To Leah, With Love...

Can I have your attention please?!  I am about to make an important announcement....I would like to introduce you to my book.

"To Leah, With Love..."

(front cover)

 

(back cover)

I have been a little apprehensive about sharing this.  At the same time I've been excited...does that make any sense?

So here is the story...

Leah is my cousin. We are pretty tight as far as cousins go. I lived with her family for awhile when I was college age and she was in elementary school. She came and lived with us for part of a summer when she was fourteen. I have always been nosey about her business and free with my advice. When she was in high school I wrote her some sweet sixteen advice about not wasting her kisses on frogs and saving them for her prince. I even gave her a necklace with a frog charm for her to wear as a reminder. Well I'm still not sure how much she actually took to heart but I know she made it through high school a happy girl with no major scars from the boys she dated.

So after Leah graduated from high school, we spent some time together right before she took off for college. I tried to give her every bit of wisdom I could in the short time we had together. Finally she said, "You are going to have to write all this down for me because I'm not going to remember it." And that is how this all got started.

So one day I sat down, said a prayer, and  began to write her a letter that turned into a book. The first copy I gave her was some computer paper pages clipped together. After two months at school I went to visit her. We read the book together with her sister, some of their roommates and friends. They all liked it and mentioned they wanted a copy. I didn't think much of it.

A few months went by and I decided I wanted to see what would happen if I sent it to Deseret Book, an LDS publisher. I worked hard to get it ready and then I sent it off. It took a few weeks to hear back that they had gotten it and they were considering it. Then after a few months I heard back that "they weren't interested at this time". I was rejected. It hurt. I felt dumb. I threw my manuscript in the garbage but kept the one in my computer files. Then in March I felt like I should finish what I started. I found a way to publish it on line by myself. So the past three months I have been working on it. I finally finished it, it came last week. Eden saw it and said, "Mom does that mean you are an author?" and I said "Yes, Eden, I guess it does."

As much as it feels like an accomplishment, it is also nerve wracking...almost embarrassing to know that my words are out there to be criticized and mocked. On the other hand, it feels great to know that what started out as a letter, written out of love for my cousin, could now benefit other girls as well. I totally felt the Spirit many times during the writing process. The night I thought it was finished, I couldn't sleep until I added two paragraphs. The words were clear and very specific. Even though I wrote the words, I know they weren't mine.
So there you have it. If you are interested in a copy, you can click on my book icon found here on my blog, or if you live close by, I can hook you up for $10.  Or you can leave me a comment with your email and I can send you a copy with a personal message. I can't guarantee it what it will say, it may be inappropriate, it may be Camden scribbles...but it will be a personal message. All proceeds will go towards our adoption fund...until we pay that off and then I will buy shoes.
Please...PLEASE do not feel obligated to buy one just because we are friends. If you know someone who would be interested, then by all means give them my link. Otherwise, just leave me a comment that reminds me that "I'm good enough...I'm smart enough...and gosh darnet people like me." I'm feeling a little exposed so that would be nice of you.