Synopsis

Extraordinary detours happen to us all. Fork-in-the-road moments that send us off in crazy and unexpected directions.

Frequently, the moments happen without warning. We travel along life's road, chugging contentedly like a little train. Suddenly, the train jerks violently and veers off track. Of course, we're surprised and dismayed by being thrown off course, and we lose our footing on this difficult and rocky terrain. What occurs is shock, pain and anguish like you never knew existed. Many tears are shed along the way, but we have no choice but to buckle up for the ride of our lives.

At the present time, there's a sense of anxiety and hopelessness in our crazy, mixed-up world. Not surprisingly, many people are confused and need something true and genuine. They need to know God is real and working in their lives. 

Many years ago, my writing well had dried up and I prayed for a story. Take note to be careful what you pray for. God gave me a big one.  At the time, I wailed and railed against God, crying out, "Why? Why are you putting me through this? I feel so alone. I'm scared. I don't understand!" I prayed and cried and cried and prayed. And that was okay.

This is our story of an ExtraOrdinary Detour—the first of many. 

In addition to our story, you'll read about detours of several men and women of the Bible who also endured uncertainty and pain. Their stories are similar to ours in that God derailed their plans, upended their lives, and moved them in a different direction. Upon reflection, God was firmly in control and could still be trusted. 

With this in mind, ponder over your own life. Are you a spiritual seeker or a believer who has lost hope that God is faithful and truly cares for you? Think about how you would react if your worst fears actually happen? How will you handle it?

In conclusion, there are three encouraging takeaways I hope you get from reading the book. First, you'll sense the wonder and assurance of heaven. Second, you'll know God is on your side and can be trusted in your darkness and pain. Third, you can reflect on your own ExtraOrdinary Detour where you felt God's leading. It may have been a jolting and terrifying event threatening to derail your life, but was actually a blessing in the end.  A new journey—where God was right beside you in the deepest darkest valleys.

Outline

PART I - Ron's Extraordinary Detour

1. Helicopter to Heaven
2. Carnival Atmosphere
3. A Stinking Mess
4. An Ordinary Day
5. Battle to Go
6. Urgent Prayers
7. Critical Time
8. The Day Darkens
9. Fantastical Journey
10. The Brain Ward 
11. War Room
12. Miracle Walk
13. Wernickie's Aphasia
14. Lost at Home
15. Black Book
16. Abbott and Costello
17. When Your World Falls Apart
18. The Roman Road
19. Ron's Memories of that Day

• Leave Me Alone 
• The Friend
• Shands
• The Trip Home
• A New Normal
• God Sees the Future
• Horse in the Road
• Update Today

PART II - Penelope's ExtraOrdinary Detour

1. Newspaper Ad
2. Hot Flash Study
3. Pass or Fail
4. Into the Abyss
5. The Verdict
6. Three Shooting Stars
7. God Cares
8. Publix Clears Out
9. Mother/Daughter Reunion
10. More Miracles
11. Update Today

PART III - More ExtraOrdinary Detours

1. Abraham
2. Daniel
3. Deborah
4. The Disciples
5. Elijah
6. Elizabeth
7. Eve
8. Hannah - 
9. The Israelites
10. Jesus
11. Job - In the belly of a Whale
12. Jonah
13. Joseph
14. King Nebuchadnezzar
15. Man with Donkey
16. Mary Magdalene
17. Mary Mother of Jesus
18. Moses
19. King David
20. Mary
21. Noah
22. Paul
23. Queen Esther
24. Rahab
25. Ruth
26. Samaritan Woman
27. Shadrach, Meschach & Abednego
28. Zacchaeus

Part IV God's Extreme Faithfulness to His People

A Father/Son joyful reunion after 30 years on his birthday—and mine. His Father's Death

Part V Discover Your Past ExtraOrdinary Detours

Journal and reflect to discover your fork-in-the-road moments. Uncover the miracles in your past to discover God's plan and purpose for your extraordinary life.

