Steven R. Dowell's Blog

Yesterday was a phenomenal day! It began at 7:30 in the morning even though it had just ended at 6:00am! But God's strength encompassed my soul and gave me the perseverance I needed to march on. I met many wonderful people with hearts to help this hurting family. You know what I noticed? They were people just like Mike and Angie. They weren't big corporations or multi-national conglomerates. They were just an assortment of small business men and women doing what they can for these children. That really had a profound and deep effect on me.

 A lot of people are asking who I am and what is my motivation for helping in this tragedy and no doubt some people are saying it is just to sell books. I can assure it is not! That is why I have tried to purposely keep my name out of it as much as possible, but I realize people want and need to know more because I tell ya the story is truly amazing!!!
After hearing it you will know unequivocally the reason I believe with all of my heart the event at the Center is a night pre-ordained by God himself and will be a night that will change everyone in attendance including myself! It truly is "A Night of Destiny"

The story begins about 20 years ago when I was a young man and I first met Angela's parents. In my life, not many people have been very kind to me, but Jerry and Charlene Worley have always shown me great kindness far above anything that I am used to in this world. Jerry is one of the greatest encouragers I have ever known. I have never failed to meet him when he doesn't hug my neck and do his best to give me encouragement.  They have supported me through the years and I am humbled to support them during this time.

Still, I had no connection with Mike's side of the family. That is until this past spring. I have recently earned my teaching degree, but at this point I have been unable to find full time employment. So I have been going from school to school in Pulaski (and will now be working in Lincoln County as well) substitute teaching. I was extremely fortunate to get a long term position at Burnside Elementary this April that lasted into May. It is there that I had a student with the last name....you guessed it Hockensmith! I had Mike's nephew in class. So when I approached the Hockensmith's about the event  he was able to let the family know the kind of person I try to be yet often fail.

But that is not all! For the last year and a half I have worked furiously promoting my books on Facebook and I have learned a lot about how to handle traffic and how to design websites. Trust me when I say that was an integral part of all of this because without that experience there is no way I could handle the traffic the Memorial Page on Facebook is generating. It is astronomical! I can make a post and with in 5 minutes or less more than 1,000 people will have seen it!! Currently the site is getting 30 to 50,000 hits and through the magic of the internet I believe that will grow exponentially, especially with the National News coverage that came into play within the last 24 hours. People are astounded at Mike and Angie's story.

So that brings us up to current events. Through a miraculous turn of events that you can read about on the "Our Story" page at www.maplehillpublishing.com website I started my own little publishing company and soon thereafter began writing my life story. I STRUGGLED greatly telling of all the pain I had went through which delayed the book greatly from when it was supposed to come out. Of course, now I know why. The book was finally released on September 3rd. and within a few days I had dozens (which is a large audience for me) saying it had inspired and encouraged them. In just a few days a former professor of mine invited me to speak to her writing class. On the 7th of September I had my first speaking engagement to a grand total of 7 people! But from that meager experience (which you can watch on youtube by searching for Steven Dowell Motivational Speaker) and those first few reviews I was inspired and felt led of God to reserve what seemed at the time the monstrous theater at the Center for Rural Development for what was to be my first motivational seminar or so I thought.

13 days later, I was working down the street from my home at Eubank Elementary when I was alerted to the fact that we were on lock down, which is a very strange occurrence at such a rural school, I can assure you. Later that day, I was at the Cumberland Security Bank in Eubank as I learned about the shooting that claimed the lives of Michael and Angela Hockensmith. I was in shock along with everyone else in the bank at that time! I learned later that night that this was my dear friends daughter and her husband. Well, I knew in a moment what the true purpose of the seminar had been all along. There could be no other reason why I would have done something which at the time seemed almost foolish for me to have even considered.

I knew I had to speak to Angela's mom and dad and if they gave their permission, I would turn this event over to them as a benefit.  At that time, the soul purpose was only to raise funds for them to help with expenses. I had no clue what the real purpose would be. Of course  there was no way I could have known the extent of the drastic circumstances. How could I?

I spoke to Sister Charlene at the funeral home and before I made my way up to her I knew in an instant she was trying to put on a brave face, but knowing her like I do I knew it was all a front for the crowd's benefit. As I hugged her it was like she almost broke in my arms. This lady began to just release all of her pain and I am telling you, I  could physically feel her grief surround my spirit to the point it consumed me. It was a very unique experience to say the least. I spoke with her about the event and she gave her approval and from that point to this it has snowballed into a much larger affair than I could have imagined.

