Day #6 Countdown to Book Launch - "This is Dedicated to . . ."

There are many reasons why an author will write a dedication to a person or persons that is part of a published book. As I put Seeking the Light of God's Comforter---When Challenges Dim Our View together, there could be no other choice than my friend, Tim Hansel.

I knew Tim from his writings, long before I had the privilege of meeting him. In March, 1983 when I turned over in bed one morning and went into a extreme internal vertigo attack, my life changed forever. The constant dizziness, punctuated at times with vertigo attacks, imbalance and other side effects and fear raised the question, How would I now "do life"?

I continued teaching, adapting the ways I organized my classroom - grateful I could still teach. About two years into this condition which  has remained with me these 34 years, I read Tim's book, You've Gotta Keep Dancing' and it enlightened my soul. Tim lived in excruciating chronic pain as a result of an accident while hiking in the Sierra mountains in California. He certainly faced the challenges of loss that came into his life, but he learned to rise above them, not in denial (no way to deny chronic pain) but in realizing one can choose joy, even when circumstances are not joy-filled or pleasant. God has given us that choice. He also gives the strength to make that choice possible.

 Tim was asked to write books to encourage others and I, and millions, have been influenced by them in the best of ways.

Tim did conferences - was high in demand for his charismatic and uplifting joyful messages that conveyed hope to those in attendance. I was able to get on a mailing list, hoping I might one day attend one of his conferences and experience him in person, possibly even meet him. Then. . . .

Tim and his wife, Anastasia sold their home in southern California to move to Seattle to care for Tim’s mother. She lived in the same home where Tim had grown up and she was in need of care. It was at this time, I met these two treasured friends. 

I had sent them a note offering help if they had a need. And one came up some months into my reaching out to "welcome them to the neighborhood". How could I have ever known, that my desire to simply go to a conference would turn into six years (2000-2006) of caring friendship (in person), that continued when the Hansels returned to California, and what has remained after Tim's death (2009) and to this day. 

Thanksgiving,  2000

2010 in California "on Tim's couch" beginning deep revisions in my manuscript 

The "Life Savers" teddy bear is a gift from Tim for a kindness I did. The photo is a header in the section of Seeking the Light that lists book resources that offer encouragement.

Tim

Friends for the journey are friends who understand the journey - through the joys and grief - and never turn away! 

Day # 5 Countdown Week - I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends!

The journey getting photos for my book was greatly enhanced by some friends who offered me their time and talents. I remain most appreciative.

There are some devotional texts where their message content was hard to represent with a photo. I asked my friend Dave Peterson, a talented artist, if he would do four sketches for me and he did. They are wonderful. A few years into the project, when I needed one more sketch, his talented daughter-in-law, Mary offered to render one that is a true delight. It will stay a surprise for those of you who get a copy or download an E-book version of “Seeking”.

Being Called a Friend

Having the Faith of Abraham

I needed a photo of someone playing a harp. Some plans to get an image of a harpist here where I live did not work out. As nice as that would have been, even better was getting the “harp photo” in San Diego, CA. Linda Hill-Phoenix has a ministry to those in hospitals and hospice centers. Prior to his death, my dear friend Tim Hansel (to whom my book is dedicated) had been in the San Diego Hospice Center and he and Linda became friends. She played her harp often in his room there at the hospice center. She also played her harp at his memorial service. 

Nine months after Tim’s death, I had the opportunity to be in the San Diego area. Anastasia, Tim’s widow and my dear friend, arranged for me to meet Linda and I took photos right on the grounds of the hospice center. What an unexpected but fitting place to meet her and to have her imaged in my book. 

Singing a Song of Zion 

There was also a need to film a “potter at his wheel” and my cousin, Teri, worked with a man who is a potter. Jamie Zach welcomed me to his home and small studio to film him at work. What a joy it was to watch him and to get the “perfect photo”! 

Fingerprints

A long time and dear friend, Bob MacPherson offered me time to come and take some photos of his workbench. He said it was a good opportunity for him to clean it off. That time went well and I included in the photo some tools I used years ago when I attended a vocational school and made a pair of shoes!! That is a book for another time.

I was thrilled to get home and import the photos and select just the right one. I sent it off to Bob knowing he’d appreciate seeing it. He did. He also told me it might be “good” to photoshop out the blue top to the Jiffy peanut butter jar we had used to prop up my first efforts at hand stitching on leather, which is the small red tool belt in the photo. We have laughed about that more than once. 

I will include both photos so you can smile, too! 

Beyond the Mountain of Affliction 

Coming up next . . .Day # 6 of my countdown to the launch of my book! 

