Hope Heals—How I became part of a book launch

I just finished reading my copy of “Hope Heals” by Katherine and Jay Wolf, yesterday.  I will be writing a full review sometime soon.  I want to make sure I do the book justice and I may even reread the book before I write my full review! 

In the meantime, I’ll tell you this much—they have an amazing story and I think everyone can learn from their hard earned wisdom.  On April 26^th, you need to buy a copy and a box of Kleenex!!!  (This book is one of the few books I’ve read that I think could even make a grown man cry!)

I’ve had some people who have asked how I came to be a part of this launch team.  I thought, before I share my review, I should share my story of how I got involved!  I also will be sharing a way YOU can help us launch this book at the end of the blog. 

I cannot tell you the exact date that I heard of the Wolf’s story.  I know that it was after I was dealing with my greatest suffering.  I had survived the worst my illness had to throw at me; but I still had so many great challenges to overcome, so many abilities to regain (some abilities that I’m still fighting to regain!).  I was thankful for the fact that I had survived, but unsure how I could continue to fight.  I was weary.  As I was scrolling down facebook, I saw where Joni and Friend’s ministries had shared a short film about a young couple in which the wife had survived a massive and nearly fatal stroke.  (The link is actually here—so I guess I heard their story first in December 2013-- http://www.joniandfriends.org/blog/jay-katherine/ )

As I watched the story, I couldn’t help relate to my own suffering.  Though there were many differences, I could see many similarities to my own story.   I too was young, in the age range when most people have no realm of physical suffering, having to relearn physical tasks most twenty-somethings give no thought to having to lose.  Yet, Katherine had to relearn things—like eating—that I had thankfully never lost.  I found myself thinking “the same God who brought her through her suffering; is the same God who will bring me through mine.  If she can find the strength to rely on Him, so can I.”  On top of that, I was so encouraged by the way Jay loving served her and helped her as her caregiver; the Christ-like love in their marriage was so vivid and beautiful, in many ways more beautiful because of their suffering.  Though I didn’t know them personally, and we were on opposite sides of the country, I somehow drew from their strength and courage. 

Because their story touched my life so much, I signed up for email updates.  I found out that they had begun a ministry to help other stroke survivors, as well as other people who were enduring suffering of all kinds.  “Hope Heals” was the name, and it was based on Hebrews 6:19—“Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast”…they had discovered in their suffering, and the message they wanted to share from their suffering, was that we as Christians have an unshakable hope that isn’t determined by our physical circumstances; and that our Hope heals us Spiritually, even when physically we may have permanent scars and disability from our suffering.

On February 18 of this year, I received an invitation to fill out a form to join their launch team, for the book they were publishing that shared in detail, in alternating voices from Katherine and Jay, everything that they went through personally and as a family during and after Katherine’s stroke, and how they served a God who is bigger than their devastating circumstances.  I was in a hurry that day, and honestly felt like I was probably ill equipped to be a part of this launch team because I’m not the best salesman, but I could not ignore the tugging in my spirit that I needed to fill out and enter that form right that very minute.  Much of the form included the primary information—name, address, etc—but there was one box where you were supposed to include why you wanted to be on the team.  I had so little time, and wasn’t sure how much to include (after all they’d be reading A LOT of these) but I tried to briefly explain what their story meant to me and why.  I didn’t know much about the selection process but I knew I would hear on or around February 22^nd. 

February 22^nd was kind of a busy day for me, and I didn’t give much thought to it until that night as I was getting ready for bed.  When I realized that I hadn’t heard from the launch team, I assumed that must be I wasn’t on it.  However, it came in sometime after midnight that I was on it—and when I read the email I was ecstatic!  I also found out that they had to shut down applications early because the response was overwhelming. This means had I waited until the next day when I was less in a hurry, it would have been too late! 

This experience has already meant so much to me.  I believe in the power of their story, I believe in the Hope of Jesus that brought them through this difficult time.  The launch team packets were so gracious, so personal, and being the avid reader that I am, I get giddy when I see “advanced readers copy” on my copy of the book!  I’ve been an avid reader for as long as I can remember, and yet this is the first time I’ve had a chance to be a part of something like this launch team, to actually get to be among the first to read a book!  On top of that, the launch team members have been able to share their stories of hope within our group, and those stories have been a blessing to me that I didn’t expect when I signed up for this journey.

If you are interested in their story and would like to help them get this book of the ground too, I have a way that you can help!

Pre-order the book now and those sales will all be counted toward the opening week numbers (on April 26th), just like opening weekend box office numbers for movies. The more sales early on, the more likely there will be future printings of the book, preferential placement in book stores, and mainstream exposure on book lists and in media. To say THANK YOU for pre-ordering they have compiled some really fun goodies if you order 2 or more books, but they're only available for a LIMITED-TIME! 

Today the launch team was informed that the Amazon preorders are doing GREAT (praise God!) but their publisher has told them that Barnes and Nobles is lacking in preorders.  The amount of pre-orders at barnesandnoble.com will determine the amount that they stock in store and how prominently they display the books in their stores.  I personally feel like getting this message of HOPE out in a non-Christian bookstore is extremely important.  Can you imagine how many people may be going through situations similar to the Wolf’s that may need to hear this story, who may not travel into a Christian bookstore, but would stop by Barnes & Nobles?  Let’s give them a chance to hear this story about a life changing HOPE and let’s get these preorders up!  Also, at less than $18, it’s one of the better prices for preorders, so that’s so if you want to buy the book anyway, so you win in this deal too!

If you want to purchase from Barnes and Nobles, please head over to

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hope-heals-katherine-wolf/1122239244?ean=9780310344544  and put in your order. 

If you order at least TWO copies— a copy for yourself, and a copy for a friend—you will qualify for free shipping at B&N and for some goodies through Hope Heals.  There are even more incentives if you choose to order 4 or 8 books!

So after preordering the book, head over to www.hopehealsbook.com and enter your purchase information, and you will even get a PDF of the book to read right NOW! 

Thank you so much friends!