It's the final countdown . . .

Let’s start with a fun surprise!

The talented Julia Ruprecht drew character art for Nobody’s Ideal! This is the scene where Chel meets Clancy, the street musician she eventually marries.

And speaking of Nobody’s Ideal, release day is only TEN DAYS away. It kind of snuck up on me, but there’s still time to preorder a copy if you’d like to be able to dive in on April 21st.

I’m also going to have a short Instagram live party on release day and would love to virtually hang with any of you who are available! (There will also be an in-person party, so if you’re local and would like to come - shoot me an email.)

What if you’ve messed up your life so royally that you’re nobody’s ideal girl?

Rachel King might as well be a princess. Gorgeous and talented, with a grandfather who owns a luxurious seafood restaurant on the Washington coast, the world should be at her feet. But, due to the 2008 recession, her grandfather’s restaurant is foundering and his plans to save it involve creating a match between his granddaughter and one of four young men connected with the fishing industry. Furious, Chel develops a plan to drive her suitors away, but everything changes when she discovers that she is pregnant. Determined to escape both her grandfather’s suggestion of abortion and the baby’s father, she runs away and meets a young street musician named Clancy who offers her a new home as his wife. Desperate and unhappy, Chel agrees. But can Clancy protect her from her baby’s father? And will she ever be able to forget Barton Drossel, the man she has always loved?

Savior

It’s release month! And to be honest, I’ve never felt further behind leading up to a book launch.

But God has used this feeling of stress and helplessness to turn me back to Him and to remind me that He can bring this book to the right people and provide “success” regardless of how much time I have to promote it.

This is not to say that my efforts don’t matter. I firmly believe that God has placed us all in a sowing and reaping world and that effort and faithfulness tend to be rewarded.

However, I also believe that God is sovereign and that He is capable of doing far more than I ask or imagine. So I am praying that He will bless and multiply my efforts and send this book out into many readers’ hands.

Creation

The secret project manuscript is done! It clocked in at 55k words, and I am now in the process of editing it.

This book has been one of my most difficult to write. For whatever reason, I have struggled tremendously to transfer the story in my head into words on a page. And this has reminded me that like childbirth, no two “book births” are ever the same. No matter how much experience I gather, there will be stories that flow out effortlessly, and stories that don’t.

Odds and Ends

Recipe recommendation - Honey BBQ Chicken Things

I’ve probably shared this recipe before, but it is such a family favorite that I’ll share it again. It is easy and always turns out delicious, with a perfect chewy, crunchy skin. Note: the recipe says wings, but I always use bone-in thighs.

Bibliophile

Range by David Epstein (audiobook)

I have been loving this book and chatting about it to almost everyone I encounter. Epstein’s research about generalizing our skills, rather than hyper-specializing from a young age is absolutely fascinating. His narrative style, which details examples from many different disciplines (including jazz, chess, sports, business, and medicine) is captivating and immersive.

The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris (ebook)

Excellent overview of ACT. As someone who greatly benefited from cognitive behavioral therapy in my teens, I am grateful to be able to revisit some of the concepts as I navigate being postpartum.

At the Edge of the Village by Lisa Leidenfrost (ebook)

This is my book club’s pick for the month. So far I haven’t found it revolutionary, but it was written by a woman who lives in our town about her real-life experience as a missionary which is cool.

Yearbook

March sped past. We’re still adjusting to newborn life, but Katalina is sleeping much, much better, and we are finding a good rhythm.

Some of the highlights of this month were parenting class at my church, celebrating Juliet’s birthday, going out in Kyle’s boat on Holy Saturday, and a delightful celebration of Jesus’s resurrection with my sister and her family.

Instead of a question, can I ask a favor?

If you know of anyone you think might enjoy Nobody’s Ideal, would you consider forwarding this email to them? Release day is just around the corner, and I can use all the help I can get spreading the word.

As always, please reply to this email! Let me know what spring activities you are doing, artists that you would commission character art from, what God is teaching you, or anything else that comes to mind :)

Grace and peace,