FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Pamela McClure, 615.595.8321
When The Honeymoon is over
Every Woman’s Marriage Helps Women Face, Fight Marital Dissatisfaction
Shannon and Greg enjoyed a picture-perfect Christian romance. They met in a church and were married in that same church exactly one year later. But the reality of married life set in quickly: they had their first major fight during their honeymoon. The arguments and misunderstandings increased in the years following, and Shannon’s cry of “you don’t meet my emotional needs” seemed to fall on deaf ears. She began thinking of leaving her husband and two children to find the love she felt entitled to. Fast forward to 2006 and Shannon is co-authoring a book on marital passion with husband Greg. What changed? “I did,” says author Shannon Ethridge. The new book by Shannon and Greg Ethridge, Every Woman’s Marriage: Igniting the Joy and Passion You Both Desire (WaterBrook Press, July 2006), bears the watermark of a marriage that has survived and grown stronger.
Every Woman’s Marriage is the tenth title in the bestselling Every Woman’s Battle series, which have all been authored or co-authored by Shannon Ethridge. A best-selling author, speaker, mother of two, and lay counselor with Teen Mania Ministries, Shannon has a heart for helping other women ignite the joy and passion they long for in marriage. “There was a time when I needed Greg to affirm me, to make me feel beautiful, to convince me that I was desirable, because I didn’t know how to feel these things on my own,” writes Shannon. “I am not the first or only wife to expect this kind of emotional fulfillment from my husband. Many women feel deep dissatisfaction with their husbands and their marriages. But at some point we have to put on our ‘big girl panties’ and go through the work of resolving our own issues, remedying our own insecurities, and becoming happy with ourselves. Then we can truly be happy in our marriages.”
Shannon explains that many wives, while focusing on their own emotional expectations, fail to consider that their husbands also experience unmet needs. “Men not only have sexual needs, they also have emotional needs for love, respect and admiration. When a wife ignores her husband’s deep emotional needs, his heart will most certainly grow cold,” she writes. “But it doesn’t have to be this way. We can learn to give that which we desire to receive.”
Drawing from their own experience as well as the wisdom of other couples, Shannon and Greg Ethridge fill the pages of Every Woman’s Marriage with insight and practical guidance. Shannon speaks from a woman’s perspective and Greg offers insight from a man’s viewpoint, resulting in a well-rounded guide for restoring marital passion and joy. The Ethridges have segmented their book into five sections designed to guide women into a more intimate marriage relationship:
· When the Heart Grows Cold: The reality is that men aren’t all that different from women when it comes to our basic needs. Yes, men have emotional needs too. And they also feel a sense of desperation when those needs aren’t being met.
· Looking at the Big Picture: Marriage helps us come face to face with our own sin. It also affords us the opportunity to be Christ-like in how we respond to our spouse’s sin. In fact, wives hold the potential to minister to their husbands in a way that no one else can.
· How His Flame of Joy and Passion Dies: There are a few common things that wives (often subconsciously) do to cause their husbands’ hearts to grow cold toward them. Identifying these flame-killers (control issues, constant comparison, mind games and emotional escalation) can be the first step toward renewing your love.
· Igniting His Flame Once Again: Your husband’s greatest desire doesn’t revolve around sex, sports, sandwiches, sitcoms, or success, but around putting a smile on your face. Keep this in mind and it’s easier to accept your differences, show him respect, fight fair and choose your words wisely.
· Throwing Fuel on the Flame: When two human beings make a spiritual and emotional connection, the physical sexual desires follow very naturally. God can supernaturally draw you toward on another as you draw toward Him.
Every Woman’s Marriage and Every Woman’s Marriage Workbook are the latest additions to the Every Woman’s Battle series (WaterBrook Press, July 2006). Ethridge has authored all ten titles in the Every Woman’s Battle series and there are more than 650,000 copies in print to date. The original title, Every Woman’s Battle, released in 2003 and has appeared on both CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. Every Woman’s Marriage is the first title Shannon has co-authored with husband Greg. Ethridge coauthored the award-winning bestseller, Every Young Woman’s Battle, with Stephen Arterburn in 2004. That title has appeared on the CBA youth bestseller list every month since its release almost two years ago. The Every Woman’s Battle series is part of a larger product group (Every Man, WaterBrook Press) which has sold more than 2.5 million copies to date.
Shannon Ethridge is the best-selling and award-winning author, as well as a wife, mother, speaker, and lay counselor. Previously a youth pastor and abstinence educator, Shannon has a master's degree in counseling/human relations and speaks regularly on the Teen Mania Ministries campus as well as other church and college settings. Greg Ethridge is a certified public accountant who has served in various financial roles over the last two decades, most recently as the chief financial officer for Mercy Ships International. Married for sixteen years, Greg and Shannon live with their two children in a log cabin in East Texas.
WaterBrook Press (www.waterbrookpress.com) is the evangelical publishing division of Random House Inc., based in Colorado Springs. WaterBrook’s publishing program has grown over the years to include a variety of best-selling authors like Liz Curtis Higgs, Steve Arterburn, Kay Arthur, Larry Crabb, Nicky Cruz, Joanne Weaver, Dan Allender, Randy Singer, David Gregory and Jane Kirkpatrick.
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April 2006
Published by WaterBrook Press, a division of Random House
www.shannonethridge.com www.everywomansbattle.com
Release date: July 2006 ISBN: 978-1-4000-7119-7 Format: trade paper Page Count: 224
Category: Religion/Christian Life/Family & Relationships Price: $13.99
Also available July 2006: Every Woman’s Marriage Workbook, ISBN
Interviews available:
Pamela McClure, pamela@mmpublicrelations.com,
615.595.8321