At long last, my book project is fully complete! Super Center Savior has been a labor of intense joy and adventure. It began while we were living in Monticello, Arkansas, and it was finished earlier this year. Now, it’s heading to online stores, and I hope next month to some brick and mortar ones as well.

It will really depend upon you, my faithful reader of Notes from the Trail, my friends, my church, and acquaintances from sea to shining sea to help promote the book. It is a self-published project with Cross Books. They’ve been great, but honestly, we couldn’t afford the package with a publicist and hot air balloon.

So, if you see if popping up online in the Amazon store or Cross Books website, don’t order it yet! I’d like to pick a day soon to heavily promote it and ask everyone to buy it together on that day to help drive the sales and book up on the list of “best sellers” to create buzz and attention.

I honestly feel a bit weird and awkward about “self-promotion” of this nature. I’d rather get stung by a wasp. Ok, not really, but it is just as painful to me. So I’d appreciate the help. Leave a comment below if you’re interested in a copy or have questions about that book.

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“A book!? When do you have time to write a book?!”

An early mockup for the book.

That’s usually the response I get when I share sheepishly about a writing project I’ve been working on. I mentioned it in this blog entry in January 2011. It’s been a long time coming. I think I started it in 2008.

I love to write. That’s probably self-evident from this blog which I’ve maintained since 2005. Most people don’t realize that Notes from the Trail started the entire blogging revolution and is also responsible for hanging chads. I imagine you’re tingling from digital enthusiasm right now. My love for writing expresses itself occasionally here, weekly in sermons and semi-regularly in other venues. It has not, I repeat not, ever expressed itself on a bathroom wall.

With four years to work on a book, it should rival the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Harry Potter series, but mine is more shaped for my attention span. It will most likely come in at around 100 pages. It’s called Super Center Savior: The Joy of Living Between Sundays. I’m anxious about it, of course. We elected to go the self-publication route and chose Cross Books as our publisher. They’ve been amazing, and we’re grateful for their help. Yet all the details of publication far exceed anything I was prepared for. Page color. Cover design. Marketing. Phasers or tricorders.

The message of the book is intended for the Bible Belt. Christians who are more attendance-centric than intimate in their relationship with God will benefit the most, I believe. I’ve used a comparative analogy in the book of Wal-Mart and the church. There are both good and bad ways to compare and contrast the two.

As the last few weeks prior to the publication and promotion process wind down, it looks like it may be set for a December release. Feel free to ask questions, and I’ll respond here. I’ll also keep you updated on the progress. In the meantime, set aside $10-15 so that we can drive up sales when it is released. My goal for the first day is 10 copies… (hear that, mom?) It will be available online at Amazon and other outlets. If you have connections with bookstores, tell them to be watching for the promos for the book in publication circulars in the next few months.

Nuff said.