This page serves as a demonstration of STAR Personality Styles by reviewing my experience with WORD ALIVE INC. doing business as WORD ALIVE PRESS.

STAR Personality Styles Are Fluid

The Impact of Free Will On Personality Styles

God created Humankind in God’s image, and God gave everyone free will. We can use our free will to choose how to respond to our circumstances. How we respond to our circumstances can actively change the matrix of our STAR Personality Styles.

Because everyone has free will and unique circumstances, it is very unlikely that two people will react or respond similarly to the same stimulus. Thus, there are no two people alike in the world, with a population of billions of people.

If we are able to follow Jesus Christ as our role model through the development of our STAR Personality Styles, the matrix of different STAR Personality Styles can vary across time, circumstances, and individuals. Not only can our STAR Personality Style matrix change in terms of personality styles, but we can also change in terms of the people versus task orientation of our personality styles.

The easiest way to demonstrate this fluidity is by exploring the development of my own STAR Personality Styles over my lifetime in response to different stimuli.

I started with a people-oriented primary Support Personality Style and transitioned, in my late teens, to a people-oriented primary Relationship Personality Style. I am currently in my mid-sixties and I have had a people-oriented primary Relationship STAR Personality Style for most of my life. Until October of 2024, I had a people-oriented personality style.

I did not believe that I could change from a primary people-oriented personality style to a task-oriented personality style. After a recent traumatic experience, I learned that it is possible to change between people and task-orientated personality styles, in addition to evolving primary personality styles … if there is enough incentive to change.

Throughout my life, I have found that my primary Relationship STAR Personality Style has worked in almost every situation. I walked away from the situations where my primary Relationship STAR Personality Style did not fit. Avoiding difficult situations means that I avoided every circumstance requiring a primary Action STAR Personality Style.

Summary of My STAR Personality Style Changes:

My STAR Personality Style Matrix in My Childhood

Reflecting on my childhood, even though I did not know about STAR Personality Styles, my STAR personality matrix was:

1. Primary: Support Personality Style with
2. Secondary: Relationship Personality Style, and
3. Tertiary (very weak): Technical Personality Style and
4. Quaternary (almost non-existent): Action Personality Style.

Using the term STAR personality matrix is a misnomer since I was an immature RATS. With this STAR personality matrix, I was people-oriented, people-pleasing, and most interested in harmonious relationships by helping others.

I had very little interest in comprehending why things were the way they were and almost no interest in accomplishing any tasks that required me to motivate or push myself or others to accomplish a goal. I was happy to do as I was told to stay out of trouble.

My family of origin was physically and verbally abusive. There was no room for questioning authority or comprehending the reasons or logic behind the orders given to me. My safety depended on being able to obey orders immediately and without question.

My STAR Personality Style Matrix Entering Into University

As a university student, I became more independent and developed the following STAR personality matrix:

1. Primary: Relationship Personality Style with
2. Secondary: Support Personality Style, and
3. Tertiary (very weak): Technical Personality Style and
4. Quaternary (almost non-existent): Action Personality Style.

This change in my STAR personality matrix was motivated by my desire to have a long-term relationship. With this STAR personality matrix, I had a better chance of meeting and having relationships with women on campus.

This transition was quite easy since I traded one people-oriented personality style for another people-oriented personality style. I did not see any reason to change my task-oriented personality styles, so they remained unchanged.

My STAR Personality Style Matrix as a Programmer

As a Computer Analyst, I taught myself several computer programming languages. With a combination of divine blessing and skill, I eventually established a successful business as a contract computer programmer. Along with establishing myself as a computer programmer, I discovered that my STAR personality matrix changed to:

1. Primary: Relationship Personality Style, with
2. Secondary: Technical Personality Style, and
3. Tertiary: Support Personality Style and
4. Quaternary: Action Personality Style, equal to my Support Personality Style.

This STAR personality matrix was established out of necessity. I needed to strengthen my Technical Personality Style to perform the daily functions of a computer programmer, and I needed to strengthen my Action Personality Style to establish and grow myself as an entrepreneur.

With this STAR personality matrix, I could speak with people, discuss their needs, and translate their needs into computer language to write programs to meet their requirements.

My History as a Contractor

In my younger days, I provided services on a contract-for-service basis. During that time, I often performed contract-for-service services with only verbal agreements and a handshake between me and the contract agent. When a written contract was involved, the written contracts always protected the contract agent and their client and never protected me as a contract resource.

Contracts are only as good as the people involved in the contract. I have only experienced contract violations where written contracts were involved. I have never experienced contract violations involving verbal or handshake agreements; working with honest and honourable people is always a pleasure.

When I worked at contract sites where the people were unbelievers or hostile toward God, I always dreaded going into that client-site. I found that client-sites that were hostile toward my Christian faith were unpleasant, toxic and verbally abusive environments.

STAR Personality Transition #1

I transitioned from a primary people-oriented personality style to a primary task-oriented personality style. I discovered that my STAR personality matrix changed to:

1. Primary: Technical Personality Style (task-oriented), with
2. Secondary: Relationship Personality Style (people-oriented), and
3. Tertiary: Action Personality Style (task-oriented) and
4. Quaternary: Support Personality Style (people-oriented).

I always felt that outward expression of an Action Personality Style was like taking vengeance and, therefore, was not acceptable for a Born-Again Christian. However, God will often ask us to do things against our nature to benefit other victims and potential victims around us.

STAR Personality Transition #2

Having my STAR Personality Style matrix change to have Technical as my primary STAR Personality Style only allows me to comprehend that Word Alive Press had wronged me. However, it does not help me resolve their unjust enrichment.

After months of depression and prayer requests for God’s guidance, my STAR personality matrix underwent another transition:

1. Primary: Action Personality Style (task-oriented), with
2. Secondary: Technical Personality Style (task-oriented), and
3. Tertiary: Relationship Personality Style (people-oriented), and
4. Quaternary: Support Personality Style (people-oriented).

When developing the Action STAR Personality Style, it is important to separate the fixed determination from the anger. Anger is a great starting point to develop the Action STAR Personality Style; however, negative emotions lead to Satan.

Word Alive Press Changed My Personality Style Matrix

The following is a summary followed by details of my experience with Word Alive Press. Because of my experience with Word Alive Press, I would like to warn new authors to be cautious when dealing with Word Alive Press. Before you sign a contract with Word Alive Press, be certain that all of their verbal representations are included in the contract before you sign the contract.

Summary of My Experience With Word Alive Press:

1. My experience with Word Alive Inc., doing business as Word Alive Press, perfectly matches the pattern of a Bait-and-Switch Scam.
2. My book STAR Personality Styles had been independently evaluated by a Reverend involved in Marriage Ministry and two professional Book Reviewers who determined that my book contained an excellent message for readers interested in improving their relationships.
3. Before signing a contract with Word Alive Press, I was told that two people at Word Alive Press read my book and agreed that my book contained an excellent message for readers and was worthy of promoting into Christian bookstores.
4. Word Alive Press told me that they were a Christian organization. From first contact, I stated that my goal was to have their sales team promote my book into Christian bookstores, and I paid for their publishing package that expressly included the involvement of their sales team promoting my book into Christian bookstores.
5. Word Alive Press had promised that I would be in control of every decision since my book’s Christian message was worthy of publication through Word Alive Press.
6. Word Alive Press took my money with a verbal promise of promoting my book into Christian bookstores.
7. Word Alive Press made representations that I relied on to my detriment. I trusted their words and signed a contract that provided no protection for me.
8. Word Alive Press continuously used my single-focused goal of having their sales team promote my book into Christian bookstores as leverage to force me into submission.
9. Word Alive Press unilaterally changed the rules without warning or discussion.
10. Word Alive Press unilaterally changed the terms of our original verbal agreement.
11. Word Alive Press refused to honour our original agreement even after I invested time in bringing my writing style into compliance with the Canadian Style Guide.
12. Approximately eight months after taking my money, Word Alive Press presented me with a ‘manuscript submission checklist’ and disqualified my manuscript for publication.
13. Word Alive Press took my manuscript and effectively buried it by refusing to promote my book into Christian bookstores.
14. Word Alive Press refuses to refund my money.
15. If the Reverend and two professional Book Reviewers are correct about the message in my book, then the leadership team at Word Alive Press has stolen money from me and stolen God’s Message from Christian readers.
16. If the Reverend and two professional Book Reviewers are correct about the message in my book, then the leadership team at Word Alive Press has rebelled against God by refusing to promote God’s message into Christian bookstores.
17. Word Alive Press is willing to continue their business relationship with me in order to take more money from me.
18. If Word Alive Press breached my trust in the actions that are visible to me, how can I trust them to honestly complete the tasks that are not visible to me?