Day # 4 Countdown Week: The Long and Winding Road

I was making some progress with my book when I attended an Arts Conference on Orcas Island, one of the San Juan Islands in Washington state. It was the summer of  2010.  At this conference I met Jerry Root, who had come from Wheaton, Illinois as one of the keynote speakers. He noticed I was using a cane and asked why. At the end of this particular conversation, he told me he was referring me on to his friend and literary agent. I somewhat gasped but felt it was a key moment in my journey. In fact I was so excited that I drove up to the top of Mt. Constitution where there is a panoramic view. On a clear day one can see Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker and up into Canada all in one swoop. That day,  Mt. Baker was out in all her glory and I took the photo that now images the last devotional in my book. 

Jerry's friend and colleague, Stan Guthrie was most receptive of my work but extremely busy at that time and referred me to an agent he felt would be a good match. Stan told me to stay in touch with him, which I did over the course of the next 6 years. He was a source of great counsel and encouragement and wrote a beautiful endorsement for my book. 

Doors opened and then closed. I felt God continuing to encourage me to persevere. My work was seen by two editors at two very well known traditional publishing companies. They appreciated my work. One publishing company was not doing gift devotionals. The other felt I was a risk financially, being an unknown author. 

There was one year I simply sat with no action in place but my trust. A door to self publishing potentially opened and I felt positive to wait on the completion of its birthing. However that door closed for me - and for them. 

Right at that juncture, Redemption Press ( a self publishing company that is here in western WA ) came to my mind. I pursued information, did a consultation and felt comfortable with their being the right publishing company to help me birth, "Seeking" 

October of 2015, the actual publishing process began. That, too, became a long and winding road to completion in December 2016.  

Many lessons have been learned along these year. The one that stands out the most is that Redemption Press was established in 2014. The staff, on the most part, are veterans in the self publishing business. 

All the roads that led me to them were important but also necessary delays as God was readying the intersection for his appointed purposes. 

Redemption Press was on its own "long and winding journey". It was not ready in 2010 or any of the other years I had passed through. 

Delays in what we are pursuing can be very frustrating.  Yet when God shows up at HIS appointed time - it makes the waiting melt away, the joy abound, and the lessons learned ones to tuck away to be used in the future as a remembrance of his faithfulness! 

Day #3 of Countdown Week!!

The first thing those who have gift copies of "Seeking" do, is look through each of the pages with the color photos. I have been with friends and smile to see this happening. 

I was adamant about having color photos in hopes they would be a first spark of hope that the world is still full of color, and our personal world - though dimmed with challenges - will have a return to vibrancy. There is hope to climb out of a black and white focused time. As real as working through challenges is, turning toward the light of God's care is the best direction to choose.

All my photos are ones I have taken, but not all were taken during the writing of the book. I reached back into my archives of photos and found ones that were a perfect match with a devotional text message. Other writings required I take a new a photo. There are a few devotionals that were written because I saw an image, and it became the impetus for the text message.

The photo that images the cover design, as mentioned before, was taken when I was in Israel in 1979. As I look through my book, it has the added advantage of being a photo chronicle of many treasured times that have come into my life from that 1979 year onward. 

There is a section in the back of the book where each photo is given credit, location, and year it was taken so you can travel through my treasured times with a bit of a bonus look. 

Here are a few photos that are a part of the book. I will put their devotional's title with them and a quote from the text.  Enjoy! 

How Am I Dressing These Days?

 "Help me remember you are leading me toward being dressed in your splendor. Amen"

Shadows

"Faith. Shadows. Both are gifts from God. Both are places where He dwells and invites me to enter in and share the security of a safe space with him"

Emmaus Eyes

"Christ endured brokenness so I can now walk with him. This reality truly gets my eyes opened. All else can fall into place, in his appointed time, as we walk together on the road that leads Home."

Serving the Lord with Gladness

Prayer: Lord, help me continue to make a joyful noise, praising you. Your faithfulness is known, received, cherished, and everlasting. Amen.

Day # 2 of Countdown Week!!

It all started in 2008. I had been invited to join the staff of volunteer devotional writers for Rest Ministries. This Christian online ministry offers resources for those living with chronic pain/illnesses. Now . . . nine years later. . . !!

Here (in photos) are behind the scenes fun from 2010. I had the opportunity to stay at a B&B away from home for 4 days. It was during this time I got the idea of how I’d do my four Introduction sections in the book. All it took was a bouquet of daffodils to spark my imagination. You’ll have a look at the printed book page that evolved from those 2010 moments.

Along the nine years, I created 3-ring notebook binders of the manuscript to give to those who said they would endorse the book. You’ll see that assembly line scattered all over my rug - but also a glimpse of other photos in the book (if you look closely)! 

