I’m a liar.

Don’t worry, I’m not pathological or anything — I’m more of the garden variety sort of fibber. You know the kind: When my girlfriend gets a hideous haircut and asks me how gorgeous she looks, I manage a weak smile and tell her she’d look like a million bucks bald. Granted, I actually do think she is beautiful no matter what, but did you see how I sidestepped the original question? Or, try this one on for size: When someone asks me how I balance my writing career with parenthood, I grin and say something to the effect of, “It’s wild and crazy, but I love it!” And you know what? It is those things and I do love it, but that’s not the whole truth. The whole truth would take me much longer to explain, and just might include a few tears as I come face to face with how difficult the balancing act really is.

I think we’re all liars. At least, a little…

(Image Credit)

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Okay, okay, I’m afraid I’m going to have to stop right there. You’ve just read the intro to a blog post I actually wrote for ReadingGroupGuides.com, an online resource for book lovers and (more specifically) book clubs. I just wanted to give you a little teaser so you’d hop on over to their website and check out the rest. Mean, huh?

Anyway, at the risk of sounding like an infomercial, RGG is a fabulous site filled with amazing resources to make your book club experience exceptional. It includes everything from tips on choosing what to read to monthly contests that allow you to register for a chance to win free books and chats with some of your favorite authors. Sweet, eh? I hope I’ve at least piqued your curiosity. Want to read the rest of my Truth and Lies blog post? Just follow the link: Truth and Lies.

And while you’re there, take a peek at the review of Far From Here on Bookreporter, RGG’s sister site. They assert that Far From Here is a great choice for book clubs… I’d have to agree. So much so that I have an entire tab on my website dedicated to Book Clubs. And if your book club decides to read Far From Here, be sure to contact me about the possibility of scheduling a Skype chat with your group. I love talking to book clubs!

Thanks for stopping! Have a fabulous weekend.

In spite of how amazing life has been lately, I have to admit that I’ve felt like a pretty bad mom these last couple weeks. Far From Here released, my mom had major surgery, Aaron traveled for work, we had a big fundraiser for school, not to mention hockey tournaments, a radio tour, interviews, and so much more. It’s hard balancing all the many aspects of a full and beautiful life, and though I know I should savor every day, sometimes I feel like I’m barely hanging on. But I came across this old blog post when I was feeling at my worst… And it spoke grace over me. I don’t know where you are today, if you’re on top of the world or kickin’ it in the gutter, but I hope that this little message of hope is meaningful all the same. It was to me.

(First posted on 10/22/10)

Though I love being an author, I would definitely say that my motherhood defines me more than any other aspect of my life. Someone once said that being a mom is like giving your heart permission to exist outside of your body, and I could not agree more with that sentiment. Every day when my eldest takes off for school and my preschooler packs his backpack for a morning of playtime and learning, my heart follows them out the door. And when I lay my baby down for a nap, I can almost feel the ache of the distance between us. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it’s true. I wonder if that’s why I sit on the far side of the couch in the living room–the side that is closest to his bedroom. Or why I turn up the monitor so loud I can hear every breath he takes.

However, as much as I love my children, I never quite feel confident as a mom. I fail them so much. Yesterday (after hours of hearing them whine and cry–it must have been a full moon), I yelled at my kids so loud I’m sure the neighbors heard. Actually, I am sure the neighbors heard–they were gardening in their backyard and all our windows were open. Bad mom. And sometimes I’m tired and I just can’t handle another “Why?” question. Why do we put gas in the car? Why can’t I have a friend over? Why aren’t we having something good for supper? Why did you put puppy seeds (translation: poppy seeds) in those muffins? So I put on PBS Kids and plunk them in front of the TV for half an hour. Bad mom. And though I try to feed my children healthy food, teach them good habits, read to them every day, and be Jesus for them in each and every situation, sometimes we have Macaroni & Cheese with hot dogs, I let them burp at the table, we watch Funniest Home Videos, and I fall short, fall short, fall short. Bad mom.

But the Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. He takes my meager motherly offerings and infuses them with his own amazing grace in ways that I will never understand. How can I be such a failure of a mom and still continue to watch my children grow in beauty and grace?

This morning my 1st grader was writing in his journal before school. He forgot it on the counter when his carpool showed up in our driveway, and I was blessed enough to have the opportunity to pick it up for him. It was open to a page with this written on it:

God has a plan for me. And I know it. God tolkt (talked) to my dad. And I thank (think?) God will tolk to me. My dad and mom love God.