I include information knowing that many readers might not embrace God as I do, but I must remain true to my faith. I present details of my experience with Word Alive Inc., doing business as Word Alive Press, and I give you, the reader, an opportunity to determine the truth for yourself.

I pray that you will be able to negotiate a better contract than I foolishly signed, and I pray that your venture with Word Alive Press will be more successful than mine.

Details of My Experience With Word Alive Press:

A Brief History of Word Alive Inc.

I need to include some information about Word Alive Press so that you can fully comprehend the circumstances causing my STAR Personality Style changes while incorporating a warning to other new Christian authors.

Word Alive Inc. started as a basement operation for book distribution and merged with a major U.S. distributor in 2016 (https://www.anchorwa.com/AboutUs). At some point, Word Alive Inc. expanded its book distribution business to incorporate book publications. It is not clear how much experience Word Alive Press has in publishing books. The principal of Word Alive Inc. is Jeremy Braun, and the copyeditor for Word Alive Press is Evan Braun. With the same last names, Jeremy and Evan Braun may have a family relationship.

Self-Proclaimed Christians

The leadership team at Word Alive Press promoted themselves as a Christian organization, so I felt safe proceeding to the next step in my evaluation of Word Alive Press. Unfortunately, my experience with proved that the leadership team at Word Alive Press were at best Nominal Christians.

Nominal Christians will perform religious rituals, but they have no relationship with God. A Nominal Christian will choose to sin or avoid sin based on convenience only. If they know something to be a sin, they will willingly sin and then ask for and expect forgiveness. Nominal Christians will fabricate excuses to justify their sins. Threats, brutal honesty, taking unfair advantage of anyone for profit, etc., are forms of abuse and are, therefore, sins. Nominal Christians believe in an authoritarian God and believe in salvation based on works instead of salvation based on grace. Nominal Christians will read the Holy Bible and twist the interpretation to accommodate their desires.

Born-Again Christians might also perform religious rituals, but their focus is entirely on their relationship with God. A Born-Again Christian will always do their best to avoid sin because they choose to avoid any action that will disappoint God. A Born-Again Christian must always find a gentle way to communicate unpleasant messages. A mature Born-Again Christian must always be respectful, fair, and godly. A Born-Again Christian must always follow Jesus Christ as their role model. A mature Born-Again Christian believes in a wise and loving God and knows that salvation is based on grace, not works. A Born-Again Christian will pray for guidance to comprehend Scripture wisely and become more like Jesus Christ.

In the Holy Bible, the Pharisees present an excellent parallel example of Nominal Christians. The Pharisees were Nominal Believers. They followed religious rituals, but they had no real relationship with God. They believed in salvation by works instead of salvation by grace. The Pharisees were the religious leaders and judges. They could not tolerate Jesus taking away their authority and control. The Pharisees loved their authority and control more than they loved God and their relationship with God. The Pharisees would not tolerate godly messages that interfered with their authority and control. Today, Born-Again Christians know that the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus were according to God’s Plan. However, at the time, the Pharisees were not aware of God’s Plan and were actually working against God’s plan in an effort to eliminate Jesus and retain the control that their positions afforded them.

Matthew 23:1-5 (KJV) Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

Matthew 15:7-9 (KJV) Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Luke 11:42 (KJV) But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment [justice] and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Nominal Christians can range from people born into a non-practising Christian home to violent criminals attending church. Nominal Christians claim to be Christian, but they refuse to follow God’s Teachings. Nominal Christians claim to be Christian but do not behave as true Born-Again Christians following Jesus as their role model. True Christians do not promote conflict. True Christians are peacemakers who leave judgment to God’s Justice. Christianity does not operate using oppression, control and secrets. Oppression, control, and secrets contradict the teachings of the Old and New Testaments of the Holy Bible. False Christians promote conflict under the guise of Christianity, just as Satan deceitfully promotes theft and destruction under the guise of righteousness.

2 Corinthians 11:13-15 (KJV) For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his [Satan’s] ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.

I pray that the Word Alive Press team embraces Born-Again Christian behaviour in future transactions.

Their Documented Process Starting Point

Their documented process was that they would read and evaluate my manuscript to determine if they would be willing to publish my manuscript as a book. As an author, the manuscript is the author’s personal property. As a Christian author, the message of my manuscript belongs to God. Since they were reading my manuscript to approve the quality of the message simply, I sent them a password-protected PDF.

They refused my PDF because it was password-protected. I changed the PDF name to include copyright symbols and resent the PDF.

Then, they refused my PDF manuscript because they required an MS Word document. I have worked with other copyeditors, and they were willing to proceed with a password-protected MS Word document. I created a password-protected MS Word document and sent it to them.

They refused my password-protected MS Word manuscript. I changed the file name to include copyright symbols and sent an unprotected MS Word manuscript.

A Brief History of My Book STAR Personality Styles

My book’s primary purpose and message is that the wisdom of the Holy Bible is the best resource guaranteed to improve every relationship. I wrote my book in God’s Will and for God’s Glory.

The importance of STAR Personality Styles is how your personality style affects your communication style.

Everyone desires love, honour, and respect. Love does not always mean a romantic love. There are at least three to four different Greek words for love. Love, honour, and respect are united as one foundation in the teaching of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, love, honour, and respect look different in personality styles. 

Every sin against our fellow human beings is a sin against God.

The best negotiations start with knowing the needs, desires, and style of each individual involved in the conversation, negotiation, or conflict resolution. 

To paraphrase the words of Jesus, if I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is a Marriage Ministry Reverend and two independent Book Reviewers who honoureth me.

My book has been independently evaluated by a Reverend involved in Marriage Ministry and two professional Book Reviewers who determined that my book contained an excellent message for readers interested in improving their relationships. They reviewed my book based on the value of the message for relationships, ease of comprehension of the message, and my technical writing style (grammar, etc.).

The Reverend, a professional non-religious book reviewer, and a professional Hindu book reviewer each told me that my book was very useful and easy to comprehend. The non-religious book reviewer commented that my technical writing style was unusual but said that my unusual writing style did not detract from the value of the book’s message or the ease of comprehension.

The Reverend book reviewer is Canadian. The Hindu book reviewer is from India. The message of my book successfully crosses national and religious borders. Neither the non-religious nor the Hindu book reviewers were offended by my Christian-based writing, and both saw value in my book’s message.

The praise of the Marriage Ministry Reverend and two independent Book Reviewers has been included in my book.

My Publishing Request

My book was already available as self-published using Amazon’s services since 2021. I had already approached a couple of Christian bookstores to promote my book into their stores. I learned that most Christian bookstores had exclusive agreements with their distributors that they would not purchase books from Amazon.

To promote my book into Christian bookstores, I would need to publish my book through a regular publishing company.

From start to finish, my request in my communications with Word Alive Press was to have their sales team promote my book into Christian bookstores.

Word Alive Press Approved My Manuscript

I was informed that both Evan Braun (copyeditor) and Crystal Hildebrand (book project manager) had read my manuscript and determined that my book had an excellent message worthy of promotion into Christian bookstores. I felt safe proceeding to the next step in my evaluation of Word Alive Press.

Evan Braun’s First Evaluation of My Book

The evaluation of Evan Braun and Crystal Hildebrand matched the evaluation of the Marriage Ministry Reverend and two independent Book Reviewers. Before taking my money, Crystal promised that they were completely trustworthy and that I would have complete control over all decisions as the author.

