I’ll admit, sharing this post today feels a little strange. On the one hand, this is a weighty day for me: it’s the 6-month anniversary of my February accident. On the other hand, I’ve been glued to the news coming out of Afghanistan this past weekend, and my heart is very heavy.
So it almost feels dishonest to write a chipper promotional post for my debut novel when the rest of me is crying out, “Life is hard and the world is dark–Kyrie Eleison!” Don’t get me wrong: I am excited. But I need to acknowledge, just for a moment, the darkness and the pain just as frankly as I express my eagerness over my latest steps towards publication.
Life is hard. The world is dark. To pretend otherwise is sheer ignorance. But even as I call it like it is, I have to remind myself of this fact, too: this is still my Father’s world, and He has still filled it with a light and high beauty that no shadow can touch. That truth is one of my greatest comforts in these unstable times. I can’t bury my head in the sand, or deny myself certain joys and dreams simply because the world is broken. There are too many empowering stories to tell, too much good and worthy work to do. And I hope my story gives my readers the courage to not only face the grim realities of this world, but to embrace its joys and wonders, as well.
Now that I’ve given honest voice to those thoughts, I think I can move forward with this post and share two new developments with Operation Lionhearted:
NUMBER ONE–Last week my designer sent me three options for the novel’s front cover! As soon as I opened the file, my eyes went straight to one design in particular, and I ended up choosing that one. It’s so beautiful, guys. All the options were, but this one conveyed so much of Lindy Tremaine’s inner conflict and growth, I couldn’t help but love it. I can’t wait to share the cover reveal (and the ebook preorder!) in just a few more weeks.
NUMBER TWO–Here I finally offer the main point of this post: It’s time to sign up for the Operation Lionhearted blog tour! The tour will last from Monday, October 4, to Wednesday, October 13, the actual day of publication. I received several enthusiastic responses when I first mentioned this a couple of posts back, so if you’re interested in helping me promote my novel, please fill out the application here (or, if for some reason it doesn’t show up, just visit the link directly below this paragraph). Applications will close on September 1.
Sign up for the Operation Lionhearted blog tour!
I know A Writer’s Tale has pretty much revolved around my novel lately, but I do plan on writing some “normal” posts in September. I’ve been put on notice for jury duty next week, so I’m trying to get a bunch of writing, gardening, and baking done now in case I’m called in. But September should be quiet enough for me to devote some time and attention to new reviews and articles–at least until the blog tour starts.
Be strong and courageous this week, dear friends–and I’m looking forward to reading your applications!
Maribeth Barber Albritton 
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