Bring the Rain | writing

Release

September 1, 2011 By Angie 45 Comments

Today’s the day! My new book, “What Women Fear” releases. It took me a couple months to write but it’s kind of been a lifetime in the making.

I had a plan for this post, full of marketing stuff and links and all kinds of good “author” stuff. For the record, it wasn’t half-bad.

But I’m on a little trip with my family and while I’ve been praying through everything that’s happening in my life right now, I keep coming back to the same thought.

He is everything.

My feet were in the ocean and the beach was full this afternoon while I thought about how to write this post. Because at the end of the day, I’m a writer, and I would love for you to buy my book. I needed to translate that in these paragraphs because it matters if I sell books. It’s like any other job, where you want to excel and make the people who believed in you proud.

But it’s pretty hard to write a post like that when you have your toes in the water.

I felt so small…

I was wind-whipped with sand, eyes on the horizon and the thought of trying to say anything other than this was as absurd as it should be.

He is everything.

It’s all a jumbled mess without Him, and any ounce of credit I get would be an ounce misplaced.

And while I planned all the right words, the waves came.

Have you ever said the same?

I could have had everything right on paper, but if I didn’t believe those three words it would all be for nothing.

I’ve done my best to write a book I pray will bless others, but I have done it with hands that tremble in recognition of the One who allowed me the right.

I know my team at B&H is going to forgive me for going a little off the rails with this post. I’m fairly certain it’s not part of the marketing strategy:)

{I was literally at this point in my post when my editor sent me an email. I stopped what everyone here was doing and while the T.V. went on mute and computer keys hushed, I read her words out loud. If you will allow me, I would love to share a little bit of what she said, because I don’t feel like it’s a coincidence that it happened EXACTLY as I was writing about my amazing B&H team}

Ang,

I’m about to go to bed and want to drop a note because I’m thinking about you a lot on the eve of the official launch of a message that I know to my core will be used to impact hundreds of thousands. Do you know what I’m thinking about? I’m thinking about 4 year old Ang, your dad lifting you, you with extra books of the Bible, the legacy of faith you and Todd are building, you two scrubbing the floor after burying your sweet girl and realizing how in each and every nanosecond of all of those experiences and every other one, God was painting an exquisite portrait of the way in which He treasures you and reveals the texture of His love and nature through the way He has gifted you…

It’s the eve of my book launch and she’s thinking about Angie the person, not Angie the author.

It makes me smile ear to ear and shake my head in awe at the way God has pieced this whole thing together.

I am blessed beyond belief to have the honor of writing,

And all my thanks go to the One who has allowed it.

He is everything.

There are going to be some cool posts on deck for later in the week where I am going to ask you to jump in the deep end with me and share about what your fears are. There will even be a chance for you to get involved in a cool little project and then to win some fun stuff, so stay tuned.

If you would like to buy my book, you can click here to purchase from Amazon or here to purchase from Barnes and Noble. Last I checked the prices were almost exactly the same…

I’m really proud of this book and I hope you all enjoy it, but more than that I hope you know…

He is everything.

Blessings to each of you and thank you so, so much for your support~

{A}

Filed Under: Uncategorized, What Women Fear, writing

Over the Moon {and back again}

August 22, 2011 By Angie 60 Comments

I got a phone call last week that rocked my little socks off, so I want to start by thanking Barnes & Noble for giving me the opportunity to share this exciting news with you all. It is entirely possible that they are being so gracious to me because they have tracked my debit card activity at their stores over the past several years and flat out feel sorry for me because of my obsession with them…

Regardless, they are doing a little something that {a little birdie told me} they don’t do very often. It’s my understanding that a few books are chosen every month to be featured on their website and also in their stores, and you are never going to believe what this month’s choices include…

Okay, you might.

But here’s the best part!!!!

TODAY, and TODAY ONLY {8/22/11} you can pre-order my new book online, “What Women Fear” for $7.49…HALF OFF THE COVER PRICE!!! You can order it here.

I am all about a good deal and this is about as good as it’s going to get . In addition, if you pre-order, please email your confirmation email to whatwomenfear@gmail.com and you will be entered to win one of two prize packages from B&H. {a $25 B&N Gift Card & 10 books in each package!!!!!}

I am honored and BLOWN AWAY that they would believe in and promote my book in this way. They were VERY supportive of “I Will Carry You,” and it means the world that they want to get behind this one in such a big way. It means a lot to me that a massive company like them would take notice of and invest in a writer like me.

So, all that to say, thank you to Barnes & Noble for your support, and if you were thinking of getting my new book, go ahead and grab it today while it’s cheap!!!!