Their claim of Christianity, their evaluation of my book, and their assurance that I would be in control of all decisions persuaded me to enter into an agreement; I felt comfortable going forward with a contract with Word Alive Press to promote my book into Christian bookstores.

Interactions Before the Contract Was Ratified

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, … encouraging one another…

The behaviour expressed in Hebrews 10:24-25 is what I expected from a Christian company. Their behaviour matched my expectations, and I accepted their claim of being a Christian company.

Word Alive Inc. Contract Provided Me With No Protection

The Word Alive Inc. contract provided me with no protection, but I was used to this style of contract during my time as a contract programmer. In addition, I believed that I was dealing with honest Born-Again Christians.

I know the Holy Bible, I know God, and I know many Christians. If I deal with Christians who answer to God, they will abide by a higher standard because God demands a higher standard.

There are many, many verses in the Holy Bible defining the proper behaviour between Christians. 

I signed the contract and paid almost $9,000.00 to ratify the contract.

The Relationship Changed After the Contract Was Ratified

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV) And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, … encouraging one another…

The behaviour expressed in Hebrews 10:24-25 is what I expected from a Christian company. Evan Braun and Crystal Hildebrand changed their behaviour after I signed the agreement and paid my money.

God Deliberately Allows Unpleasant Experiences

God allows unpleasant experiences to come into our lives to grow our spirits, overcome tribulations, and to share our testimonies by bringing comfort to others who later walk through similar tribulations. 

The primary testimony for every Christian is the redemption testimony describing the impact of the Crucifixion, Burial and Resurrection of Jesus Christ on the lives of Christians. 

The secondary testimony for every Christian is the salvation testimony describing the circumstances of the day that the Christian was Born-Again and the translation from Sinner to Christian. 

The ongoing testimonies for every Christian are the day-to-day experiences that give evidence that God is involved in the life of the Christian giving testimony. Sharing these testimonies is important because Christians typically do not feel God’s presence, so it helps to share testimonies to demonstrate God’s presence to help overcome the tribulations.

Christians are instructed to share testimonies of our survived tribulations and how our Triune God (Almighty-God-Jehovah, Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ) and our Christian community helped us through the tribulation. 

Withholding truth is the same as a lie and is a breach of the commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour” (Exodus 20:16).

Leviticus 5:1-5 (NLT) “If you are called to testify about something you have seen or that you know about, it is sinful to refuse to testify, and you will be punished for your sin. “Or suppose you unknowingly touch something that is ceremonially unclean, such as the carcass of an unclean animal. When you realize what you have done, you must admit your defilement and your guilt. This is true whether it is a wild animal, a domestic animal, or an animal that scurries along the ground. “Or suppose you unknowingly touch something that makes a person unclean. When you realize what you have done, you must admit your guilt. “Or suppose you make a foolish vow of any kind, whether its purpose is for good or for bad. When you realize its foolishness, you must admit your guilt. “When you become aware of your guilt in any of these ways, you must confess your sin.

When the Sinner becomes aware of a sin, he must deal with the sin. If a man is a witness to sin, the Righteous man is obligated to reveal the sin. If a man learns that he has sinned, then he is a Sinner and must repent and atone for his sin.

Lessons Learned Through Painful Tribulation

All learning can be positive or negative. Most lessons came from painful experiences. 

Every lesson learned through pain should be shared as your testimony to comfort others experiencing the same lesson that you learned from or to help others avoid the same experience that caused your pain.

Learning from someone else’s painful experiences is an example of negative learning. Sharing your testimony lessons the pain for others who are experiencing similar pain. Negative learning comes from lessons that we incorporate into our lives to avoid someone else’s painful experience.

Learning from someone else’s experience is an example of positive learning because you can learn a lesson without experiencing the pain. Positive learning comes from lessons that we incorporate into our lives to receive someone else’s successful experience.

It is the duty of every Born-Again Christian to share their testimonies to comfort others during their Tribulations or to warn others to avoid future Tribulations.

I recently had a traumatic business experience that caused me to re-evaluate the value of my primary Relationship STAR Personality Style. My secondary Technical Personality Style would have been better suited to reviewing, negotiating and deciding before entering into a contract with Word Alive Inc., doing business as Word Alive Press (hereinafter simply Word Alive Press).

To fully comprehend the changes to my STAR Personality Styles, I must explain the circumstances that triggered the changes.

Threats Started With the Book Cover Image

Because my book had already been published with a professional book cover image, Crystal asked to work with me on my book cover image while we were waiting for Even to complete his copy editing.

Crystal asked for one change: to change the book subtitle. I agreed.

Accepting this first small change request started a series of many small changes. The small changes came as a barrage of many separate small changes. I agreed to some of the changes and held firm on rejecting some of the changes.

Whenever I rejected Crystal’s change request, Crystal immediately threatened to refuse to promote my book into Christian bookstores.

In 2024, Word Alive Press’ threats and insults started with a demand to remove the words Jesus Christ from the book cover image. Word Alive Press told me that some Christian denominations would not purchase a book that showed the words Jesus Christ on the cover. I was shocked by the possibility that some Christian denominations would reject a Christian book that had Jesus Christ in the title. I was shocked by the possibility that a Christian company would ask to remove Jesus Christ from the cover of a book that targeted a Christian audience. I explained that I put the words Jesus Christ on the book cover to ensure that book purchasers would know that the book is based on Christian values.Word Alive Press stated that, by removing the words Jesus Christ, I would be able to increase sales and possibly convert some fringe Christians.

Word Alive Press also claimed that a book cover image should not have any words as part of the image that might be confused as part of the book’s title. At this time, they did not comment on the cross (as a symbol of Jesus Christ) as part of the book cover image.

I complied with Word Alive Press’s request to remove the words Jesus Christ from the book cover image, even though I was concerned about backlash from purchasers who might be unpleasantly surprised by my book’s very high Christian content. The back cover of my book still had the words Jesus Christ, which should be enough to warn book purchasers that they were purchasing a book based on Christian values.Word Alive Press had not yet reviewed the back cover, and I was determined to fight their possible request to remove the words Jesus Christ from the back cover.

I had my graphic artist replace the word Jesus with images of the Ten Commandments tablets (as a symbol of God) and replace the word Christ with a dove (as a symbol of Holy Spirit). My image now had a symbol for each member of the Triune God, and I liked this change based on the rule that the book cover image should not contain words that might be confused as part of the book’s title.

A few days later, Word Alive Press demanded that I remove the face of Jesus from the center of the book cover image.

I had already started a pattern of compliance with one request, so I complied with their second request. I had my graphic artist replace the face of Jesus Christ with an image of a Star.

A few days later, Word Alive Press demanded that I remove the face of Jesus from the book spine. Again, I complied with their request. I had my graphic artist replace the face of Jesus Christ with a dove.

A few days later, Word Alive Press demanded that I remove the cross from the book cover image. At this time, I explained to Word Alive Press the meaning of every component of the book cover image, including the 33 barely perceptible images of the face of Jesus Christ hidden in the book cover image.

Word Alive Press demanded that I remove the 33 barely perceptible images of the face of Jesus Christ hidden in the book cover image, even though they had not noticed the faces until I pointed them out. I complied with Word Alive Press’ request to remove the 33 faces of Jesus, but I refused their request to remove the cross. I now had a symbol of the Ten Commandments tablets as a symbol of God. I had a white dove as a symbol of Holy Spirit. And I had a cross as a symbol of Jesus Christ.

When I refused to remove the cross from the book cover image, Word Alive Press unilaterally decided that their sales team would not promote my book into Christian bookstores unless I complied with their demands to change my book cover image.Word Alive Press treated me like an enemy to be conquered into submission.

At this time, I was annoyed by the high number of small changes demanded by the Word Alive Press book project manager. Each small change was presented separately every few days with insults and threats.

Word Alive Press threatened that their sales team would not promote my books into Christian Bookstores unless I completely changed the book cover image that I designed with God’s Guidance.

