Paperback News!

Guess what? Rare Bird is coming out in paperback on Sept 8!

That day is the four year crapiversary of Jack's death. No, the publisher didn't know or plan it that way, but these "coincidences" have ceased to surprise me.

I am honored to have both a hardcover and paperback of the book, and I hope this new release will get my account of raw, early grief in the hands of many more people who could get something out of it.

An exciting development is that there will be a brand new cover! Turns out sometimes a new cover translates better into paperback.

Here is the original hardcover. I loved the book jacket's orange accents and the image of 2 kids who looked exactly like mine. If you want the amazing story behind where we found the image for the hardcover, look here.

Here's the paperback:

I love it! I think it will look terrific on a glossy paperback. The only thing I think is missing is that cool subtle feather graphic that's under the title of the original.

The year since Rare Bird came out has been one of quiet growth for me. I spoke to book clubs, church groups, and met with people one on one to talk about the book and about life. The largest group was nearly 400 as I stood at the pulpit of my home church 3 years to the day from when I spoke there at Jack's funeral. I could feel the love and support in that room, and I'm grateful to each person who came.

Other get togethers took place in libraries, other church sanctuaries, and office buildings. I was honored to sit and listen at the kitchen table of a couple who had lost their beautiful daughter to suicide just a few months before and who both read Rare Bird when it was first released. One of my favorite book discussions took place inside a packed hair salon with multi generations of women sharing laughter and stories late into the night. Another was when my presence at a book club was bid upon at a charity auction.

The paperback edition has the same content as the hardcover, but it will also have a discussion guide in it that is ideal for book groups or for individual thought and journaling.

I don't know how it happened, but somehow Rare Bird turned out to be about more than just grief, and the year since it was released turned out to be about a lot more than launching a little blue book into the world. To me, it was a year of human connection and my spreading my wings. It helped me remember how much I love speaking to groups even if my voice wavers sometimes and my eyes get moist. It reminded me that there are many, many kinds of loss and that we all have a story to tell.

Thank YOU for being such an important part of my story and for all of your support this past year! For reading the book, for showing up at events, for following the blog, for encouraging me on Facebook (my second home) and for putting the book in the mail to friends and even strangers with the hope that it somehow could make someone else feel less alone.

P.S. The paperback is available for pre-order NOW from all retailers and is an amazing 51% off at Amazon today. That's only $7.42 with free Prime shipping!  I wanted to let you know about that deal as soon as I found out.