If you Loved Sugar Birds—Or Hope To

Two years ago this week, my debut novel Sugar Birds first entered the world via an indie publisher. To my great joy, the book captured imaginations, won more than a dozen industry awards and traveled abroad to become an international bestseller.

Last year, my wonderful agent Cynthia Ruchti found a new home for the book at Tyndale House, whose teams quickly went to work prepping Sugar Birds‘ new edition. Indie copies of the paper and ebook formats were pulled from the market.

This coming October, the book will re-enter stores under the Tyndale imprint—with a teaser from its forthcoming sequel in the book’s back matter.

Kinda like having your daughter and her husband return from a year-long honeymoon . . . pregnant.

Want to join me in welcoming the new Sugar Birds? If you read and liked Sugar Birds or if you hope to, YOU’RE INVITED, and I’d so love to have you join me!

I explain more in my Saturday Letter this week. If you already subscribe, that letter reached your inbox at 7:00 am this morning—July 29.

If you’re not yet getting Saturday Letters, drop me a note HERE with the words SUGAR BIRDS PARTY somewhere in the header or body. When you reply, I’ll do three things:

I’ll throw your name in the party hat for lots of GIVEAWAYS—of Sugar Birds and other surprise books.I’ll send you more information about possible ways you can welcome Sugar Birds‘ new edition, andI’ll sign you up for ongoing info and more via my Saturday Letters. (Feel free to unsubscribe anytime.)

******

Meanwhile, a few of my favorite pics and musings for you.

Ground-Nesters.

Plenty of rufous-sided towhees have nested on our land over the years, but this spotted towhee was a new species for me. When she scratched for seeds in the flowerbed outside my study window, I pointed her out to Blake.

“Come with me,” he said. He led me to the south edge of our woods and showed me this nest.

“When I came through with the dogs, I saw her fly off. Four eggs.”

We ran the dogs on a northerly route for the next few weeks. Grazed our cows elsewhere.

But still. We can’t guard every ground-nester. Can’t keep all those hooves and teeth and talons and rain away from those delicate homes, those fragile babies growing right out there under the open sky. How does any brood survive?

Must be more to it.

“You are my hiding place;

you will protect me from trouble

and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

—Psalm 32:7

*******

Electrification.

“For God, who said, ‘Let there be light in the darkness,’ has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.”

—2 Corinthians 4:6

*******

Fine as frog fir.

“The whole earth is filled with his glory!”

—Isaiah 6:3

*******

Whisper.

Driving home after the rain a week ago, then this.

“He stilled the storm to a whisper . . .”

—Psalm 107:29

*******

Afterward. Still standing.

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

—Ephesians 6:13

*******

Thanks for dropping by, friends. So glad you’re here.

Watching Nature, Seeing Life: Through His Creation, God Speaks