In a telephone conversation with the Word Alive Press book project manager, I explained that I had provided my graphic artist with a hand-drawn mockup of my book cover image. I asked that they stop nit-picking my image and provide me with a hand-drawn image based on their vision. I requested a hand-drawn mockup, and Word Alive Press told me that I could have an ADOBE IN-DESIGN mockup for free.

I accepted the Word Alive Press book project manager’s offer of a free book cover image mockup.Word Alive Press claims that I requested their help to produce a book cover image. A quick check of Word Alive Press’ e-mails could easily prove them wrong. I provided Word Alive Press with a book cover image that my Graphic Artist had produced in 2020.

After some time, Word Alive Press provided me with their free mockup. I presented the Word Alive Press and my book cover images to an independent group of Christians who did not know who had created the images and asked them to help me choose the better design. I did not explain the circumstances, nor did I explain who had made the book cover images. I simply explained that I had a choice and asked them to help me choose the better image.

The independent group of Christians chose the book cover image that I had designed and provided to Word Alive Press. I tested the group’s choice with a prayer request asking God for guidance in a manner similar to the use of Urim and Thummim in the Holy Bible. Again, my book cover image was chosen. An independent group of Christians and God agreed that the book cover image that I had provided to Word Alive Press was the better choice.

I explain my prayer request process in detail in my current book project, Wisdom from the Holy Bible. The prayer request process only works for true Born-Again Christians because it requires faith, a relationship with God, and a willingness to defer to God’s Wisdom and Loving Authority. My prayer request process will not work for Nominal Christians or non-believers. When I describe some of my actual prayer requests and responses, Nominal Christians are amazed by the relevance of my prayer responses to my prayer requests. Most of the prayer responses closely resemble the pattern of circumstances that I pray about.

Nominal Christians, like Word Alive Press, find it very difficult to comprehend that anyone can pray and receive direction from God. I explained that I had prayed to God for guidance, that God had confirmed the choice and that my image should be the book cover image.Word Alive Press refused to believe God’s involvement, demanded that I use their mockup and threatened to remove the involvement of their sales team, for which I had already paid. Their initial promise to me was that, as the author, I would be in control of all decisions. I kept the choice made by the independent group of Christians and confirmed by my prayer request to God.

Again, Word Alive Press threatened to remove the involvement of their sales team. They would not promote my book into bookstores even though I had paid for their sales team to promote my book.

Verbal Attacks

The verbal attacks started a couple of months after Word Alive Press took my money.

After a few months of working with the team at Word Alive Press, I felt the same discomfort that I felt when I worked at client sites that were hostile toward God.

After months of verbal attacks from the leadership team at Word Alive Press, being told that my book (book cover image and message) was an insult to Christian readers and was not worthy of being promoted into Christian bookstores led me to the realization that I had put my trust in a company that falsely claimed to be a Christian publishing company.

I refused to accept any communication by phone and required all communication to be through e-mail.

Word Alive Press made no effort to contact me by e-mail or phone to reconcile, explain their position, or recover the publication process. Their decision to refuse the promotion of my book into Christian bookstores now became final; if it was not already final before signing the contract. 

It is clear that they considered my book to be unredeemable under any circumstances. Or, maybe, considering their repeated decisions to refuse the promotion of my book into Christian bookstores, taking my money and refusing to promote my book into Christian bookstores was their plan from before my signing the contract and paying my money.

Evan Braun’s Copy Edit Process

I had been told that Evan’s copyediting process would allow me to review and approve all changes to my manuscript using change-tracking.

I have already worked with a couple of copyeditors, and I am very familiar with MS Word change-tracking as a mechanism for interacting with the copyeditor. I fully expected to receive an MS Word document from Word Alive Press with change tracking turned on so that I could accept, reject or correct their changes.

After demanding that I leave my manuscript completely exposed to their honesty, without password protection, I expected the same treatment by being permitted to review and approve changes using MS Word and change-tracking.

I received two PDF documents, essentially locking me out of the copyediting process. The first PDF document showed change tracking. I was asked to add notes to the second PDF to accept, reject, or comment on Evan’s changes. Neither PDF document allowed me to directly and digitally accept, reject, or correct the editor’s changes to my manuscript.

I was locked out of my manuscript, so they retained complete control over any and all changes to my manuscript.Word Alive Press’ copyeditor took total control of my property and treated me as a hostile and untrustworthy enemy. Where was the team atmosphere that they promised before I signed the contract?Word Alive Press’ copyeditor disrespected me by changing several messages in my book and presenting his revisions in a PDF file, preventing me from rejecting or correcting his changes.

At least Grammarly allows me an opportunity to change and correct my words without altering the message of my words. After Evan Braun’s failed copyedit process, I found that Grammarly and my son provided a much better result.

My Book Structure Was Completely Removed

The MS Word document that I provided to Word Alive Press was fully structured. I had several levels of headings to organize my writing. Removing my book structure means that the headings were lost, and my manuscript became disorganized.

I also had special paragraph borders to separate the Scripture Quotes with my comments pertaining to Scripture Quotes from the rest of my writing.

The first thing that I noticed was that Evan had removed my book structuring before he started editing. Removing my book structure means that my Scripture Quote blocking was removed, and the Scripture Quotes looked precisely the same as the rest of the document.

I forbade Evan to edit Scripture Quotes. KJV Scripture is far from modern grammar rules, but Holy Scripture is God-breathed and is not to be changed.

Evan changed the KJV Scripture Quotes to conform to Evan’s standard of grammar. In addition, my comments linked explicitly to the Scripture Quotes were either altered or removed.

The MS Word headings were either changed or merged with regular paragraphs. Large sections toward the end of my manuscript were deleted and recopied into the document so that I couldn’t use change-tracking to review Evan’s changes. It was not until later that I was told that Evan had rushed his changes before leaving for his vacation. Because large sections were cut-pasted, I found that untracked paragraphs were removed instead of edited.

My Book’s Copyright Permissions Was Completely Removed

I had my Copyright Permissions at the beginning of the book. The copyright permissions section and my book’s structure were removed before Evan started his copyediting process. Along with sending me a PDF version of the edited manuscript, Evan demanded that I provide him with Copyright Permission details.

Holy Scripture Has Been Protected For Thousands of Years

Over thousands of years, worldly leaders have unsuccessfully attempted to destroy the message of the Holy Bible by burning copies of Holy Bibles and killing god-fearing believers.

The message and not the grammatical writing style offended these worldly leaders. The message and not the grammatical writing style saved many god-fearing believers.

Bible Verses Should Not Be Changed

The Holy Bible clearly states that Holy Scripture must not be changed. This command has been followed for centuries, with scribes meticulously copying Scripture from the source document to the copied document so that every jot and tittle is exactly the same as the source document. However, Evan Braun of Word Alive Press ignored my instructions and changed the KJV Scripture quotes.

Jeremiah 33:17-24 is an excellent example of Scripture verses that must not be changed. The verse is from Holy Scripture, and we are not allowed to correct the sentence. If my book includes this sentence of Holy Scripture, which is not grammatically correct, this Scripture Quote should not be corrected, and it should not justify refusing to promote my book into Christian bookstores. 

Grammarly has a program version that can edit and rewrite whole documents with a simple click of a button.

Quotes Were Copy Edited

I am not a copyeditor, but if I quote someone else’s words, their quote should be protected from copyediting. In addition to editing KJV Scripture, Evan edited and changed pages of quotes.

The Messages of Many Paragraphs Were Changed

The messages of many paragraphs were changed from my intended message to Evan’s messages. Because Evan restricted me to PDF versions of my manuscript, the only way that I could recover the original messages of my manuscript was to create PDF notes requesting that Evan revert his changes so that the modified messages would be returned to the original messages.

In short, Evan’s edited PDF versions of my manuscript, which I was asked to approve, looked nothing like the well-organized manuscript I provided to Word Alive Press, and Evan’s process locked me out of my manuscript.

