I have completely enjoyed the chance to sell my books to people. Since I went the self-publishing route, I have to do this part of the work largely on my own, and there are parts of it that are difficult, since self-promotion is not my strong suit. The part I LOVE is being able to write notes to these people and share with them what they've meant to me and how they've encouraged me. In those moments, I count it a joy to do this portion of the work, because it gives me that privilege.
AND...
I've loved the beginning of the feedback. I know it's not Christmas yet, but a few have already started to read, and I've loved hearing their first thoughts. I'll keep these excerpts anonymous, but I wanted to share with you some of the early response, and it will give you another way to peek into aspects of the book you may not have known:
I love it! Rooted in Scripture as I would expect from you :) Love the thought provoking questions too. A really nice different take on things in a way I hadn't thought about them before. Looking at Mary that way helped show that while Jesus was fully God he was also fully human when he came to earth.
** Note: It was very important to me, while writing a devotional study, to keep things as closely tied to Scripture as possible. Throughout the chapters, you'll find footnotes that direct you to the references I've drawn from, and if you'd like to further explore them, you can. But at the same time, if you'd rather just read straight through, you can, and the footnotes won't interfere.**
Who else could have written this "Advent Book?" He wanted YOU to do it & you didn't disappoint Him.
** This was a sweet compliment to read. Several years ago, I spoke at a women's retreat, and our theme for the day was "Fanning into flame the gift of God that is in you." It's always my hope that I can use anything He's given me...to point right back to Him. It meant everything to me that this reader could affirm that! **
Your book arrived on Saturday and I could hardly wait to start reading! I was glad to be alone in the house for several hours and read the first five chapters non-stop, taking notes along the way of the special nuances that leaped off the pages...what a Treasure! My mother had a saying that I'll apply here..."I glory in your spunk!" I gloried in the way you skillfully crafted words and phrases that took me inside the thoughts and emotions of the characters ~ places I'd never been before.
** I will drop all professionalism here for one second to say - SOMEONE TOOK NOTES! That may be the ultimate compliment. I attended a seminar at a writer's conference last fall, and the speaker gave us suggestions for how to edit manuscripts. He said one of his edits is called the "underline edit." He reads through his manuscript and tries to imagine what readers will underline as they read. I loved that. To know that someone would underline or take notes - that's huge! I also loved knowing that these readers were able to go inside the thoughts of the people on the page. That was one of my main goals in crafting this book. I labored extensively over that part, hoping it would convey...and I'm so happy to know it did for them! **
Can't wait to hear what others have to say along the way - good and bad!
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