On my way to an author conference, I drove to Fort Wayne, IN to dress up like a zombie—not for Halloween but for the After the Abortion Photography Series by Angela Forker, featured on Facebook.
Angela captured my lack of emotions perfectly, She’s a talented woman.
I was already planning a drive to Columbus, OH for an author conference when I found out that Angela lives just a few hours away in Fort Wayne, so I started my trip a day early.
Angela is a sweet soul full of talent and compassion—an obedient servant of God.
I’m also excited to share that my book, which is endorsed by Abby Johnson and Kim Ketola, is a finalist for the conference’s Author Academy Awards, an honor bestowed for literary merit and publishing excellence in the writing and publishing industry.
The award ceremony is tonight. Prayers are appreciated!
ReTested: The Story of a Post-Abortive Woman Called to Change the Conversation up against hundreds of authors worldwide for prestigious 2019 Author Academy Award
Press Release!
ReTested, written by Cheryl Krichbaum, is a finalist for the 2019 Author Academy Awards, an honor bestowed for literary merit and publishing excellence in the writing and publishing industry.
Up for an award in the Memoir category, Krichbaum’s book tells her story of how she responds with increasingly better ways to the same family circumstance—or “test”—over 30+ years as well as how she sees the abortion conversation needs to change.
Endorsed by Abby Johnson and Kim Ketola, ReTested is the first in the Faces of Abortion Series.
“Hundreds of books from authors throughout the world are up for an Author Academy Award,” said Kary Oberbrunner, founder of Author Academy Elite. “Our goal is to help further connect this global community of authors, maintain excellence and integrity of the book publishing industry, and raise awareness that the stories being told and the authors who write them are worth our attention.”
Authors of all kinds—indie, traditional, and collaboratively published—are considered for the award in one of sixteen categories. Entries are reviewed and evaluated on popular vote, social contribution, and overall presentation (cover, content, flow, and originality) by the Academy’s voting membership comprised of best-selling authors, literary agents, and industry leaders.
If interested in supporting Krichbaum by participating in the popular vote, go to authoracademyawards.com and scroll to the “Ready to Vote?” section. Once there, click to the Memoir category, then click ReTested.
The top ten finalists in each category are invited to present their book at the Author Academy Awards Red Carpet Session on Friday, Oct. 25, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio. Winners will be announced later that evening at the Awards Ceremony where they will be invited to give an acceptance speech. Winners will receive:
The Academy Boon of Merit Award
Press release and media story created by a professional PR firm
A Private Recorded Coaching Session featuring a YouTube Consultant on how to leverage their book with video
Traditional Media and Social Media press including features on select podcasts, shows, vlogs, blogs, and articles
Lifetime access to 30 Days to a Bigger Stage Experience
The opportunity to present their book at the Igniting Souls Conference main stage
About the Author Academy Awards
The Author Academy Award is bestowed for literary merit and publishing excellence in the writing and publishing industry. It is presented annually by Author Academy Elite, a premium service provider for authors at the Author Academy Awards Ceremony.
Abortion hurt me, and I didn’t even realize it. Thirteen years after my abortion, I chose to allow Christ to be close to me. Fourteen years after my abortion, Jesus quietly, gently, kindly spoke to me about my abortion.
My whole story, which I pray will arm you with biblical tools for your own life tests
Although I initially denied that the abortion was my fault, I did ultimately accept responsibility. It was then that I started to become alive. I realized that I had been walking through life dead—I looked alive. I acted alive. But I was dead inside, and I didn’t even realize it.
King David explains this “walking dead” experience well in Psalm 32:3-5, which he wrote after he had Bathsheba’s husband killed.
He described heaviness and how his vitality was drained away. Looking back, that describes my post-abortion experience well—but I didn’t even realize it until God began healing me.
Yet when I shared my story with other Christians, I felt like I got the Christian cold shoulder, so I stopped telling people.
With the exception of one testimony that I gave right before moving out-of-state, I was silent for a dozen years.
Then God called me to speak boldly (Isaiah 58:1), so I began speaking and writing, and the Lord healed me even more. It took me a total of 31 years after my abortion to be completely healed.
And today, I have my joy back!
Now I realize that Christians don’t know how to respond to my abortion—they didn’t when I first told my story, and they don’t today.
Perhaps that’s why you or your friend has not spoken up. Perhaps your friend doesn’t know how you’ll respond. Perhaps your friend is afraid of your judgment.
Give her a hug!
Tell him that there are healing classes available, even for men.
Remind her that God loves her deeply, and He just wants her back as His beloved daughter and made whole.
Compliment both women and men for being brave by telling you!
We know from King David’s words in Psalm 139:13-16 that God knew us when we were pre-born. Many more verses, and perhaps more convincing verses, say the same.
And we know that shedding innocent blood is an abomination to God (Prov 6:17).
But we also know that both King David (2 Sam 11-12) and the Apostle Paul (Acts 7:54-8:3; 1 Tim 1:15) shed innocent blood and yet were used mightily for the Lord.
Let’s welcome women and men who are willing to #shoutyourabortionregret with the loving arms of Jesus, who lives in us.
Let’s cheer them on in their race to the finish line.
And then invite your friends to contact me so that we can work together to write their stories—so that they can anonymously tell their stories to refute the #shoutyourabortion narrative.
Let’s use the Christ-love that lives in us to encourage and empower post-abortive women and men to shout their abortion regret!
Last night was an amazing experience of support and love as I released my first book, which happens to be my memoir, titled ReTested.
You can learn about the book and get practical suggestions for how to talk to the abortion-minded by watching the video from Facebook Live. Please post your comments and questions below.
Holy Week is a great time to reset with prayer and Bible study. If you’re looking for something different, ReTested offers over 100 Bible verses, countless prayers, and worship music, too.
Be part of the movement to talk directly to women’s fears with love. Order your copy of ReTestedand join me tonight 7-8:15 EDT for “How to Talk to the Abortion-Minded.”