I Used My MS Word Document With Change Tracking

Using Evan’s PDF versions of my manuscript to review and approve his copy editing was impossible. I prayed to God about using my own MS Word manuscript as a starting point and copying Evan’s changes into my MS Word manuscript with change-tracking turned on.

Evan accused me of disrespecting his change control processes. I noted that Evan referred to multiple control processes, which implies that Evan was involved in more than copyediting my manuscript. A few days later, Word Alive Press unilaterally changed the terms of our agreement and informed me that they would not promote my book into Christian bookstores. I was then told that my manuscript was incomprehensible, insulting, and unworthy of publishing.

After my manuscript was in their custody for many months, my manuscript somehow magically transformed itself from a great Christian message worthy of publication to an incomprehensible message unworthy of publication. How was this possible?!?

Using the Word Alive Press’ Christian sales team to promote my book into Christian bookstores was the only reason that I chose Word Alive Press. Having the Word Alive Press’ Christian sales team promote my book into Christian bookstores is the only advantage that Word Alive Press has over Amazon. Unlike Word Alive Press, Amazon does not force me to pay a large sum of money upfront for print-to-order services, and Amazon pays higher royalties for each book sold.

Book Structure

When Evan complained that my book was poorly organized with hanging sentences, disconnected paragraphs, and duplication, I explained that the PDF versions of my manuscript that Evan had asked me to work with clearly showed that he had removed all of my book structure before he started his copy editing process. With the removal of the book’s structure, the organization that I had created was lost by his actions.

My book, STAR Personality Styles, is organized by wisdom topics, and sometimes, the same quote of Scripture can be used to explain different points under different wisdom topic headings. The Word Alive Press copyeditor required that I consolidate all Scripture quotes rather than repeating the same Scripture quotes under different wisdom topics. A true Born-Again Christian knows that one verse, or set of verses, can have several messages. The same verse can appear under several subjects or topics if the book is organized by subject or topic. My book, STAR Personality Styles, is organized by wisdom topics. Reorganizing my book to remove repetition of KJV Scripture quotes would be a disorganized duplication of the Holy Bible and definitely cause more confusion than benefit to the reader.

Holy Spirit teaches line upon line and precept upon precept (Isaiah 28:9-14). Holy Spirit teaches each new message when the reader is ready to hear the next message.

The hanging sentences were MS Word headings before Evan removed the structure from my manuscript. 

The disconnected paragraphs were my writing addressing Holy Scripture and blocked with MS Word paragraph borders before Evan removed the structure from my manuscript. 

The duplication was in different volumes and different chapters. My manuscript was structured and organized before Evan removed the structure from my manuscript.

To explain book structure with a more visual image, imagine that you attended a museum the night after someone had gone into the museum, pulled every display apart and moved all the artifacts into a pile in the middle of the floor. The information is still available, but it is no longer easy to view or comprehend. Removing my book structure made my book seem disorganized.

Evan informed me that there would be an additional cost to recover the book that was part of my original manuscript. Crystal told me that recovering my original book structure would be exponential, extravagant, indeterminable, and increase to far more than double the original quoted cost.

Eight months after they provided a quote and took my money, they told me that they could not estimate how much my publishing costs would be. They told me that I would have to pay them to investigate and determine the new estimated cost. If Word Alive Press had been honest with my money, they should not have waited more than eight months to tell me that my scripture-blocking would result in an exorbitantly increased and indeterminable cost to me.

The Word Alive Press process rules were changed on the fly and without prior notice or disclosure, and it seemed that every change resulted in either refusing to have their sales team promote my book into Christian bookstores or exorbitantly increased and indeterminable cost to me.

Message Versus Writing Style

Consider the King James Version of the Holy Bible to comprehend the difference between message and style. Grammarly would rewrite the Holy Bible (KJV) because it does not adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style. However, the value of the message of the Holy Bible (KJV) has not changed and has been protected from change for centuries. 

The book cover image can impact marketing and selling the book but does not change the message of the book.

As a Christian, would you demand that the Holy Bible be removed from Christian Bookstores because the style is incongruent with today’s Chicago Manual of Style?

Luke 6:45 (KJV)  A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

There are more than forty authors in the Holy Bible, and each author has a different writing style, but there is only one message throughout. That single message is how to live here on earth to enter into Eternal Life in God’s Kingdom of Heaven. That single message is still valuable even though the writing style does not conform to modern grammar standards.

Message Versus Grammar

Message is not the same as grammar. For Born-Again Christians, the message of the Holy Bible is God’s very valuable message and has been protected from changes for thousands of years. However, a simple exercise using Grammarly will show that the Holy Bible does not meet the current grammar standards. 

Grammar cannot disqualify a manuscript as long as the message is acceptable. The copyeditor can correct grammar, but only the Author should be allowed to change the message. 

Mark 6:1 (KJV)  And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

In Mark 6:1, we find an excellent example of the difference between message and grammar. In one sentence, there are both past and present tense. However, the message does not disqualify the value of the sentence.

In Mark 15:21-22, we see an obvious example of incorrect grammar in the Holy Bible. The present tense and past tense in the expression of a single thought is characterized as poor grammar. However, the message is still clear.

Mark 15:21-22 (KJV)  And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross. And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. [Emphasis added]

The correct response is to correct the grammar, not change the message, and not destroy the opportunity for Christian readers to read the message. 

Only Satan would consider banning the Holy Bible because of grammar standards to be the correct course of action.

Grammar Versus Message

If the Holy Bible were a regular book, the grammar error in Mark 6:1 (KJV) would not require that the book be removed from Christian bookstores.

If the Holy Bible (KJV) were a regular book, the decision would be to keep the message intact, correct the grammar of the sentences, and promote the book into Christian bookstores. 

More than 40 authors wrote the 66 books of the Holy Bible with a single message but with different writing styles. The message and potential for learning, not the grammatical writing style, brought these 66 books into one Holy Bible, which has been the best-selling book ever since book printing started.

In Isaiah 55:11, God said, “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” God’s Word, the Holy Bible, is not destroyed because the Holy Bible (KJV) does not adhere to modern grammar standards.

The author’s writing style can be grammatically corrected to match the changing times.

Mark 6:1 (KJV)  And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

Isaiah 55:8, 11 (KJV)  For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

However, the author’s message and Holy Scripture should not be changed.

The following sentences would be identified as run-on sentences and without proper uppercase at the beginning of the sentence. 

The message is that God is Omniscient, Omnipotent and Omnipresent; however, grammar could be improved.

Jeremiah 33:17-24 (KJV)  For thus saith the LORD; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel; Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually. And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.

As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me.

Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying, Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, The two families which the LORD hath chosen, he hath even cast them off? thus they have despised my people, that they should be no more a nation before them.

Nobody knows more than God. Nobody can overpower God. God’s message is always perfect, even if the author’s grammar is imperfect.

Eight Months After Accepting My Manuscript

The only thing that Word Alive Press did not fight against during our interactions was taking my money and my manuscript. After Word Alive Press took possession of my property, they started threatening and inventing excuses to justify their refusal to allow the Word Alive Press’ sales team to promote my book into Christian Bookstores.

Within eight months, Word Alive Press made it very clear that they were in control of every decision pertaining to my property. Word Alive Press took every opportunity to threaten to withdraw the services of their sales team if I would not accept my position as their subordinate (without any rights) and Word Alive Press’ position as dictator (with all rights), and Word Alive Press dictating 100% of the decisions.

The Word Alive Press process rules were changed on the fly and without prior notice or disclosure.

Every change seemed to result in either Word Alive Press refusing to have their sales team promote my book into Christian bookstores or an exorbitantly increased and indeterminable cost to me.

Manuscript Submission Guidelines

Eight months after submitting my manuscript, Crystal provided me with guidelines for submitting my manuscript. Logically, the submission guidelines should have been presented to me before I submitted my manuscript.

I reviewed my manuscript with their newly presented manuscript submission guidelines, but I was required to wait until Crystal, the book project manager, returned from vacation to ask why my manuscript was disqualified eight months after they had accepted my submission and taken my money.