Part VI Living A New and ExtraOrdinary Life

Set aside one month to steer your life in a new direction. Use this worksheet with simple questions. A mere 21 days is all it takes to find your joy and purpose through past detours.

Audience

In the first 11 months of 2017, religious books generated a whopping $416.4 million U.S. dollars in sales revenue, according to Statistica.com.  This article from August, 2017, by The Association of American Publishers (AAP) announced that books with religious and inspirational themes, including memoirs, were among the best-selling books.

Religious presses focusing on religion, spirituality and faith, grew by 6.9% to $1.13 billion from 2015 to 2016. The area of growth? Inspirational and religious crossover books.

According to Nielson.com, 59% of the Christian non-fiction readers are female. My ideal reader would be about 45-65, with annual household income around $50,000. She is likely a baby boomer and possibly retired. Baby boomers, according to this article on ABC News, have led the search for spirituality. Boomers are trying to resolve the larger issues of life and death as they age, according to Martin Marty, professor emeritus of religion at the University of Chicago.

Spiritual seekers, both men and women of all ages, would be inspired by reading this book. Any person facing a life-threatening illness would also find comfort in these pages. The main readers would possibly be empty nesters, or children may be on the cusp of leaving home. Interests include Biblical or Spiritual reading, Christian music, inspirational TV and movies, and talk radio. 

In North America alone, according to Facebook targeted advertising, the number of readers in this demographic would be 3 million readers. This can be narrowed down further depending on the church demomination.

The men would not be the biggest readers of Christian inspirational non-fiction, but there is still a market. The numbers for men in this same age bracket in North America would be 1,400,000.

Promotion

Penelope's Social Sites

Pinterest (836 followers, 57.8 monthly views)

Twitter (6,214 followers)

Facebook (368 Friends) 

Linked In (535 Connections) 

Website PenelopeSilvers.com

Social Media Promotions:

• Weekly Posts on my Dedicated Author Website: PenelopeSilvers.com
• Special Promotion Radio Show on Penelope's Book Chat
• Radio show on Stroke Focus Podcast
• Author Video on ExtraOrdinary Detour Book Proposal Page
• Social Media Banners updated with ExtraOrdinary Detour link
• Reach out to influential entrepreneurs for blog tours
• Direct emails (100+ to friends and family to share)
• Twitter (Tweets every 2 hrs around the clock) 
• Campaign Hashtags
• Creation of a Street Team with Prizes and Giveaways
• Twitter campaign to 500k
• Facebook Targeted Ads Campaign
• Pinterest Board dedicated to book campaign

Additional Activities

• A dedicated landing page will be created on ExtraOrdinaryDetour.com
• Campaign Flyer distributed to friends and local businesses
• Creation and distribution of business cards and promotional items
• Press releases to major magazines and newspapers
• Utilize social media endorsers and partners
• Creation of complementary course and webinars
• Secure large corporate sponsors to come onboard
• Active engagement in Florida's entrepreneur community such as Rotary Clubs, Women's Club, and Breast Cancer Support Groups
• Support from local churches
• Local Christian Radio Show
• Post Book Publishing: Roving RV ExtraOrdinary Detour Tour with Video Campaign Stops and Social Media Updates

10% of All Net Proceeds will go to this charity, to help women breast cancer survivors!

Competition

When God Winks at You: How God Speaks Directly to You Through the Power of Coincidence 

By Squire D. Rushnell

Thomas Nelson, Inc., September 1, 2006

Synopsis: Those extraordinary little events in your life happen for a reason. A coincidence--sometimes a silly little thing--changes the course of your day . . .or even your life. Is it chance, or is God communicating with you?

When God Winks at You is packed with true stories demonstrating that God does communicate with us, making incredible things happen in our lives every single day. As you read the riveting accounts of everyday and famous people-including Tim Conway, Rudolph Giuliani, Billy Graham, and Don Knotts, you will begin to recognize the godwinks in your own life, both past and present. Through these tangible signposts from God, we receive personalized messages that reassure us, stop us from worrying, chart our path in life, and help us keep the faith.