You see it is certainly no longer about books or being able to overcome abuse and hardships in life. It is not even about the family and the struggle they are facing right now. You may be asking yourself if it could it even be bigger than the mourning of Mike and Angela? I believe if they were here with us they would say YES! With the bizarre turn of recent events it is becoming ABUNDANTLY clear that this is a spiritual battle of monumental proportions the like of which I have never seen in all of my 40 years! Mankind's enemy has made an undeniable mistake. When he directed Mike and Angela's deaths, he unleashed the power of a sleeping giant! That giant is the church and whether we want to admit or not we have as a whole been lulled to sleep by the comforts of this materialistic and wicked world. We are no longer burdened for sinners to come to Christ to the point we will spend 5 minutes let alone an evening in prayer.  We are burdened seemingly for our own selfish interests to be served.

I pray along with the family that Mike and Angela's sacrifice will not be in vain, but instead will serve as a wake up call to Christians everywhere. It will start with how we handle this situation. We must ensure that satan gets no glory from this and that will be a tall order indeed! This goal will require quite a bit of work and self control on our part. We must surround this family with love and support that is more than  prayers alone. Yes, prayers are paramount, but we know that faith without works is dead being alone. What good does it do to pray if we do not act with those prayers? We must be willing to sacrifice to show the world the compassion of Christ. We must bind together and pray for the accused, his family and the congregation of Main Street Baptist Church. We must become one in this time of great trial. We are witnessing what will be a mighty move of God if we answer the call! The world is watching and the ball is in our court. I am calling for the churches and ALL people who claim Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior to claim your ministries. Let's make satan regret the day he did this!!  Let's lift up the name of Christ with renewed vitality and vigor. People are always asking what they can do. Well let me tell ya, one thing you can do that can have a huge impact I believe. You can use your facebook page for more than just what is for supper or how your feeling. You can use it to share the gospel and your testimony. I can tell you that you will reach people. Start a facebook page for your church it is free and easy and I can tell you thousands will be touched! You can do it!! I LOVE all of you!! I hope to see you on November 30th.

There is no way, I could have known when I first planned having an event at the Center that a family I have known for more than 20 years would lose their daughter and son in law in a senseless tragedy.  I can't deny this had a profound effect on me. It has dominated my thoughts since I learned one of the victims was someone I watched grow up. I have no idea how God will heal the hurts of this precious family or how he will bring good out of Satan's diabolical plan, but I know he will! I have concentrated on what small part I might be able to play in the healing process for these people who have always shown me kindness. I have decided that if the family will agree then my event at the Center will be dedicated to the Hockensmith's and the proceeds from the event will be for their children. I know this can not heal their hearts, but I hope it will show them compassion in their time of need and possibly give them hope that God will see them through all of this. Of course, when I first planned this event, I could never have known that God could possibly have this purpose in mind. How humbling it is to think this event could be a small part of his plan to help in the healing process. Please keep the family in your prayers. I plan to ask their permission soon. In the meantime, please keep them in your prayers.

A Night of Destiny with Author Steven Dowell November 30th, 2013 7pm at The Center for Rural Development, Somerset, Ky. In case you haven't  heard as of yet, I have stepped out into a whole new area in life. I have reserved the theater at The Center for Rural Development and I am going to be hosting my first ever Motivational Seminar! I know what you are saying to yourself right now, "What was he thinking?" Some of you have probably already concluded that I wasn't thinking, but the truth is I can't help, but think! I can't help, but think this is the culmination of years of pain and heartbreak. I can't help, but think this was God's plan all along. That through the years as he saw me struggle and cry at all the situations I was broken in over and over again that he ordained it all for this night! This night and what it represents for all of us. This night and what it will begin is what it was all those heartaches was for! I understand that now.  I now have an amazing testimony that will inspire, encourage, and motivate people to have a more abundant life! A more peaceful life and a much, much happier life! I am positive that my scars can help heal your pain! I can't help, but think this is all part of the big picture. I had no clue, even as little as a few weeks ago, I would ever be attempting something like this, but God knew. He also knew YOU would be reading this. Now you have a decision to make. What will you do with this information? Will you decide to attend this event and signify the first step in making a positive and rewarding change in your life or will continue down the same path you are on and risk your life, your future, and finally end up in the direction you are heading? This is the sign you have been looking for all your life.