My Manuscript Was Disqualified

My manuscript was disqualified eight months after being accepted by Evan Braun and Crystal Hildebrand of Word Alive Press.

According to the Word Alive Press’ newly presented manuscript submission guidelines, they would not publish my book because my book contained more than 20% of Scripture quotes. Logically, this prerequisite should have been explained to me before they took my money.

I reminded Word Alive Press that my manuscript, originally submitted eight months before, is based on the Holy Bible and contains about 33% of Scripture quotes. I also reminded Word Alive Press that I had made them aware of the percentage of Scripture in my manuscript at the time of my original submission.

I believe that the Holy Bible is the foundation of all wisdom, including modern science. The underlying message of my book is that the Holy Bible is still very relevant and useful for guiding people into more peaceful, loving and harmonious relationships.

With increasing granularity and focus, many scientific discoveries now prove that many of the Holy Bible’s facts are true and correct. I believe that the modern sciences of sociology and psychology, as well as my experiences and observations, prove that the principles of the Holy Bible still apply in today’s society.

In my book, I blend Scripture with science to show how some common principles from truly objective science support and do not contradict the principles of the Holy Bible.

The Canadian Style Guide

One positive note from Word Alive Press is that their team convinced me to change my writing style to conform to modern guidelines.

I reviewed my writing style by comparing my style with The Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing. I edited my manuscript to remove my unique and unusual writing style; I brought my writing style into compliance with The Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing.

I will admit that my writing style does not strictly conform to The Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing, but it is very close. I capitalized the various personality styles as “Personifications,” which is allowed by The Canadian Style: A Guide to Writing and Editing.

My Son as Copyeditor

After I corrected my unique and unusual writing style, I asked my son to help me with additional editing. My son and I used the same process of using an MS Word document with change tracking as I had used with my first two copyeditors.

I was pleasantly surprised that my son could do a much better editing of my book than Evan Braun. I was also very happy that my son did not act condescending toward me in the manner that Evan Braun did.

Evan Braun’s Second Evaluation of My Book

Afterwards, they admitted that their copyeditor had only read enough pages to provide a sample of his editing skills. When the copyeditor read less than ten pages of my book to give me a sample of his editing skills, he could not know the quality of my book’s message. Without reading the entire book, the copyeditor could not have evaluated the quality of the message of my book. Nobody at Word Alive Press had read my manuscript, even though they had praised the message of my manuscript before I signed the contract. Nobody had read the manuscript, and nobody would champion my manuscript through their policies and procedures. Months after taking my manuscript and money, they began criticizing my book cover image, manuscript message and writing style. They claimed that my manuscript was not worth their sales team promoting my book into Christian Bookstores. It might be possible to believe the Word Alive Press’ editor if it were not for the three independent book reviewers who declared that my book had a valuable Christian message for relationships and was easy to comprehend.

Approximately nine months after taking my money, Evan Braun made a final decision that my book did not have a message worthy of promoting into Christian bookstores. I was now told that my manuscript would be insulting to any reader.

I was not given an explanation for how the message of my manuscript had changed while it was in their custody. I was not given an explanation for why their initial evaluation was that my manuscript had an excellent message worthy of promotion into Christian bookstores and why they changed their evaluation.

My First Prayer Request

After my traumatic experience with Word Alive Press, my quaternary Action Personality Style became more valuable than my tertiary Support Personality Style.

My people-oriented Relationship and Support STAR Personality Styles with a now stronger Action STAR Personality Style urged me to warn other new Christian authors to be very cautious in their dealings with Word Alive Press.

In the Holy Bible, David determined God’s Will by using an ephod. I use a prayer request pattern similar to David’s, except that I use my Holy Bible instead of an ephod. I prayed to know God’s will about ending my business relationship with Word Alive Press. God responded, through the Holy Bible, that I should end my business relationship with Word Alive Press.

I don’t comprehend every detail of God’s Plan, but I am committed to doing God’s Will to the best of my ability. God’s response to my prayer request was to end my relationship with Word Alive Inc. and request a refund.

Word Alive Inc. refused to promote my book into Christian bookstores and refused to refund my money.

I had trusted their claim of being a Christian company. I had trusted their initial evaluation that my book had an excellent message deserving of promotion into Christian bookstores. After they took my money, it seemed they manufactured reasons to change our agreement unilaterally. I felt cheated out of almost nine thousand dollars and became depressed.

My Kingdom Assignment

I am certain that I am doing what God intended to be my Kingdom Assignment.

John 15:18-19 (KJV)  If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

John 16:2-3 (KJV)  They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he [they] doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. [Emphasis and clarification terms added]

If I am doing what I believe is my Kingdom Assignment, and a Marriage Ministry Reverend believes that I have an excellent Christian message and two independent Book Reviewers agree that the message of my book is excellent, then by what authority do Evan Braun and the leadership team at Word Alive Press decide that the message of my book is unfit for Christian readers and unfit for Christian bookstores. 

If you agree with the Marriage Ministry Reverend and the two independent Book Reviewers, then I ask you to pray for my success in promoting my books to share God’s Wisdom with Christian readers.

My Second Prayer Request

My trust was breached repeatedly, many times, before I admitted to myself that I might have been duped by what perfectly matches the pattern of a Bait-and-Switch Scam. I am committed to serving God no matter what Evan Braun, Crystal Hildebrand, Jeremy Braun and the others involved in the almost $9,000.00 of what might be a Bait-and-Switch Scam committed by Word Alive Press.

If the Marriage Ministry Reverend and two independent Book Reviewers are correct, then Word Alive Press has stolen almost nine thousand dollars from me, and they have stolen a valuable message from Christian readers, and they have stolen a valuable message from God.

In the Holy Bible, David determined God’s Will by using an ephod. I use a prayer request pattern similar to David’s, except that I use my Holy Bible instead of an ephod. I prayed to know God’s will about warning other new Christian authors to be very cautious in their dealings with Word Alive Press. God responded, through the Holy Bible, very clearly that I should warn other new Christian authors.

I will leave the outcome up to God and I will obey God’s Will by sharing the testimony of my experience to warn other new Christian authors. 

Maybe sharing the testimony of my experience with Word Alive Press will cause the leadership team at Word Alive Inc. doing business as Word Alive Press to help other new Christian authors to promote God’s Messages into Christian bookstores. 

I Don’t Know God’s Plan For Word Alive Inc.

My experience with Word Alive Press was not the Christian team environment that I anticipated when I signed the agreement. As soon as Word Alive Press took my manuscript and money, Word Alive Press abandoned the Christian team approach and treated me, the author, as a commodity in a Tyrant-Peasant, Do-as-I-tell-you-or-else type of relationship. The only master that I am required to obey is God, and God will never override my will.

I don’t comprehend every detail of God’s Plan for Word Alive Inc., doing business as Word Alive Press (or any other company name that they might choose), but I do know that tribulations are allowed as teaching opportunities for believers and for people around the believer to manifest God’s Plan into Man’s World. 

I don’t comprehend every detail of God’s Plan for Word Alive Press, but I do know that I must share my hardship as a warning to other new authors to be very careful in contracting with Jeremy Braun, Evan Braun, and Word Alive Inc. doing business as Word Alive Press. 

God’s People are required to be fair in their business practices (Leviticus 19:36, Deuteronomy 25:15) ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves; ye shall know them by their fruits’ (Matthew 7:15-21). Deceitful business practices are an abomination to God (Proverbs 11:1, 16:11).

Genesis 50:20 (KJV)  But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

People may intend evil and harm, but God can use evil intent and accomplish God’s Good Plan.

Jesus is a perfect balance of each of the personality styles. Jesus is a Kingdom of Heaven STAR; in every situation, Jesus correctly presented the perfect positive personality style that would keep him in ideal alignment and oneness with God.

It can help to compare STAR Personality Styles with screwdrivers. You cannot use a Robinson screwdriver for a Phillips head screw, and you cannot use a Slot screwdriver for a Robinson head screw. It is important to match the correct screwdriver to the screw. It is important to present the correct STAR Personality Style needed for the circumstances.

