Just asking makes me nervous and giddy at the same time: do you want to join my launch team?

My second book comes out on February 16: The Gift of Friendship: Stories That Celebrate the Beauty of Shared Moments. It’s a collection of 52 stories both from me and many of your favorite bloggers—Crystal Paine, Liz Curtis Higgs, Tsh Oxenreider, Myquillyn Smith, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Lisa-Jo Baker, Jessica Turner, Lysa TerKeurst, Bonnie Gray, Holley Gerth, Renee Swope, and more!—illustrated with over twenty of my photos.

{That’s my friend Lisa’s backyard on the cover!}

I compiled this book at a time when many of my closest friendships were being tested and these were stories I needed to hear. Some make me smile and others make me cry, but all touch me deeply, which is why I selected them and want to share them with you.

I believe this book will encourage you in your friendships, both old and new. Its stories are arranged into nine categories: Building Community; It Takes a Friend to Be a Friend; Pursuing Friendship; Hospitality; Friendship on Purpose; What I Learned about Friendship from My Family; Vulnerability; Making a Difference; and Old Friends.

I pray you connect deeply with these stories and that they nudge you to step outside your comfort zone in the pursuit of friendship; to do what it takes to heal past wounds; to open the doors of your home and your heart; to love on the people around you; and to bask in the joy, the beauty, the gift of friendship.

I just know you’re going to love it!

Working on a book is a secret thing until the moment it’s revealed to the world. Many equate it to birth, when a baby grows for months, hidden inside, before making its much-awaited appearance. If you’ve ever put your heart and soul into writing a post and then trembled to hit Publish, or labored to create a special gift, hoping the recipient will love it too, you’ve tasted the nervous anticipation of a book release.

I didn’t have a launch team for The Beauty of Grace, which is one reason I’m ridiculously excited about this one. I’d love for you to hold my hand and help me launch The Gift of Friendship out into the world!

What is a Book Launch Team?

A launch team is a group of volunteers who help an author announce the release of her book.

What’s so special about a Book Launch Team?

Launch team members get to read a book weeks before it releases. Favorable feedback that you share both online and face-to-face will introduce The Gift of Friendship to many more readers than I could reach on my own. I appreciate your willingness to share this book with your people!

What’s in it for me?

You will receive a free, advance, hardback copy of the book so you can read it before it releases and tell others about it. You will also be invited to join a private Facebook group exclusively for launch team members where we can chitchat about the book and share our favorite stories.

What am I expected to do?

• Read the book
• Engage in the closed Facebook group for launch team members
• Spread the word face-to-face, online, and on social media

How do I apply?

CLICK HERE to apply! Launch team members will be chosen from these submissions for the limited number of books available. Watch for a follow-up email in the next couple of weeks with details about the private Facebook group, when you can expect to receive your copy of The Gift of Friendship, and more!

I believe in this book’s message about the power and importance of friendships. When my editor first read it she said it was “like reading sunshine.” I can’t wait for you to read it too, and share it with your friends. Your willingness to help spread the word is a gift to me—I thank you in advance.

If you don’t wish to join the team but would like to pre-order a copy, you can do so now at the following retailers:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | DaySpring  | CBD | Parable  |  Books-a-Million | Givington’s

{It’s not too late to take advantage of the book bonuses I’m offering for December orders of The Beauty of Grace and pre-orders of The Gift of Friendship!}

Feel free to ask any more questions about launch teams in the comments.

[Disclosure: Some links are paid affiliate links.]