That Thing I Was Never Going to Do (A crazy, exciting, slightly terrifying announcement!)


Raphael
How’s that for a teaser?

First, happy feast of the Visitation! It's one of my favorite little feast days of the year and it's the perfectly appropriate day for the news that I’ve been waiting and waiting to share here. (And no, I’m not pregnant though it does kind of feel extremely similar sometimes!)

For about a year now I’ve been working on something – something I never ever thought I’d do or was even capable of doing. It’s a project that I’ve thought for years someone needed to do but it sure as heck wasn’t going to be me. I didn't think I was qualified and I definitely didn’t have the time. And then someone else put it realistically in front of me and asked me to do it. After a lot of discernment and “well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt to just try to see if it’s possible,” you guys, all through Him, I did it.

I wrote a book. 

And someone wants to PUBLISH it.

Slowly and steadily every Saturday morning, I’ve slipped away from the house for a few hours at the crack of dawn to write my passion. Every Saturday morning before writing I sat before Him in Adoration giving the time to Him and asking that it be used however He wanted. I told Him over and over that if He wanted this done He was going to have to be the one to do it and make it abundantly clear to me that it was His will. And then I would spend the next hours writing and researching and writing some more. It was crazy. It’s been probably the hardest thing intellectually that I have ever done but at the same time He so clearly blessed that time. There’s no way I could have done it otherwise.

Sooo, what's it about? In short, it's a Catholic book on - what else? - birth. It will explain why birth matters so much to us as women and even as Catholics and how our own personal births can be infused with our Faith, from the way we prepare, to the choices we make, to the way we live out our own feminine genius in our unique birth experience. It's a book on birth that talks about women as whole persons - body, mind, heart, and soul. It’s meant to help women see how God wants to work in their birth no matter what kind of birth He calls them to have. It’s not a “Catholics must birth this way” book. While I think it will be especially helpful for first time mothers, my hope is that it will help every mother, whether this is her first or twelfth baby, respond to the invitation that God wants to work in and through her birth in her own unique circumstances. Included are stories and experiences throughout from dozens of real life women (many of whom you might recognize!) sharing from their personal experience of birth.

Several months ago after a proposal process and approval, I signed my name on a contract and got a legit fancy book deal. Our Sunday Visitor, the largest English Catholic publishing company in the world, loved what I had submitted and they want to publish it. What?!? I am now working with them to finish the book that’s been stirring in my head and heart for almost a decade. It’s slated to be released in early spring of 2018 which feels really far away right now but I'm told it's pretty standard timing. 

The great thing is that it’s already mostly done. While some people are totally confident getting a contract and sharing that they are working on a huge project right from the beginning, that is not at all me! I work way better without the pressure of people knowing about it and I needed the freedom to be able to see if I could even do it before sharing with people. In fact, almost no one but my husband knew I was working on it for nearly a year. A few weeks ago I submitted my whole complete manuscript to my editor and very soon we will begin the editing process. I anticipate that it’s going to be fairly tedious and very challenging but if God’s shown me anything through all of this it’s to trust that if it’s His will, He will be there every step of the way and give me the grace to do the work. 

I would absolutely love love love your prayers and support on this project. It’s in so many ways overwhelming, intimidating, and there are moments I lie awake at night wondering if I’m absolutely insane to be doing this. It still all feels surreal and it's kind of terrifying putting myself out there like this. I mean, it's one thing to tap away on my little blog but it's a whole other world to publish a legit book, especially one on a topic like this! But I know if it’s His will, and He’s been so good to me showing me that it is, that it will happen despite my fears and shortcomings. It's a huge invitation for me to step out of the boat and onto the water. Please pray that it is everything He wants it to be. That's truly all I want. Thank you so much to those of you who have been reading with me here for so many years. I’m so grateful and excited to share this news with you and hope that I can count on your support and prayers in this crazy new journey...I'm going to need them!

(You know you've picked a great publisher when this is the first thing at the top of the new author packet. I have been so incredibly impressed with every interaction and communication with them.)

43 comments

  1. Congratulations on the book deal! I've had a friend publish a number of books with OSV and he's loved working with them. Excited to read the book when it comes out! Birth is a subject near and dear to my heart, and I'm planning on writing more about it as we move into later pregnancy with this baby.

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    1. Thank you!! May God bless this pregnancy and birth! Looking forward to reading what you write, too :)

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  2. Congratulations, Mary! How exciting!