I know that I have always avoided developing my Action STAR Personality Style. I believe that God has allowed me to face this current tribulation to teach me when, why, and how I should call upon my Action STAR Personality Style. Perhaps Word Alive Press has already buried God’s Messages in the past by refusing to promote God’s Messages into Christian Bookstores. Perhaps Word Alive Press will bury God’s Messages in the future by refusing to promote God’s Message into Christian Bookstores.

While I am certain that I am doing God’s Will, my people-oriented primary Relationship STAR Personality Style causes me to struggle with using my task-oriented Action STAR Personality Style to complete some tasks that God gives to me.

Love your enemies, but do not accept harm from them. In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus instructs his followers to love their enemies. However, in Matthew 12:10-16, Jesus withdrew himself from his enemies, the Pharisees, who sought to kill Jesus. Therefore, loving your enemy does not require you to accept or approve their efforts to harm you. Later in Matthew 12:34-37, Jesus accuses the Pharisees of being vipers who have condemned themselves before God in the Final Judgment.

Hebrews 4:13 (NLT) Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.

No sin can be hidden from God’s Eyes, and God will eventually hold accountable everyone who harms another human being.

Unjust Enrichment

Unjust enrichment is profit unjustly obtained by a wrongdoer, knowingly receiving and accepting a benefit without earning it, knowingly receiving and accepting a benefit that rightfully belongs to someone else.

Though we are not living in the Final Days of Judgment, we are living in the End Days. There are no significant events between the Day of Christ’s Resurrection (past) and the Day of the Rapture (future) which will immediately precede the Great Tribulation.

In Proverbs 6:16-19, 20:10 & 14, 28:8-10, and 17:5, the Holy Bible explains that unjust enrichment by deceit is an abomination to God. People who happily participate in cheating others are cursed by their own actions.

In Malachi 3:13-18, we learn that the determination of people’s love for God will be evident based on their behaviour.

In the Holy Bible, there are only two classifications of people. The people are classified as Righteous, or they are classified as Wicked. Both Jesus and the Apostle Paul warned the Righteous to be wary of the Wicked who pretended to be Righteous. 

If you are a new Christian author and have found Word Alive Press‘ sale pitch tantalizing and would like to evaluate their worth, read my experience and decide for yourself.

My book has been independently evaluated by a Reverend involved in Marriage Ministry and two professional Book Reviewers who determined that my book contained an excellent message for readers interested in improving their relationships. 

Word Alive Press took all their profit up front without honouring their verbal promise of promoting my book into Christian bookstores.

“Then shall ye … discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not.” (Malachi 3:18)

The Word Alive Press team have deemed STAR Personality Styles unacceptable for promotion into Christian bookstores. At the same time, a Marriage Ministry Reverend and two non-Christian book reviewers have each individually rated my book STAR Personality Styles as Excellent, 4-out-of-4 Stars, and 5-out-of-5 Stars.

By reading my book STAR Personality Styles, you can verify the truth about my circumstances. Reading my book STAR Personality Styles to determine the truth would be especially important if you are a Christian Author and considering publishing your book through Word Alive Press.

If you are a Born-Again Christian, as I am, then you know that no human being has the power to curse anyone or any company that God chooses to bless. In Numbers 22:2 to Numbers 23:20, Balak asks Balaam to curse Israel, but God insists that Balaam bless and not curse Israel. Balaam did explain to Balak that Israel would eventually curse themselves.

My Dream of Promoting My Book Into Christian Bookstores

Everyone has at least three Kingdom Assignments. The first is to share God’s Wisdom with unbelievers, and the second is to share our testimonies with believers. A third Kingdom Assignment is the requirement to use their talents or the spiritual gifts that God gave them for the furtherance of God’s Kingdom. 

Matthew 25:14-30 (KJV)  For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Your life of service to others, according to God’s Will, while on God’s Earth, will prepare you for your life of service in the new Physical Kingdom of Heaven on Earth as described in the book of Revelation. 

Born-Again Christians are called to edify and never tear down. Imagine the potential happiness on earth that might be possible if everyone were to raise each other up instead of trying to greedily profit by destroying others.

My dream of promoting my book into Christian bookstores, as the fulfilment of my Kingdom Assignment, was replaced by depressing thoughts of failure, having made a nine thousand dollar blunder.

1 Kings 18:36 (KJV)  And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.

Psalm 79:10 (KJV)  Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is their God? let him be known among the heathen in our sight by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed.

Philippians 4:5 (KJV)  Let your moderation [evidence of your faith] be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. [Emphasis and Clarification Terms added]

There is a repeated message for everyone who accepts a Kingdom Assignment from God: Let it be known. Let God’s Glory be known. Let your testimony be known.

Following my passion for sharing God’s Wisdom through my books and sharing my testimony with others is excellent soul care.

Working with Word Alive Press to promote my book into Christian bookstores was as discouraging and depressing as my experiences when I fulfilled contracts-for-service at client sites that hated God.

I pray that a mountaintop of success of corresponding dimensions will replace the valley of this depressing failure. 

The Impact of the 2024 Bait-and-Switch Scam

Whether it was intended or not, my experience with Word Alive Press perfectly matches the pattern of a Bait-and-Switch Scam. As a Born-Again Christian, I must follow the example of the Apostle Paul (Acts 13:6-11 and 2 Timothy 4:14-15) by warning other new authors.

Acts 13:6-11 (KJV)  And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus: Which was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. [Emphasis added]

2 Timothy 4:14-15 (KJV)  Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: Of whom be thou ware also; for he hath greatly withstood our words. [Emphasis added]

The Apostle Paul had the advantage of having a primary Action STAR Personality Style. Paul cursed Elymas “for a season” and warned Timothy about Alexander’s evil behaviour.

James 1:12 (NIV) Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

After months of depression, I have restored my commitment to continue working toward completing my Kingdom Assignment of writing my books to share God’s Wisdom and to share my testimony. 

My Primary Relationship STAR Personality Style Had Failed Me

Whether or not they intended deceit, my experience with Word Alive Press perfectly matches the pattern of a Bait-and-Switch Scam. First, a verbal contract trust was established between me and the leadership team at Word Alive Press, then they made verbal representations that I relied on to my detriment. I trusted their words and signed a contract that provided me with no protection. Though on the surface, my trust was foolish, I had signed many contracts during many years of contract-for-service as a technical programming resource and only once did I regret my trust (a very small percentage of breached trust). Only once did I sign an agreement with Word Alive Press, and they quickly revealed my foolishness.

My primary Relationship STAR Personality Style had failed me, and my secondary Technical STAR Personality Style persecuted me for trusting what appeared, in retrospect, to be a deceitful Bait-and-Switch Scam.

Faced with the discouraging and depressing comments directed at me by the leadership team at Word Alive Press, I forgot about all the positive reviews I had received. My only thought was that I had failed my Kingdom Assignment of sharing God’s Wisdom through my books.

Warning to New Christian Authors

If you are a new Christian writer and you have found Word Alive Press’ sale pitch tantalizing and you would like to evaluate their worth, read my experience, read my book, and decide for yourself.

If you are a new Christian author and you are interested in publishing through Word Alive Press, you could purchase my book STAR Personality Styles to see if you agree with their assessment of the Christian message found in my book. 

Get every term and condition in writing before you sign an agreement with Word Alive Press. Ensure that you remove every condition that gives them the right to act as dictator over God’s message and over your property. Ensure that you include every condition for your benefit to guarantee that they will be required to process your property according to their verbal promises. Having an independent lawyer review your contract before signing an agreement with Word Alive Press would be best to ensure your protection.

Test My Truth

I share my experience honestly. Please don’t take my words about Jeremy Braun, Evan Braun, Crystal Hildebrand and Word Alive Inc. doing business as Word Alive Press as absolute and uncontestable truth. Test my words and test their spirit.