Thank you all in advance…

Angie

Filed Under: Uncategorized, What Women Fear, writing

These Happy Summer Days

July 19, 2011 By Angie 54 Comments

I am at a place of contentment with my life that I can’t say I have felt in ages. I don’t know exactly what it is, and Todd and I are constantly talking about how we feel like there is so much on our plates and our calendars but we feel peace about it. We have been shifting things as we feel led to make sure we are keeping our priorities in check, but we feel like the Lord has given us extraordinary favor in being able to do what we love. I have noticed that so many times I read (and write) prayer requests and feel like I overwhelm you all with the things that are just hard. That’s definitely a part of being in community, but also, there is a time for praise to the Father who has given us all these good things. This is my public thank you to Him for allowing me to be a writer, which has been a dream of mine since I was a little girl. To imagine that He saw me even then, sitting on my bed and trying to think of things that rhymed so that I could run in and show my dad my latest masterpiece….and He knew that even now I would be smiling the same way.

I don’t take it for granted, Lord. None of it. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a steward of this great treasure…I pray I always bring Your name honor with my words.

To that end, today is a day of celebration!!!!!

A few hours ago I signed a new contract with Broadman & Holman Publishing for another 3 book deal!!! I cried and cried and cried because it was such a blessing. More than that I cried because Jennifer (my editor) told me that she was so proud of me and honored to work with me, but that she knew the truth and that she understood that my name on that paper was bittersweet. She wanted me to know she would rather have Audrey back too, and that all of this celebration has a pain that will never disappear. It’s okay. I don’t want it too. She is woven into every message I will ever be called to give. But to hear that the publisher who you are working with wants to be sensitive and aware of it? That is a gift of unspeakable honor.

I have a lot of writer friends here in Nashville, and we spend time at the pool, at coffee houses, at parties, and we talk about what is going on in the fickle world of all things music/creativity/writing etc where the market is so sketchy. But here’s what I love, and what spurred me on to write this post.

Several weeks ago we found out that our dear friend and neighbor Jon Acuff’s book Quitter had made it onto the Wall Street Journal’s Bestseller List. His amazing wife Jenny (who I go to the pool with every day and never ever get sick of. This is saying a lot). put up signs all over their yard for him for people to honk for a bestselling author and so all day long you could just hear this honking and it was so fabulous. We bought him a cake and had a twilight cake party poolside while telling him how proud we were of him. Then he and Todd posed for a picture with the very pink-looking cake and it didn’t turn out with the manly vibe they were going for so we didn’t post it. But I have it in the event I should need it.

Well, fast-forward a few weeks. Jon and Jenny know I am negotiating a book deal and know the details of it and all the concerns I have etc. They are praying with us and asking if we have heard anything. So one day we grab some whole foods for dinner and have too much so they swing by and eat with us (and then we go to the pool-sensing a pattern?). While we are eating I tell them I am about to sign the deal and they both screamed at the top of their lungs as if I had told them that they had won the lottery. They don’t know this but later that night I cried because it was so sincere, and I knew what it felt like to have someone genuinely celebrate you and have no sense of competition or insecurity…just LOVE.

Well, I had no idea that they were just starting. The next day they got a plan together and at 10:30 at night I saw a tweet with a picture of my front yard….they had pulled the ultimate summer caper. I waited to take pictures until the next morning, and this is what my lawn looked like…

Seriously.

So all day long there was honking and screaming and it just make me so happy. I think I was more excited about the feeling of community and what love really looks like than I was about the actual book deal (sorry B&H, you know what I mean ) It was just so special.

At Easter the Whittaker’s had kicked it off with a 11pm adventure by planting Easter eggs in all of our yards and having all the kids come out and find them.

It’s the coolest thing-to be a part of a community that lives life together in their jammies and with the kind of love that spends time showing the world how we are called to love one another.

It’s been a summer of redemption and healing for me in some difficult areas. I wasn’t expecting the radiant love that was waiting for me here, and I thank the Lord for it. Here is a picture of a group of us from last night…celebrating sweet Heather’s birthday.

That’s Jenny Acuff on the left, then Chris Alexander, Jacinda (Heather’s bff from CA), Heather Whittaker, Me, Ally Bergstrom, Marla Parker, Keely Scott and in front Jackie Brewster, Laura Morris, and Brandi Wilson.

May God bless you all with friends who celebrate with you, weep with you, and remind you of the sweetness of fellowship.

With so much love and fullness of heart,

Ang

Filed Under: Everyday life, Fun, writing