Tuesday, May 29, 2018

The Birth of a Book

This is so exciting! I can finally tell you - the water has broken, and I am pleased to announce the birth of my 12.8-ounce book It Is What It Is - An Inspired Guide to Transforming Your Life. And now it’s up to you! What do I mean by that? Since I'm self-published I don’t have a marketing team working with me, and I can only do so much. I would rather continue to write and advance the next chapter, so to speak. If you enjoy the book it will be up to you to be part of something much larger - my marketing team!

Once you’ve read the book, I would like you to consider how you can share the love. If you felt it would be a good read for someone you know, pass it along or buy them a copy and ask them to pay it forward. I would also appreciate it if you would go back to Amazon and comment on this book as that's how books move up in the rankings which will help get this book seen by more people - my intention from the very start. And just so you know, I'll share the love on my end by donating a portion of the sales of It Is What It Is to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation Research Education and Support Fund, and Seattle Children’s Hospital Uncompensated Care Fund.

I've been updating this website for the book release. Please note my pages have been moved under the header photo and now appear as tabs, and there is an additional page entitled Book Buzz. I've also made it easy for you to buy - just click on the book in the right-hand column.

With the hope of helping others be the best they can be by learning from the circumstances of their lives, I can finally share my very personal journey with you.
A sincere thank you for buying It Is What It Is,

Michelle  ðŸ’š
3D It Is What It Is photo courtesy of Jim McDavid

Monday, May 21, 2018

Sharing Joy

When I received the proof of my soon to be published first book, It Is What It Is, I didn’t read through it right away. I placed it here and there around the house we were staying at so I could see it wherever I may be. I made sure it was the first thing I saw in the morning and last thing I saw at night. It made me smile from the inside out to see it as a real book - just as I had imagined.

Days later, when I finally held my book in my hands to read, I didn’t get past the first few lines of the preface before tears streamed down my face. As I began reading, missing key loved ones who have died and not being able to share my book with them surfaced and filled me with an instant waterfall of tears. These loved ones were people I always shared my joys with. They were friends and family members that had impacted my life in significant ways as I grew into the person I am today. The tears subsided as quickly as they began the moment I realized what started the waterworks. The brief feeling of melancholy turned to an overwhelming feeling of love. Some may have died years ago, some more recently, but I still feel the love they all had for me. And you know what? I could hear them cheering me on and feel them sharing my joy as I read each word.

Michelle

Book status: the second proof has been ordered and I will receive it soon. While I’ve read the manuscript many times, seeing and reading the real thing showed me a few things I still needed to take care of. But after the second proof, I’ll let this child of mine out into the world. It's been quite a long birthing process! I know there will always be something for me to catch as if it was an insane puzzle constantly hiding errors - word processing can seem to have a mind of its own!  I just have to remind myself to get over it because it doesn’t need to be perfect - it is what it is. I’ll let you know when I have the release date...

3D It Is What It Is photo courtesy of Jim McDavid