I am just an average American. I am not going to tell you I had a loved one who perished on that fateful day. I had no special connection or bond with anyone involved in this tragedy. No special bond other than the fact that these people were my countrymen. I had always wondered how people could say they remembered exactly what they were doing when they received the news that John F. Kennedy had been shot. I couldn't understand how it was possible to freeze a moment in time and hold it in your heart and memory decades later. Sadly, now I do understand. I was in the cafeteria at Oakwood, where I worked at the time. A young man came up to me and told me what had occurred in New York. Honestly, I didn't believe him. I thought he must be mistaken. I was soon to learn that unfortunately he wasn't. When I went back to the home I was working in it was all over the news. I felt numb inside and internally it seemed as though I just shut down....remember? When I went home that day, I laid on the couch and watched the news for the next 72 hours. I was almost in a coma like state. I hardly moved from the couch. I was literally glued to the television, eagerly awaiting each new report. I must have been in shock because honestly it hadn't really sunk in that this was real. I couldn't seem to fathom that the buildings were truly gone. Those of you around my age know that the Twin Towers were synonymous with pictures of the  New York City Skyline. In fact, they were a symbol for our entire country. This ordeal weighed heavily on my mind for the next several months. In fact, it seemed to have a most peculiar effect on  me. I was almost obsessed with the people who perished.  I wanted to pay my respects to the men, women, and even children who lost their lives that day. Yes, children! Once, as I watching CNN they were scrolling through the names of the people who had lost their lives. I noticed on the plane that crashed into the North Tower there was a father and his daughter who was the same age as my own precious child. Natalie was nearly two at the time and I couldn't bear to  imagine losing her. In that moment, I put myself in that father's place and I nearly became unglued! I couldn't imagine the horror that he faced as he looked into his baby's eyes and knew that in just a few moments she would be no more! The horror that they all must have faced that day is beyond belief. I am still in awe of what they must have felt. Several months later, in April of 2002, I traveled to New York City for the first time in my life to pay respects to the fallen victims and their families.  I was amazed at what I saw and experienced. I had always heard that New Yorkers were rude. I found that to be false. Perhaps, due to 9/11,  everyone I came in contact with was polite and friendly. When I was at the observation deck a man came up to me that had lost a family member in the attacks. He took out his billfold there on the platform with hundreds of people around and showed me a picture of his wife who had died that day. I was amazed that in N.Y.C. he felt comfortable enough to do this, but it was understood by everyone there that this was sacred ground. There is  no denying that 9/11 had a profound effect on New York, our country and even me. Let us never forget!!!

Well, as most of you know by now, my newest book, TenderHeart, did not come in on time for my book signing on Saturday. I want to express my deepest  and most TenderHeart felt apologies for the confusion, disappointment and inconvenience. In the history of Maple Hill Publishing this has never happened before! How ironic it would happen with TenderHeart's release. Now, that I have apologized let me tell you my biggest fear. I had about 30 to 50 people who had contacted me saying they were going to come and see me at Burnside Library. My greatest fear is that they are so upset over this they are no longer interested in the story,  my story. Not just the story I wrote, but me personally, since the story represents who I am as a person. For some, my fears may seem irrational and pessimistic, but after you read TenderHeart I guarantee you will understand why I am so weird and you will probably be amazed that I even have walking around sense! I have been very fortunate in that the Science Hill Library has graciously offered to allow me to host 2 book signings this month. I will be there this Saturday with TenderHeart and will return on the 28th  for a New Release Party with Cassie. I truly hope to see you there on both occasions! I love you all from the bottom of my TenderHeart!

Click on the picture to learn more. TenderHeart has only been available a few hours and already a number of relatives, many of whom, I haven't spoken to in more than a year have contacted me and some are extremely upset with me! I expected no less. TenderHeart is advertised as inspired by true events, but I guess those who were there knows the fact from the fiction. Truth can often be painful, but it is necessary to face the truth, no matter how difficult that may be. I hate that they think it unfair of me to talk about what I have went through, instead of thinking it was unfair I had to go through it in the first place. Isn't that typical though? The victim is the villain for exposing the crime?

Significant Places in My Life. Today, I had a mission. I drove around for hours taking photographs of places that you will read about in my new book TenderHeart. Have you ever done this? Just drove around and visited places from your past? I hadn't either, until today. I don't mind telling you, it had a profound effect on me. The focus of TenderHeart is based on divorce and the pain and anguish of having your family ripped from your life. As I went to the homes where I lived as a married man, it broke my heart to see them empty. In fact, the house I spent my honeymoon in, is in ruins, same as my marriage. As I went to my childhood homes and saw the places, where I lived daily with abuse, my blood ran cold. I felt like a scared child once more. The voices of the past haunted me as I sat in the safety of my automobile. It was as though, I was afraid, at any moment, I might be snatched by the hair of the head and beaten; like I was when I was little. However, though painful at times, when all was said and done, my little trip down memory lane had served me well. I could have never imagined at the time these events were unfolding, that I would one day put them in a book. Nor, would I ever have thought that they would help me to appreciate, so much more, the goodness of God.  Yes, there was some definite, long overdue healing accomplished today. If you have never revisited places from your past, I highly recommend it! You will be glad, you did!