Oh. My. Goodness. Wow. That’s better than hitting #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Better than a trip around the world or a million dollars. Better than… well, anything. Thank you, Lord, for moving in wonderful, mysterious ways. And thanks for whispering your grace into my children’s hearts even when I yell.

If you follow me on Facebook, you already know that I had a pretty amazing weekend. Sorry if this is redundant, but I’m so excited I just can’t help revisiting my fun news again. And again. Don’t worry, after today’s post I’ll restrain myself from bothering you with all the gory details… But I can’t promise that I won’t fall asleep reliving the joy for many, many nights to come. Yes, I know I am a complete and utter nerd. I’m fine with that.

Anyway, let’s rewind the clock a few days. Friday night I came home from the chaos of the school soup supper fundraiser (I was single momming it with three boys) and stole a moment to myself in the little girls’ room (don’t judge me — a couple minutes in the bathroom is the only alone time I get most days!). I did what I usually do in the bathroom… Leaned up against the counter and flipped through emails on my phone while my kids pounded mercilessly at the door. (“Mommy’s going potty! I’ll be out in a minute!”) This entire routine usually takes two minutes. Three if I’m lucky. But on Friday night I stumbled across an email from Facebook saying that my agent had tagged me in a post.

Not just any post. The post. The much-anticipated-dreaded-feared and longed for post that linked me up to the Publishers Weekly review of Far From Here. Let me just back up a minute and explain that no matter how much authors claim to not care about our reviews, we care. A lot. At least I do. After all, I don’t write in a vacuum, I write for an audience and if that audience doesn’t like my work, I’ve missed my mark a bit, haven’t I? Of course, we could debate for hours whether art is inherently beautiful in and of itself, and argue the merits of writing the stories of our hearts without getting bogged down in worrying whether or not our readers will enjoy it. But I won’t bore you with all that philosophizing except to say that I do read some of my reviews and I try to take them to heart. Honestly, as much as the one-star reviews sting (okay, cut like a knife and rip me to pieces), I can say that I have learned more from a couple of well articulated bad reviews than most of the rave ones. Thoughtful bad reviews help me to see weaknesses in my writing… But I won’t lie. I much prefer thoughtful good reviews. They are a balm to my soul.

When I saw that Publishers Weekly link as I hid rather childishly in my own bathroom, I almost didn’t want to click on it. Trade reviews are a big deal — they’re a way for the publishing community to wade through the hundreds of thousands of books released every year. And they can be pretty scathing. But I took a deep breath, followed the link, and saw…

A red star. A darling little cheerful momentous red star. According to PW, “a starred review indicates a book of outstanding quality.” I blinked, blinked again, and then erupted from the bathroom screaming. After my boys realized this was happy screaming and mommy hadn’t had a complete mental break in the bathroom, we sashayed to the kitchen and danced around the hardwood floor whooping at the top of our lungs. Even the baby got in on the fun and started smacking me in the head (apparently to try and keep some sort of time in the midst of our rhythmless jig). At some point my eight-year-old caught me around the waist and said, “Mom, why are we cheering?” I laughed. “Because mommy got a really good review!” He hugged me tight. “What did it say?” To which I responded: “I have no idea.” I hadn’t bothered to read the actual review.

Okay, enough of my silly narrative. Suffice it to say the review is gorgeous and I am thrilled and humbled and still kind of in shock. I’m going to let you in on a little secret here… When an author births a book baby and sends it out into the world, she desperately hopes with every agonizing breath that people will love her book baby. That readers will treat her book baby with respect and linger over sentences and whole passages that touch their hearts. That when the final page has been turned the reader will walk away from her sweet book baby somehow, in some small way, changed. And to know that even one person picked up book baby and saw her for who she truly was and longed to be is the greatest joy of writing.

Thank you, dear readers, for making my job so joyful.