If you read my book to test their spirit (1 John 4:1) and agree with the Marriage Ministry Reverend and two independent Book Reviewers, then you will have saved yourself the loss of ten to twenty thousand dollars by learning to be very careful in contracting with Jeremy Braun, Evan Braun and Word Alive Inc. doing business as Word Alive Press.

Important Questions to Consider My Circumstances

1. How is my book cover image related to the message of my book to justify Word Alive Press’s judgment that the message of my book was no longer fit to be promoted into Christian bookstores because of my book cover design?
2. How did the message of my book change from excellent and worthy for promotion into Christian bookstores and insulting to Christian readers while my manuscript was in their possession for eight months?

Important Questions to Evaluate Word Alive Press as Your Publisher

1. Did Word Alive Press read your manuscript?
2. Did they give you a written evaluation of your manuscript?
3. Did Word Alive Press make verbal promises to you that do not appear in their contract offer?
4. How does Word Alive Press’s contract protect your rights as an Author?
5. Is there any arbitration clause to protect you in a dispute with Word Alive Press?

Jurisdiction

The leadership team at Word Alive Press promote themselves as a Christian organization, and their claim of Christianity persuaded me to enter into an agreement with Word Alive Press; therefore, my experience must be examined under the jurisdiction of Christianity.

I include information knowing that many readers might not embrace God as I do, but I must remain true to my faith. I present details of my experience, and I give you, the reader, an opportunity to determine the truth for yourself.

Final Words

Word Alive Press speaks eloquently in nautical terms by repeatedly telling me that I am at the helm of this publication project. Before taking my money, Word Alive Press promised me that, as the author, I could trust them and that I would have complete control of all decisions. Word Alive Press broke their promise very quickly. After taking my money, Word Alive Press told me exactly what I was allowed to ask for.

When I asked Word Alive Press for the things that they did not pre-approve, they threatened to withdraw the services of their sales team.Word Alive Press made it very clear that they were in charge and that my money and manuscript had been hijacked.

The only thing that Word Alive Press did not fight against during our interactions was taking my money and my manuscript. After Word Alive Press took possession of my property, they started threatening and inventing excuses to justify their refusal to allow the Word Alive Press’ sales team to promote my book into Christian Bookstores.

If I were at the helm, as Word Alive Press says, then I (as the author) and Word Alive Press (as the publisher) would have worked together peacefully and harmoniously as members of one team with equal status under God and with one goal of bringing God’s Message into Christian Bookstores.

If I were at the helm, as Word Alive Press says, then our joint team would have worked together harmoniously and with mutual respect to glorify God by promoting God’s Message into Christian Bookstores. My experience with Word Alive Press did not resemble my experiences of working with a true Born-Again Christian team.

If I were at the helm, as Word Alive Press says, then their sales team would already be helping me promote God’s Message into Christian Bookstores.

If I were at the helm, as Word Alive Press says, then why has Word Alive Press ignored and rejected 100% of my decisions?

If I were at the helm, as Word Alive Press says, then why have I not received my refund for Word Alive Press’ breach of trust?

As I have already stated, the only action that I desired from Word Alive Press was to have their sales team promote my book into Christian Bookstores. However, Word Alive Press took every opportunity to threaten to withdraw the services of their sales team if I would not accept my position as their slave (without any rights) and Word Alive Press’ position as dictator (with all rights), and Word Alive Press dictating 100% of the decisions.

In retrospect, it seems clear that Word Alive Press never intended to allow their sales team to promote my book into Christian bookstores.

My goal has always been to get God’s Message out to Christian readers by promoting my book into Christian bookstores. I don’t care about power, control or calling the shots. Let God call the shots. However, Word Alive Press’ goal seems to be all about power and control over authors. Willfully blocking God’s Message after taking money is evidence of pride and oppressive control and is not godly behaviour. Being obedient to God’s Will sounds ludicrous to most, including Nominal Christians, but God knows the truth about this situation. God’s Authority and Standards are higher than any of man’s authority and standards.

My Standing in Nautical Terms

Word Alive Press chose to speak in nautical terms, so I will clarify the truth in nautical terms.

If I am at the helm, as Word Alive Press says, then Word Alive Press is a pirate organization that has attacked and scuttled my ship, has taken my money, and then left me at the helm of a disabled and sinking ship while the Word Alive Press pirates sail away with my money to bury my book (God’s message) where it might never be found.

Word Alive Press’ unilateral decision to terminate the involvement of the Word Alive Press sales team has robbed me of my only requirement for the involvement of Word Alive Press.

Word Alive Press’ unilateral decision has also robbed God by refusing to have their sales team promote God’s Message into Christian Bookstores.

They were now only willing to print my book for anyone ordering the book but would not allow their sales team to promote my book into Christian Bookstores. Amazon will publish my book for free, but Word Alive Press requires an exorbitantly increased and indeterminable cost, above the original quote of approximately $15,000, to simply print my book.

The Trust Has Been Breached

If I cannot trust Word Alive Press to be honest and respectful during the preparation to promote my book into Christian Bookstores, then how can I trust Word Alive Press after they publish my book?

There would be no way for me to ensure that the Word Alive Press sales team would even mention my book to Christian bookstores.

There would be no way for me to determine if the Word Alive Press sales team would praise or condemn my book when they mentioned my book to Christian bookstores.

After Word Alive Press took my property, they quickly started threatening and inventing excuses to justify their refusal to allow the Word Alive Press sales team to promote my book into Christian Bookstores.

A Nominal Christian cannot use Satan’s Tools to accomplish God’s Good, no matter how many creative excuses the Nominal Christian uses to justify their sinful actions.

Oppression, control, threats, and extortion are very clearly Satan’s Tools.

Word Alive Press was quite happy to take my money, and then they were quite happy to do me the favour of refusing to allow their sales team to promote my book into Christian Bookstores, and now they were quite happy to refuse to refund my money.

In the Holy Bible, David determined God’s Will by using an ephod. I use a prayer request pattern similar to David’s, except that I use my Holy Bible instead of an ephod. I have been teaching the concepts of STAR Personality Styles for many years, and many people have encouraged me to share my knowledge in a book. In my book STAR Personality Styles, I explain that I had prayed to determine God’s Will before I started writing my book in 2019. God’s Response was Ezekiel 33. I have received excellent praise for my book’s valuable and easily comprehendible messages from three independent and expert book reviewers.

After my unpleasant experience with Word Alive Press, I ask my fellow Born-Again Christians to join me in praying for God’s will to be done against Word Alive Inc. doing business as Word Alive Press.

Deo Volente

Now that I have laid the facts of my experience, I would like to offer my honest opinion.

Satan would be proud of Word Alive Press’ accomplishments:

1. Word Alive Press deceived me into believing that they were a Christian organization.
   1. Word Alive Press took my money with a false promise.
   1. Word Alive Press had falsely promised that I would be in control of every decision since my book’s Christian message was worthy of publication.
   1. Word Alive Press continuously used my single-focused goal of having their sales team promote my book into Christian bookstores as leverage to force me into submission.
   1. Word Alive Press unilaterally changed the rules without warning or discussion.
   1. Word Alive Press unilaterally changed the terms of our original agreement.
   1. Word Alive Press refused to honour our original agreement even after I invested time in bringing my writing style into compliance with the Canadian Style Guide.
   1. Word Alive Press rebelled against God by refusing to promote God’s message into Christian bookstores.
   1. Word Alive Press took my manuscript and effectively buried it by refusing to promote my book into Christian bookstores.
   1. Word Alive Press refused to refund my money.
   1. Word Alive Press perfectly and successfully accomplished their Bait-and-Switch Scam for Satan’s benefit.

Isaiah 31:1 (KJV)  Woe to them that … look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

Isaiah 33:2 (NLT) LORD, … Be our strong arm each day and our salvation in times of trouble.

Isaiah 33:22 (KJV)  For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; he will save us.

Luke 16:15 (KJV)  And he said unto them, Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

I pray that you will be able to negotiate a better contract than I foolishly signed, and I pray that your venture with WAP will be more successful than mine.

I live in all good conscience before God. My conscience is void of offence toward God and toward men.

Deo Volente.