Tell us about your books?
There are two books I’d like to share
with you.
The first is Better Than Our Dogs.
We all know what we expect from good dogs. They are loyal, loving, kind, listen
to their masters, they follow directions, listen, and don’t bark without a good
reason. Better Than Our Dogs takes these expectations and uses them to
illustrate how we can be better people and followers of God if we would just
live up to what we expect from our dogs. While it is premised in the book of
James, many readers, religious or not, love it because it is not preachy.It has
a very positive message. That’s probably why it won the Grand Prize in the Fall
2020 Xulon Press Christian Author Awards, a national writing competition for
Christian books.
The second is Man Na: A Daily Guide
to Becoming the Salt God Intended. While readers may be familiar with the
word “manna” as bread that God provided to sustain His followers during their
time in desert, Man Na takes the concept of a daily devotional one step
farther. Unlike many devotionals that just attempt to temporarily feed us each
day, this book recognizes that lasting fulfillment comes from becoming salt (Na
is the symbol for salt) for others. Through a relatable weekly message that is
explored throughout the week, Man Na, is not a book that simply sits on
your nightstand waiting to be read. It is also a call to action through
service, kindness, forgiveness, friendship, gratitude, humility, and love.
What is the PRIMARY benefit, above all
others, that your potential reader will gain from reading this book? (Be very
specific. Please do not answer with 'good read' or 'page turner' or some other
worn-out, overused phrase. Be concise and avoid generalization.)
Better Than Our Dogs asks readers
to determine for themselves what dog they are and what kind of person they want
to be. Are they like Socrates who eats a blue toilet cake out of spite or are
they Darby who was a light to everyone around her? By using real dog stories as
an anchor for each chapter, readers can consider what type of person, friend,
and follower they are in a nonconfrontational way. They can choose to be better
in places the book of James states we really need to focus on to be the best we
can be.
Where Better Than Our Dogs can be
read in a weekend, Man Na is designed to be used as a daily devotional.
However, I wasn’t interested in just writing another devotional that collected
dust and left people moving towardbeing unfulfilled as the day progressed.
Instead, there is a section called Daily Bread that will give readers a chance
to reflect on the weekly message and take actionto be salt for those around them
throughout the day. This book is for readers that want the inspiration of a
devotional, but also want real, concrete ways to walk in faith for lasting
fulfillment.
If you had to compare this book to any
other book out there, which book would it be?
(Remember: The audience does not yet
know you. It is very important that you reference something they might be
familiar with to effectively and powerfully communicate what your work is
about. You are NOT saying you are 'better than' or 'just like' this comparative,
but are somewhat the same in a very general sense, to give the listener a point
of reference.)
For Better Than Our Dogs, I would
say the style is like your favorite Mitch Albom book. At least I hope so. I
always enjoy how his books are relatively short, but pack a punch and tell a
good story. A book doesn’t have to be 300 pages to make someone think or bring
about real change. A Christian book also doesn’t have to remind you every two
lines how much you fail or how bad of a person you are. I like to allow the
reader to laugh, cry, and get caught up in the story. Show me another Christian
book that has a dog pooping blue for a week as a focus of a chapter!Better
Than Our Dogs finds us at our weakest and at our best. Readers respond to
that type of story.
For Man Na, I would put it up
against any devotional because it is different from them. Often times,
devotionals seem like a great idea, but soon their messages start to sound the
same or readers don’t remember what inspired them just a few hours or days
prior. Imagine, in comparison, the transformative difference you will feel when
Man Na has a week on gratitude and you are asked to contact someone who
has had an amazing impact on your life. Being salt for another will give you
(and the others you touch) experiences you will never forget. It’s not enough
to just tell someone to “be grateful,” “be happy today,” or “be kind.” Real
inspiration and fulfillment are when those calls to action are actually put
into action. Man Na gives readers that opportunity with easy to
accomplish suggestions each day.
Hundreds of thousands of books come out
every year. Why should someone buy THIS book? (What is it that sets THIS book
apart from ALL those other books in the same genre or category? What will the
buyer get from you and ONLY you that simply cannot be found elsewhere?)
