Book Launch Benefits

On a beautiful evening in August, we launched “The Unraveling of Reverend G.” Some writers don’t like to mess with a book launch—too much work when they’d rather be in front of the keyboard, creating fascinating plots and characters.

My incredible marketing team helped put the evening together. Genie, Melissa, Tricia and Patti. Then at the last minute—Katie, who offered her home and designed beautiful desserts. Cheesecake with blueberries. Reverend G’s favorite.

Like grandmothers showing off pictures, authors love to tell how they birthed the book and why, where the characters come from and what certain phrases really mean. It’s more than marketing skills, more than promotion. It’s almost pride in the finished product but gratitude for the opportunity to tell about it.

For “The Unraveling of Reverend G,” I said something that I always caution beginning writers to avoid, “God gave me this book.” But it was true. I had no intention of writing fiction. The genre that fits my gifting is nonfiction. Just the facts, ma’am. Tell the truth.

But one day I woke up with this story, and I knew it wasn’t from my own psyche. A character so real to me that I dreamed about her as she came to life on the computer screen. None of my usual outlining or prep work. Just sit down and let Reverend G tell her story.

So at the launch, I had the opportunity to praise God for the story he gave. I answered questions about the writing process and the reason behind the topic of Alzheimer’s and dementia. Hugs. Signed books. Pictures. Snacks. Friends from as far away as Oklahoma and China. A cadre of people who wanted to encourage me in the work and help make it successful.

Then the best part of the evening—the prayer of dedication to honor God and His promise from Zechariah 4:10, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”

The prayer of dedication blessed the book so that it will encourage caregivers, spread the Gospel of truth and remind us all of the fragility of life.

Reverend G says it best, “How can this be, Lord, that life has changed so suddenly? One moment we hunt for treasures. The next day, it seems, we give them away…I never thought my life would come to this, but you knew about it, before I was born. You saw this moment and designed enough grace for me to deal with it. Thank you, God.”