A good Monday morning to ya!
Completion of the initial rough draft of BOOK #2 is almost done! Happy Himself will soon be in full editing stage. I will announce more details about its publication later. However, here are a few quick facts to know....
1. Happy Himself is a "coming of age" middle school story that will be appealing to kids of all ages, but specifically relatable to pre-teens and adolescents.
2. Happy Himself will be a fun nostalgic trip for adults that were 90s kids. Adults of all ages can enjoy this one too. This is a "feel-good" story that immerses you in a world we all once knew.
3. Happy Himself deals heavily with the themes of identity/self-esteem and bullying.
4. I use many of my childhood/middle school stories to help provide filler and plot for this story. So, in a way, many of the stories contained in this book are true.
5. Happy Himself presents the gospel in an appropriate and effective way, not forced, but it is clear and natural.
In a nutshell, I'm excited about this story. It is going to be quite the departure from the mood, style, and maturity of The Chaser. What I have loved about writing this story is revisiting the faith I had as a kid navigating middle school, specifically in the early 90s. This is where my reliance on God grew and the ownership of my faith really began to mold.
I have been reading each completed chapter to my children as I finish, and I'm thrilled to see how interested they are in the story. But, I'm also pumped how easily they are making the connection between their faith and the object lessons and moral conundrums of the story.
Stay tuned for more information about Happy Himself. You can also read up on the story HERE.
If you haven't read my first book, The Chaser, pick it up HERE, today.
