Well friends, I’ve got a treat for you today! Shann Ray is a friend, a poet, a systems psychologist, an award-winning novelist, a dad and a husband. And y’all, after spending a week together at Collegeville Institute, not only did I know he was the real deal, but I knew I wanted to host him in this space. So, cozy up and read about him and his new book of poetry, Sweetclover, then leave a comment at the end for a chance... Read more
This morning, my oldest son and I dropped his younger brother off at preschool before heading to the gas station, the coffee shop and his school. But today’s visit to his elementary school was different, because we didn’t walk through its doors – and neither did 467 of his classmates. As you may have seen on the news, Oakland public school teachers are on strike …and as a family who benefits from the local public education system, we too have... Read more
It’s Tuesday and you know what that means – I’ve got another author to feature here on my Patheos blog. Aubrey Sampson recently released The Louder Song, which is a book about a topic some of us tend to avoid but all of us need to embrace: lament. I write about lament in my book, and am so glad to see others are writing about it too. Check out the interview with her and leave a comment at the end to win... Read more
Perhaps like you, my prayer life has had about a million different faces over the years. Growing up, prayer looked like closing my eyes and holding hands around the dinner table and saying ThankyouJesusforthisfoodandforthisfamilyAmen as fast as humanly possible so we could eat the food in front of us. Beyond that, it was boring, uncertain, nonexistent. What was prayer but something I was supposed to do in order to illicit a desired response? By the time I got to high school, I... Read more
Well, friends, it’s official: The Color of Life is now out in the world for public consumption. As I told one friend on the phone this morning, in a way, I feel like my job here is done. There’s nothing I can do or say to make you read my book. I can’t fine-tune my words anymore, nor can I offer the world’s coolest giveaway (although this one, I must admit, is pretty high up there). I did the work.... Read more
This last week, marketing passed along endorser images to me. With The Color of Life releasing in just a couple of days, I’ve pretty much been reduced to a ball of emotions, good for nothing but singing “Shark Attack” with my four-year old and reading Ultimate Body-Pedia over and over again with my six-year old …which is exactly what I should be doing right now anyway. After all, my book is just another book – but it’s just another book... Read more
Friends, I’ve got a FANTASTIC book to pass along to you from another dear writer friend. As I said in my endorsement, Uncluttered by Courtney Ellis is somehow raw, relatable and hilarious all at the same time …and I don’t know about you, but that’s exactly what I need and want from a book sometimes! Check out this interview with her and head over to Instagram in a couple of days for more chances to win a copy of her book. — Tell... Read more
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like I’ve got every reason to hate. I’ve got every reason to choose hate when I turn on the news and all I see is a vitriol of mockery strewn across the faces of young people as they stand before the elders of their land. I’ve got every reason to choose hate when every encouraging comment about my book means a retaliation of five more discouraging comments, when perfect strangers seem... Read more
I’ve got another treat for you: meet Kristy Robinson, a friend from the Ruby Woo Pilgrimage and one of the authors of Hermanas. She joins us for an interview and book giveaway today. Check it out! — Tell us a bit about yourself, will you? I’m a Mexican American woman who grew up in South Texas, straddling the border of the U.S. and Mexico. It is still where I call home. I’ve spent the last 15 years doing college ministry, most of... Read more
In just over two week, The Color of Life hits bookstores near you …and as I’ve been saying to the launch team, on podcast interviews and in one-on-one coffee shop meetings alike, more than anything I hope that this little book sparks conversation. I hope that the stories of real, live, fleshy people spark something new in our hearts and engage our minds in new ways of thinking, maybe for the first time. As such, I’ve got three quotes (plus questions of... Read more
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