Hmmm, OK. So, you all know about my book deal…right? Well, today I got to read my first official review of my manuscript and the comments that the editors left for me. I would be lying if I said that I just got that email today. I actually got it last week…I just got the courage to open it today!

My fingers were literally shaking as I pressed the buttons to open that PDF file. For one thing, it is highly stressful to let other people read something that I have written. Even these blog posts are difficult for me to publish sometimes. Y’all know I am an open book…and I’m OK with it to a point. I don’t mind writing funny things or sharing true stories with all of you. It’s fun most of the time…but then there are days like today when the depth of my openness is revealed and it makes me a nervous wreck! Reading the opinions of people who are paid to give those opinions…is by far one of the scariest things I have ever done in my life!

I took a deep breath and then I let me eyes scan the page. Tears gathered in my eyes as I read the words on that page! The editors had liked my work! They really liked it! Here is a little of what they had to say:

“Manuscript’s Strengths

• Readers will gravitate to the author’s love story with her late husband, and ways God helped her live again after his death, through her moving Introduction page. She conveys honestly the difficult journey she endured after his death, but also shares a spirit of hope in the content to ignite readers’ hope in her progress as well.

• The author leaves her raw emotions on each page of her book, detailing the full extent of her pain and sadness, but still holding true to the belief that God is still there and loves her. Each page, little by little, shows the author’s attempts to continue with life and God’s intervention to make this mission successful.

• The letter discussing the marital issues the author and her late husband endured in their marriage (Chapter 11) shows the difficult sides of marriage that can happen to people at times. It will also exemplify God’s presence even in this”

Uh….WHAT?!! I can’t even begin to tell you how blown away I am by this review! It makes me really excited to know that in a couple of months I will be holding this BOOK in my hands. I have tried really hard to keep the story itself under wraps…and I will continue to keep the details to myself for a while longer. I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who might want to read it, but reading this review you can see what the book is about.

Please excuse me while I go have an exceptionally long panic attack! To say that I am scared to death of this book and the honesty that I am so boldly sharing with the world is putting it nicely. I am terrified of showing all of you the real me behind the smiles and laughs. All I can do now is sit back and pray that God has a plan for this book and accept His will for what He has planned through the sharing of my story.

Seeing that great review made my day. I hope that the finished product will be good…and I hope that I don’t have too many panic attacks along the way! I am very humbled…and very thankful for this gift God has given me. I guess we will see where it takes me down the road.

I would like to say ‘Thank You’ to all of you who read my material. Some of you get to read more than others because I am an instant feedback type of girl sometimes. I like to know that what I have written resonates with the reader. So, to those of you who I have asked to read my stuff privately…thank you! Our secret will go to the grave!

To those of you who check your e-mail everyday and get disappointed because I have been busy…or lazy….and haven’t written anything new for the day on this blog…Thank you! I don’t deserve your support, but I sure do enjoy it!

To those of you chomping at the bit to read the finished book…Thank you! You keep me encouraged and you are the wind in my sails. I sure have been tempted to pull the plug on this whole deal a couple of times. That’s fear. I refuse to live in fear…so I just keep going. Even if it takes me a week to open a dang e-mail! Ha!

And, please…don’t mind me. I’ll just be over here biting my nails off into the quick…and rocking back and forth in a trance. I’m sure it will pass eventually….right? Fear, they say can be paralyzing…but I am still breathing….and blinking….and rocking….so…..I’ve totally got this! I just need, like six months or so to get myself back together! LOL!