 As most of you know I run a publishing company known as Maple Hill Publishing. I started it in April of last year and it has been an amazing ride. I have published nearly a dozen other authors in that time and I have received more than 100 submissions from others. I have invested untold hours in other writers and I am proud of developing other writers and helping them achieve their dreams. However, there is no denying it has been at the cost of my own writing ambitions. This is the main reason why it has taken me so long to get TenderHeart and Legend 2 ready for release. I have sold more Legend of Souls Chapel books than all my other authors (past and present) have sold combined. So as you can see it makes no sense for me to put my focus on the publishing side. Not to mention my current authors would benefit much more from me publishing my own books than continue to publish new authors. So a few months ago, I realized that I needed help and I hired associate publishers. Well everyone is busy and so that hasn't been the answer I thought it was.  We have many good submissions right now that we are just not developing as we should or could because none of us have the time. In addition, I have had a total of 4 authors to leave to go out on their own. While I am glad for them and wish them all well, I can't think about all the hours I spent training, developing, helping them, getting their work ready and their covers and promoting them just to have them leave. I have decided I will no longer sacrifice time with my daughter and writing for MY fans to develop others any longer. So I have decided that I am going to hire an executive director for Maple Hill Publishing and I am going to basically give them the business to run it for me. They can handle it, make the money and grow the company. I am going to focus on my teaching and writing career as well as getting my Master's Degree in Education. This was a hard decision to basically give up all I have built, but the more I think about all the time I have lost with my daughter the decision was easy. I am committed to keeping MHP going, but for the first time in my life I am going to focus on myself and what I need. If anyone doesn't like it that is just too bad, after 40 years it is time. I have placed several ads and I have some very, very good prospects. I hope to have them in place in this new position by September 1st, 2013. Wish me luck.

 As most of you know I run a publishing company known as Maple Hill Publishing. I started it in April of last year and it has been an amazing ride. I have published nearly a dozen other authors in that time and I have received more than 100 submissions from others. I have invested untold hours in other writers and I am proud of developing other writers and helping them achieve their dreams. However, there is no denying it has been at the cost of my own writing ambitions. This is the main reason why it has taken me so long to get TenderHeart and Legend 2 ready for release. I have sold more Legend of Souls Chapel books than all my other authors (past and present) have sold combined. So as you can see it makes no sense for me to put my focus on the publishing side. Not to mention my current authors would benefit much more from me publishing my own books than continue to publish new authors. So a few months ago, I realized that I needed help and I hired associate publishers. Well everyone is busy and so that hasn't been the answer I thought it was.  We have many good submissions right now that we are just not developing as we should or could because none of us have the time. In addition, I have had a total of 4 authors to leave to go out on their own. While I am glad for them and wish them all well, I can't think about all the hours I spent training, developing, helping them, getting their work ready and their covers and promoting them just to have them leave. I have decided I will no longer sacrifice time with my daughter and writing for MY fans to develop others any longer. So I have decided that I am going to hire an executive director for Maple Hill Publishing and I am going to basically give them the business to run it for me. They can handle it, make the money and grow the company. I am going to focus on my teaching and writing career as well as getting my Master's Degree in Education. This was a hard decision to basically give up all I have built, but the more I think about all the time I have lost with my daughter the decision was easy. I am committed to keeping MHP going, but for the first time in my life I am going to focus on myself and what I need. If anyone doesn't like it that is just too bad, after 40 years it is time. I have placed several ads and I have some very, very good prospects. I hope to have them in place in this new position by September 1st, 2013. Wish me luck.

     I have decided to start a series of ebooks entitled "The Touch of the Master's Hand." This series will begin in November, 2013. I hope it will become a monthly series, but it may be published only on a quarterly basis, depending upon its success. This new series will tell the story of a person who has made the amazing discovery of Christ's love for them and the miraculous change that was made in their life when he came into their heart. I would love to have friends who would share their stories with me and I would certainly consider using them in the book, with their permission.
      Each installment will be much shorter than a traditional novel. These stories will be anywhere from 5,000 words to upwards of 20,000 words. This is not enough to allow for a printed book. So every 3 or 4 episodes I will issue a traditional paperback copy for readers to enjoy. The Kindle version will be very inexpensive and will be no more than $2.99. If you are reading this and don't own a Kindle, you will be able to order the book from Amazon and they will give you a FREE Kindle app for your device. I know you will be blessed and encouraged by this new series and I am looking forward to publishing the first installment. Thank you all for your fine support of my work. It means more to me than you know.