Vol 22: Lilacs in October
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Good morning, Friend. It's here! Okay, it's not here-here. It's just here. October. We are two-and-a-half weeks away from the official release of A Sea of Lilacs: Sorrow in Verse and Vignette. I am so excited to share this work with all of you. A Sea of Lilacs has been more than two years in the making. The easy thing to say has been, "It's a collection about losing my mother." That's true but perhaps oversimplified. It's also about grief and hope, about tears and laughter, about wanting death and wanting resurrection, about caregiving and needing respite, about losing and finding myself, about being lost and being found by Jesus. The entire journey, from pen scratch to publication, has been a desperate dichotomy. Friend, I want and don't want to remember. But etched indelibly on my heart, each piece in A Sea of Lilacs represents a specific moment I could recount to you. And yes, some of the content hard, because let's be honest: Losing someone you love is hard. Death is hard. Grief is hard. Hope is hard. But it is also good. It is also beautiful. If you read this collection, you may even smile. See, friend, A Sea of Lilacs is not intended to memorialize my mother (though I do hope this project honors her memory). It's intended to find the person in the depths of loss and despair, and to relate to them these truths: You are not alone; you are not the only one; hope is not lost. I've already connected with several folks in hospice communities about getting this book into the hands of caregivers and loved ones who need it (and if you know someone who works in hospice or another profession that might want a copy or two to pass along to grieving loved ones, please reach out to me. I'd be delighted to engage them.) One final note this morning. I debated sharing this, because honestly, it was an incredibly personal decision, but I think it's an important part of the journey: All proceeds (from now until the end of time) from the sale of A Sea of Lilacs will be donated. In fact, right now, in these two-and-a-half weeks prior to release, all pre-order sale monies (which will be donated) will be matched by CW and myself. I've already dropped the link six times in this email - maybe the seventh time is the charm. ;) I'd be honored if you'd consider pre-ordering your kindle or print copy of A Sea of Lilacs: Sorrow in Verse and Vignette. Lighter projects forthcoming, I promise. In the meantime, let me know when you've ordered your copy. :) There won't be a big launch party or release shindig - so this is it: This is the official culmination of the last two years of work on this project. Thank you for being here through it! From my heart full of Lilacs (an eighth time couldn't hurt) to yours, Sarah |