Better Than Our Dogs won the
Christian Author Awards and was a Finalist in AmericanBookFest’s 2020 Best Book
Awards for Christianity: Religion. It won LoveReading’s Indie Books We Love
Award. As an attorney and college professor, this book provides readers with my
creative storytelling ability and unique gift of making complicated topics easy
to digest. It will tug on your heart and feed your soul at the same time.
As a leader of many Bible study groups,
I know how to relate to people who are searching for answers and trying to do
the right thing in difficult circumstances. I see the struggle in just trying
to follow the Christian life and looking for a direction to do so. Man Na
is a devotional that is written for the everyday person by the everyday man. I
can totally see myself working through the weeks of Man Na, myself, as
the issues they confront are real, important, and ongoing for all of us. Who
doesn’t have a regret, a person they would like to thank, forgiveness that is
overdue, or an area where humility is needed? Man Na confronts the tough
issues of our day, but encourages each reader in ways other devotionals cannot.
Who is your target audience? (Be very
specific. Gender? Age range? Geographic area? Primary interests? What benefits
does the reader hope to gain from buying a book like this book?)
Better Than Our Dogs appeals to a
wide audience. If you are a dog lover, the stories will resonate with you. If
you are a Christian, the Biblical references and overall theme of the book will
capture you. If you are someone who wants to read funny and engaging stories
with a Christian tint or want to learn more about the Bible in a nonpreachy
way, this book is for you as well.
Readers often buy new devotionals each
year. Some have stopped buying devotionals because they all seem the same as
the one they already have on their nightstand. Man Na should be your
purchase for this coming year. In addition, Man Na can have an even
larger impact if you work through it with family members, friends, or a Bible
study group.Each week and each Daily Bread are different. You will never get
bored with this devotional.
Did your environment or upbringing play
a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage?
I’ve always loved writing. In grammar
school, I won a Young Author’s competition and I’ve always had a knack for
writing poems. As an attorney, I was especially known for writing briefs that
often made a difference in the cases I worked on.
It’s a great challenge to take a book
from idea to completed project. I believe many parts of my life helped give me
the education, perseverance, dedication, creative spirit, and pursuit of
perfection required to produce a quality book that others enjoy reading.
I’d also like to give a shout out to my
Tuesday night Bible study group. I have the fortune to lead a group of people
from across the country who started out as strangers and now consider each
other family. I have seen the power of prayer and demonstrations of faith
through action come to life in this group. Our weekly study together has built Man
Na from the ground up.
Tell us your most rewarding experience
since publishing your work?
With books like Better Than Our Dogs and
Man Na, I love reading reviews from readers who were inspired to get
closer to God. These books are my way to be salt for others just like I
encourage all readers to be in Man Na.
It’s amazing and humbling when I see a
review from someone who posts that they will never be the same just because of
a book I wrote. It makes the incredibly long hours, doubt that authors
experience in the journey, and the expense of publishing a book worth it.
How would you describe your writing
style?
I know people relate and remember
stories. In my writing, I like to give a story that draws a reader in before
telling the reader what the purpose of it is later in the chapter. To me, this
is especially important to do in the Christian arena. I do not want readers to
think I am preaching to them. That is not my purpose. I want readers to know I
relate to the struggles and triumphs I bring to them throughout the book. Together,
we can fight the fight. Together, we can become better.
What lines from Better Than Our Dogs and
Man Na best capture the spirit of each book?
I think we have to go to how both books
end for this question.
Better Than Our Dogs –
“Don’t wait to look up. Don’t wait to be
obedient. Don’t wait to be humble. Don’t wait to be kind and show love. Don’t
wait to be better than our dogs. Don’t wait.
Be better today.”
Man Na –
“Lastly, I’m proud of each of you. You
took a chance on a different type of devotional, and you finished the race.
From that initial New Year’s resolution to now, you kept the faith that this
book could fill your spirit and propel you to be salt for others.
In the end, my
hope today is that you are His satisfied servant. Helping you run and complete
this race has been the greatest honor of my life.
Thank God for Man Na.”
How can our readers get in touch with
you?
https://jmurrayjr.com/
Better
than Our Dogs https://amzn.to/3E2Cehz
Man
Na https://amzn.to/3XAhJ2h
Social
Media links
Facebook.com/johnjmurrayjr
Pinterest.com/murrs15/author-john-j-murray-jr
Instagram.com/murrs15
Twitter.com/JohnMurrayJr15
