As if yesterday’s news wasn’t enough, we have even more good book news today! Our new book – Another Bead, Another Prayer: Devotions for Use with Protestant Prayer Beads – is available NOW!

Here is the funny story about how Max and I found this out:

Last Monday we received our copy of the new Cokesbury catalog, which included a listing for the book. In bright red it announced, “Available in January!” This was the first time we had seen our new book listed in a catalog and so, geeks that we are, we took a picture of the catalog page and posted it on Facebook for our friends and family to see. Several folks issued the appropriate “oohs” and “aahs.” Then our friend, Susan, wrote, “Got mine today!”

Cover design for Another Bead, Another Prayer“What?!?” I said to Max.

“I’m sure she means the catalog,” he replied.

But oh no. A few minutes later, up popped a photo of the actual book. “I’m not talking about the catalog,” Susan wrote, having read our minds. “I got the book!”

“How can this be?” I wrote to our friends and colleagues at Upper Room Books, remembering my experience with A Bead and a Prayer. It was scheduled to be available July 2013. In early June, my trusty editor, Rita, emailed me. “We have a book!” she announced. A few days later, an advance copy showed up on my doorstep. We then counted the days until the book was available to everyone.

“The technology has changed,” explained Jeannie Crawford-Lee, Acquisitions Editor for Upper Room Books, in answer to my surprise. “We’re using print-on-demand now, and we’re all having to catch up. We’ll get copies to you and Max ASAP.” Sure enough, we received our copy of the book this week, one week later than Susan.

Note to our dear friend, Susan: in getting the book before anyone else – including Cokesbury and Amazon – you have demonstrated the strength of your influence (and the benefits of ordering via Ministry Matters). Please use your powers for good. 

I know so many of you have been counting the days until January when you could purchase the new book. Now you can stop counting and start ordering! It is here, just in time for the holidays. Merry early Christmas to all of us!