How the Author's Book Complements: Author Squire Rushnell's book is feel-good, and emphasizes the tiny moments when God may be speaking. Our books are similar in the way we both describe God's leading in our lives.

Unseen Footprints

By Sheridan Voysey

Discovery House, June 1, 2016

Synopsis: Simply by observing the world and the people in it, we may catch unexpected glimpses of the divine. Unseen Footprints is a reflective walk through pain, yearning, and doubt; a journey that highlights the ways God whispers to us through our surroundings. If you are searching for a deeper reality, follow Sheridan Voysey’s lead and “open your eyes” to the things that are right in front of you. You may just discover God was there all along.

How the Author's Book Complements: The author's own personal story, as well as several others, is detailed in the book. Author Sheridan Voysey author stresses more glimpses of God, than fork-in-the-road moments.

Finding God's Path Through Your Trials

By Elizabeth George

Harvest House Publishers, July 1, 2007

From bestselling author Elizabeth George (nearly 4 million books sold) comes a book born of her desire to help others through difficult times. Finding God's Path Through Your Trials acknowledges the hard times we all face and reveals how people can "count it all joy," including:

*  understanding trials are not punishment

*  realizing God's grace is sufficient to get them through trials

*  knowing the benefits brought by trials—patience, endurance, empathy

*  experiencing deeper faith as they depend on God through trials

*  trusting God to use everything for His glory

Emphasizing God is always with them and will help them every step of the way, Elizabeth reminds readers they will not be given trials they cannot bear without including a way of escape. She encourages people to turn to Jesus, where they will find hope, joy, and meaning in the journey, no matter how bumpy it seems.

How the Author's Book is Different: This book deals with helping people understand that trials are not punishments, and how to trust God through it all.

Detours: The Unpredictable Path to Your Destiny

by Dr. Tony Evans

B & H Books, January 1, 2017

God has a plan for your life. 

More often than not, it’s a detour, one that can leave you feeling temporarily stalled and slowed down. Which nobody likes. But detours are necessary if any improvements are going to be made on the paths we travel. Or if any wreck is going to be cleaned up or a hazard avoided. Detours are designed for our own good, regardless of how we view or feel about them.

Detours are a good thing that often feels bad.

Tony knows a thing or two about detours, and one of the things he knows for certain is that God works through detours to bring about His blessing. To deliver you to the place He has created just for you. Yet what we often do is try as hard as we can to work our own way to the circumstances we believe are best for us. Using examples from the life of Joseph, Tony will leave readers with answers to the following questions:

* How do you find the destiny God has designed for your life?

* How can you make the most of the detours God has planned for you?

* Is there a way to shorten a detour and speed up your progression in life?

* What is the purpose of a detour?

How the author's book is different: This book is very similar in that Dr. Evans speaks of detours and what they might mean for us.

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering 

by Timothy Keller

Viking, October 1, 2013

New York Times bestselling author of The Prodigal Prophet Timothy Keller—whose books have sold millions of copies to both religious and secular readers—explores one of the most difficult questions we must answer in our lives: Why is there pain and suffering? Walking with God through Pain and Suffering is the definitive Christian book on why bad things happen and how we should respond to them. The question of why there is pain and suffering in the world has confounded every generation; yet there has not been a major book from a Christian perspective exploring why they exist for many years.The two classics in this area are When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner, which was published more than thirty years ago, and C. S. Lewis’s The Problem of Pain, published more than seventy years ago. The great secular book on the subject, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s On Death and Dying, was first published in 1969. It’s time for a new understanding and perspective, and who better to tackle this complex subject than Timothy Keller? As the pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, Timothy Keller is known for the unique insights he shares, and his series of books has guided countless readers in their spiritual journeys. Walking with God through Pain and Suffering will bring a much-needed, fresh viewpoint on this important issue.

How the author's book is different: This book spends more time on suffering and pain and how to walk with God through it all.