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  3. Mary!!! So wonderful!!! Congratulations and prayers, my friend!

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  4. Oh that's awesome! Good work!! I'll certainly read it when it comes out :D

    --Maria

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  5. Wonderful NEWS!! Congrats!! Can't wait to read it!!

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  6. I'm so glad it's official. Super duper excited for you, Mary. Can't wait to see what God does with this labor of love. ❤️

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    1. Thanks, Micaela! Your support and friendship means so much!

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    2. "labor." HA! Love it.

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  7. Oh wonderful, great publisher :-) xx

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  8. Good for you Mary, what a beautiful achievement!

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    1. Thank you so much, Jenny! It's so overwhelming but just trying to take one step at a time!

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  9. Impressive! Congratulations!

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  10. Congratulations!! I've been reading your blog for years and have been immensely touched by everything you've written about marriage and motherhood. I look forward to reading the book!

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  11. I'm so excited for you, friend! This is an especially awesome topic and I'm glad OSV recognized it and picked it up! Continued prayers for your writing and editing processes!

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    1. It was my pleasure! I hope that I was in some way helpful. I'm truly happy for you in this endeavor!

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  12. This is really just so wonderful! You are a fabulous writer and have such a gentle and wise voice. I always feel like I'm having s little visit over tea with you when I read your blog. God's blessings on this work and know of my prayers for you and your family!

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  13. Fantastic!!! I've been saying for years, ever since I read Ina May before my first baby was born five years ago, that this book needed to exist. Congratulations!! Small problem: one of my best friends is due with her first child in December and needs this book before 2018! Help! Could we get a preview? Doesn't hurt to ask, I figure :)

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    1. Thank you! I felt the same way! I hope in some ways that this book can be a sort of Catholic version of hers. I'll see what I can do! It feels so far away and I'd love for it to be out sooner but I'm trying to just trust that the timing is this way for a reason!

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  14. Mary, this is FANTASTIC news!!! I can't wait to read this. I love that you flat-out state that it's NOT a book that makes birthing choices the equivalent of moral imperatives. Can't wait to tell my sister, a hopeful future CNM, about this!!

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  15. You write beautifully for your blog. I'm sure your book will be wonderful as well! Best wishes and I'll be praying for you!

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    1. Thank you so much for that vote of confidence! I appreciate it so much!

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  16. Praise God, Mary! It's been on my heart to leave a comment to ask if you may have felt the Holy Spirit leading you to collect your work for publishing! Your words are anointed, life-giving, healing, and real. Thank you for taking this generous step with the Lord. He is so good and delights to be abundant with us! Again, thank you so much for your generous response. Please know that I will be praying for you. I wonder if a few appendices might work in the book - particularly your insights on wives fighting for their husbands, and the beautiful post you wrote on receiving the sex of your child as a gift from God. Perhaps they'll be for the next one! :) God bless you!

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    1. Thank you so much, Sister! That is so so kind of you to say. Your prayers and encouragement are very much appreciated (although right now, one book is MORE than enough for me, ha! ;)

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  17. Congratulations! You'll be in my prayers. Sometimes we are called to do things that seem insane. ;)
    Just keep letting the Holy Spirit guide you. I often come back to your blog entries on birth. As a matter of fact I was just looking through some because I'm due this month with #5, and I'm getting very emotional lately and finding that I need some inspiration again. As your loyal Eastern Orthodox reader and a total natural birth junkie, I know I am looking forward to your book!

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    1. Thank you, Kristine!! Ah, so soon! I hope you have a WONDERFUL birth!

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  18. I thought I already posted my congrats but I don't see it here - congratulations! So exciting!

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  19. Congratulations!!

    I totally understand your need to keep it a secret until you were done. I spent over four years writing the novel I'd dreamed of writing my whole life; but during that time, only my husband and my boys knew about it. I didn't even tell my own parents or siblings. I was so afraid that if I didn't finish it before people knew about it, I would never finish it. I never really expected it to be published anyway.

    I know just how you feel about "putting yourself out there." Expext that you will feel very vulnerable when the book first comes out in print. My stomach was in knots for a few weeks.

    You write so beautifully on this blog; I have no doubt that that this book will be wonderful and will do much good. When you put everything in God's hands the way you did, how could it be otherwise?

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    1. You get it! Yes, it's been quite the emotional journey. Thank you so much for the encouragement and support!

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