Here’s the scoop from Paraclete Press:

With sweet, rhyming text and whimsical illustrations, this sturdy board book, My Tender Heart Bible, offers a collection of the most loved and classic Bible stories for beginner readers. Simple yet creative paraphrasing of Old and New Testament re-tellings are paired with a “Heart Moment” for families to read aloud and act out. Scripture references are noted with each story that tell of God’s redemption plan.

My Tender Heart Bible:

• Makes the Bible memorable and accessible for young readers

• Helps kids think deeper about what the Bible says about God’s creation, His plan for humanity, and His love for all of people as His children

• Is perfect as bedtime reading for your toddlers and little ones, especially during the holiday season

• Offers details in the artwork for little ones to enjoy and find for “point and learn” discovery

• Serve as a base for introductory Bible discussion

• Includes an inviting padded cover and sturdy pages for little hands

• Makes a great gift for Easter, new baby, christening, baptism, baby showers, new grandchildren, curious toddlers, and boys and girls ages 0 to 4 years old

From Creation to Abraham to Moses and Jesus, God’s story of redemption is told through each individual story and as a collection. Look in the mirror and thank God for making you unique—what makes you different from others you see in your neighborhood? Can you count the stars and make your hands twinkle? Flap your arms like the dove that appeared when John the Baptist baptized Jesus. How many coats and blankets can you spread out for Jesus’ triumphal entry to Jerusalem? Let’s read the stories and celebrate God’s perfect plan from the marvelous beginning of Creation through Easter’s glorious hope made known by Jesus’ resurrection.

Thank you, Paraclete Press, for bringing this one into the world. I can’t wait for it to release.  

If you are thinking of adding this to your own collection or giving it as a gift, will you take a moment to pre-order a copy of MY TENDER HEART BIBLE today and/or mark it as “to-read” on Goodreads? Those are two wonderful and easy ways to help a new book make a lovely little splash when it releases.

Thank you, and, happy reading!

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