Without further ado, the Publishers Weekly review of Far From Here:

Far from Here

Nicole Baart. S&S/Howard, $16 trade paper (352p) ISBN 978-1-4391-9733-2

This gorgeously composed novel is a candid and uncompromising meditation on the marriage of a young pilot and his flight-fearing wife, their personal failings, and finding the grace to move beyond unthinkable tragedy. Baart (Beneath the Night Tree) catalogs ample flashbacks with incisive details to develop Danica (“Dani”) and Etsell Greene’s relationship, making them appear to be the perfect couple: Etsell calls Dani his ground, his center, his home, and she equally worships her “golden boy.” In their tenth year of being together, Etsell decides to pick up flights in Alaska, the “place that had been the object of his longing.” Shortly thereafter, he and his plane disappear into the Alaskan wilderness, and Dani is forced to come to terms with her fears and grief, as well as the reality of her frayed marriage and the fact that her husband may have been lost to her long before he vanished. Surrounded by a delightful mismatch of the important women in her life, Dani must learn how “to survive in a place between,” mired as she is in the unknown: Is her husband dead, or is he simply gone? Baart’s mastery of images makes Dani’s grief, anger, and self-loathing brilliantly palpable. Pulsing with passion and saturated with lush language, Baart’s latest will leave an indelible mark. (Feb.)

Oh, my goodness… What a week. I’ve got a million and one things to do, so I’m going to make a bullet list of some of the highlights of the past few days and wish you a happy weekend!

• My mom’s surgery went great! Thank you for praying. She is in quite a bit of pain, and it’s going to be a long recovery, but she is still a walking miracle. Praise the Lord!
• The radio tour was a blast! On the internationally syndicated show we ended up talking about One Body One Hope the entire time, and there were a couple of hosts who wanted to grill me about The Snow Angel, but all in all I think it was a success. Have you ever spoken publicly, and then wondered afterwards what in the world you said? Uh, yeah. That about sums it up.
• Launch day was amazing! FAR FROM HERE is officially released into the big, wide world. And, wow, I’m blown away by the response. There is ONE copy left at Amazon.com. They sold out. Or, almost. Quick! Someone hop over there and buy the last one — and then scoot back here and tell me that you did it! I’d love to know who tipped it over the edge.
• I’m rocking the single-parent thing right now… And hope I can keep it up for a few more days. School soup supper tonight, and then tomorrow my two big boys have their first hockey tournament of the season. Woo-hoo! I have Gatorade, granola bars, and oranges bought, and we’re ready to pack up the car and head out for an entire day of hockey-mania. I love being a hockey mom. Go Tornados!

Thanks so much for celebrating my book release with me this week! I really appreciate all the warm wishes and encouragement you’ve sent my way. From emails to phone calls and even flowers from friends, this has been an amazing week. Thanks especially if you joined me in giving away a book (or two!). I’m loving the stories that are trickling in (I think you all must be shy — I’m receiving personal accounts instead of comments on blog posts!). Anyway, I’m excited to tell you about how I’ll be giving away books, too… But I’ll save that for another blog post. Also, I owe THREE special readers a signed copy of FAR FROM HERE. But since so many of the stories have been privately relayed, I’m going take care of those giveaways on my own.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Happy release day, everyone!

I’m so excited that it’s finally here! I know I’ve already confessed that launch day is usually a bit anticlimactic, but there’s a lot going on today. First of all, I’m touring the US via radio waves all day. You can check out my schedule on yesterday’s Radio Tour post. I’d love it if you would tune in! Also, in celebration of the release of Far From Here, we’re giving books away! (You can read all about it in my Celebrate Books Party post.) Pick an oldie but goodie off your shelf and surprise someone who could use a little pick-me-up. Or, what better day to purchase a copy of Far From Here? I’m going to be giving books away to the Christ Our Hope orphanage in Monrovia, Liberia based on how high the Amazon ranking for Far From Here climbs. If you are participating in the book giveaway in any capacity, please leave a comment below and tell me what you’re doing! I’ll let my random number generator pick THREE winners and send off signed copies of Far From Here as a way to say “thank you” for being a book lover.

I can’t stick around long today, but I do want to leave you with a little “gift.” A few months ago I claimed that I didn’t “get” Pinterest… But that has, uh, changed. Just a smidge. I’m not addicted or anything. Much. Anyway, one of the things that regularly pops up on Pinterest that never fails to make me giggle is the Ryan Gosling spoofs. You’ve seen them, haven’t you? They always start with “Hey, girl…” and usually go on to flatter some of the more prudish feminine traits (wearing sweatpants, knitting, lounging in your pajamas all day, etc.). They absolutely crack me up. Anyway, thought I’d try my hand at it for the release of Far From Here! I can almost pretend that Ryan Gosling endorsed my book.

Have a great day, everyone! Don’t forget to leave a comment about your book giveaway adventures!