Next - Day #3 Countdown Week - more behind the scenes scoops! 

Countdown to Book Launch Day - February 12, 2017

For those of you not on Facebook, I am posting here on my blog the same images and text that will be there as we countdown to the launch and wide-distribution of Seeking the Light of God's Comforter--When Challenges Dim Our View. Thanks for joining in as we head to celebration! 

Thank you to Shelby Bryant for putting the lettering onto my photo image! 

Welcome!!

Thanks for joining in as we celebrate the countdown to my devotional book's launch date which is close at hand! Each day I'll be posting a few facts - some fun and others practical - to help us get to Feb. 12. Then we can fling confetti into the air and praise God for his faithfulness in what has been a "long journey".  xo Lynn

Getting Closer to "Book Launch Day"!!

The Launch date for my book, is drawing nigh! 

 My CPA is giving me a "launch party" at a club where he and his family are members. It is on the water looking toward the city of Seattle! I have been busy doing the decor for the party - the fun part. 

The date is Sunday, February 12, 2017. 

We decided this to be the official launch date when the book will go wide distribution.

I am readying a FB author page for the week before the 12th to have those interested count down with me. I am readying an author page on Amazon although directing people away from Amazon for purchase other than the E-Book version. 

Amazon inflated my retail fee for the soft cover version by $17.00 and my hard cover version by $24.00 and giving me a profit of $0.59 whatever the print version.  Yikes!  I put the soft cover version online so people would know there IS a print version.

 I will be directing people to my publisher's website where the fees reflect what is true! 

Soft cover: $30.00 (the printer gets $21.00 of this fee)

Hard cover: $35.00 (the printer gets $26.00 of this fee)

E-Book: $9.99 (also this same fee on Amazon)

Here is a rundown of the 8.5 x 11 book's contents (also reflected in the E-Book version): 

60 devotional texts, each accompanied by a full page color photo that images the message in the text;

Book Resource section with over 100 titles!

Photo Credit section sharing the location and year each photo was taken;

Study Guide for Personal Reflection or Group Study, each text having its own follow up questions;

Further book ordering information;

Lynn's Spirited Comfort website address

At this time, the website is not quite ready to launch the same day. There have been delays beyond the control of me or the woman helping me. But it will come along in God's right time! 

It is exciting to bring you this update and I thank each of you for the prayers that have brought this project and me thus far. 

I was able to send out some gift copies of the book earlier than the launch date. 

Here are some bits of encouragement that have come back to me. How strange it feels to get the feedback (and so wonderful) when all the time these have been the hopes I have had for the book's purpose - to encourage those who read it. Now I am hearing it is. Praise God for that! 

1.  Wow!!! How beautiful.

1. The more I use your book the more amazing it becomes.

1. Oh, my! What a stunningly beautiful and tender book! 

1. I don't know how to explain it, but I was moved to tears throughout looking at the book, there is just something so magical and powerful about it.  I think it is just because you poured all of your own time, effort, and heart into it.

1. Lynn's very tender and comforting brand new book deserves to go viral.

1. It is so beautiful and your words and photos inspire and minister to me.

1. I finally began the journey with your book this morning. I'm teary and in awe of what has come up for me as I engaged the first question within the questions for the first devotional. Will come back to "part (b)" tomorrow! “Wow...if this is how engaging with Lynn's book is going to be, I'm even more excited to dive in!”

1. Praising God for birthing this into the world!

1. I think your book is so beautiful and worthwhile. Your style of writing is unique. It’s soft, yet challenging and filled with grace.

1. Your rest in Him propels your message. The photos and writing are powerful, indeed!  Breathtaking and compelling.  

1. Your book has brought comfort to my soul and the beautiful photos have cheered me up. 

1. Your writing is spectacular and I am thrilled to own your book. 

1. I am anxious to pursue copies for my [adult] children and we can discuss your message and encounters with the Holy Spirit in your spiritual writing. I am slowly reading and feel your spirit and deep faith  shared with me on every page of the book. 

1.   . . . just as I was crying out to God for help to stop the pain I was experiencing - one devotional, one prayer, one reflection stopped the pain for the remainder of the day. 

Enjoy some of the preparations for the party decor!!

Each table will have one of these flower bouquets seen here in a heap, about how I felt getting them completed! They will be placed on square mirrors with some pink and silver hearts scattered around and hot pink and hot orange votive candle glass with lit candles shining out their beauty.

My cousin has offered to take photos at the event! 

I have created photo boards that share the journey of my getting some of the photos for the book.

"Travel Accessories" is the first devotional in the book. Below is its photo image. It seemed a given to incorporate this as people come in to the event and get "busy" with some things before they head onward to enjoy the rest of the party time!