<Blush. Feeling shy. Ahem (clearing throat). > The dedication page to my almost-to-be-book reads: “Dedicated to my community.” I am so happy, I am not sure words can express it, but I’ll try.
The book was going to be without a dedication. After everything had been laid out, except some front matter, I told my publisher there was no dedication. This was in a business meeting, but she kindly suggested some dedications. Her suggestions didn’t work; they were the very ones I’d already rejected; I’d been unable to find the right words; I’d rewritten, over and over, uselessly.
Then she said, “What about ‘to my community?'” I almost gasped! Perfect! (A friend said, “I can picture your ‘Oh my god!’ face when your publisher offered those excellent words. Hilarious!”) It was what I’d tried to write, but I’d gotten lost in too many words.
She added, “Francesca, your community sustains you in every possible way.” It’s true. Not sustain in the sense of me being this big queen bee that everybody tends to. But sustains me in the sense that I’m too crippled to even wash my own dishes; I cannot physically survive without help. And sustains me spiritually as well, because I need fellow stardusted travelers along life’s winding road; we help each other along. And sustains me in the sense of any possible way that community members might sustain each other.
I have close friends without whom my spirit would shrink to nothing. My definition of community also includes my students: They are my peers. If you and I have never had contact other than you reading my books or newsletters, I consider you community. We are fellow travelers, even if we never meet. The same goes for my tweet buds. My colleagues are also a precious part of my community!
The book is dedicated with more gratitude than I can express (hence all the poorly written dedications I deleted). And with more excitement than I can say, because the dedication is a way to acknowledge and thank you for everything you do for me (and you may give to me in ways you will never know). <Gulp. I am soooooooooo embarrassed!>
The book will be out Sept or Oct. Stay tuned for info on this site.
This is the cover art. I’ll have a jpeg of the actual cover to post soon. I can’t wait to share it!
Hi, Francesca, it’s so wonderful to find you online. I love your writing and now to find you are an artist, too! I saw the post on fb about the new book release, and was wondering if it makes sense to read the book concurrently with working thru Goddess Initiation? Also, since I couldn’t find the book new at a store and ended up getting it used, I would like to send something to you, I mean not a fortune, cause I’m a struggling artist myself, but I feel strongly about giving creators their due, especially when I am getting so much out of the course, right? I’m not sure how to get it to you, though other than just re-buying the book as a new copy, which would be an option, as I’m sure there’s someone I could share the first copy with, or I could send you something directly….. and thank you for the beauty and teaching you are putting out into the world 🙂
you r a doll! I am so glad Goddess Initiation is helping you THAT much!! It makes all my work worth it! As to reading Share My Insanity while working thru GI: If you feel you can take more input and growth, by all means. As to payng me for a used book, that is so kind but it was used, so somene paid for it already. But if you want, yes, buy a copy for someone else! Or a copy of Share My Insanity for a friend. MIdlist authors do rely on their community to buy their books.
hmnn, yes, the more I think about it, the more I think I would like to share this great book with someone else. And get a copy of Share My Insanity for myself, too. 🙂 Thank you for being so approachable. What I love about GI is that is seems so simple on the surface; and I have read lots of books, but in fact each lesson goes much deeper than it seems at first glance, and really, I need the time and repetitions to truly absorb the work. I’m a classic case of someone who intellectualizes a lesson and breezes through it without really centering into it. The way that you take us through each lesson is humurous, but also very transformational in a simply complex manner, if that makes any sense, that is effective. Thank you 🙂 …. and I’m only on month 4
Yeah, that makes total sense – simplicity and complexity combined – bc that was my intention. It is always a bit awkward for me when someone realizes it; it makes me feel very visible, my stealthy work uncovered, my secret revealed. 🙂 I am happy and a bit humbled that Goddess Initiation works so well for you. My new book, Share My Insanity, is equally layered, but I am telling people who have read me that the book may not be what you expect. In other words, I tend to expect a writer to write the same book over and over, in the same voice, with the same lessons. If he or she does not, I can be disappointed. Until I try to look at the work with fresh eyes. As to yr kind words about being approachable, I cannot be a spiritual teacher, servant, and “leader” if I hold myself apart and above. Thank you for ALL yr kind words and for buying Share My Insanity! And for possibly getting a second copy to share: that sort of support really helps me, makes a real difference!! Nice to meet you!
Dear Francesca , like you , I am in love with words . But isn’t it interesting how sometimes words just get in the way ? Those of us who tend to overanalyze things sometimes just miss the Moment ! A joyous Mabon to you ! ps Yes , the cover art is immediately recognizable as yours ; very cool !
aw, shucks! very lovely! and the artwork is too 🙂 I can really see your hand in the painting, it seems. kinda like handwriting. cool! very fitting cover indeed! I know I’m gonna love it!
Well, I mean it, you fab woman you. Interesting u can “see my hand:” do you mean that 1) you can tell I painted it or 2) you think someone else was commissioned to do it, but I told them what I needed, or 3)…? In any case, am really glad you like it and the dedication!!!!
oops! I meant I can tell you painted it, like the way I would recognize your writing. I see how I said it was totally ambiguous, sorry!
No need to apologize, silly! You were conveying a subtle thing so it was easy to misspeak!! I am very interested in the idea that someone cld tell whose painting it is in the way one can recognize someone’s handwriting. Interesting idea, not just because it is MY art but an interesting idea on it’s own. You’ve given me food for thought. So pls explain more, expand on this for me: recognize in the sense that you have seen enuf of my paintings to recognize my style, or that it is recognizable as mine anyway?
recognizable as yours. I’m not sure, looking closely, why this is true for me. this painting, compared to others of yours that I’ve seen, isn’t so much like them that it just looks like your painting style. it’s almost like I can see your handwriting in the brushstrokes, so to speak. does that make sense at all?! lol I don’t know if other ppl would see what I’m seeing; I can’t be completely sure if I’m seeing it by just looking with my eyes or if it’s some of the “seeing” that happens to me that doesn’t originate from visual cues at all. now I’m gonna have to study it!
I understand!! (And am so glad u like the art!!) Maybe it is more obviously like my handwriting because so much of it is line, and not lines making faces but making simple objects like stems and leaves, I dunno. (I love this train of thought you got us started on. This is interesting, whether my art or not.) Also, the lines aren’t made by brush but by something more like a pen, and the medium in the “pen” makes me keep lines somewhat simple – like handwriting. Finally, you know me well enough that you surely might also be picking up subtle cues in the lines.
Gorgeous.
Thanks!!
Mazeltov!
The artwork is stunning, Francesca!
Oh, thank you! I am so glad you like it! It is one of my silk paintings. One of the book’s themes is finding and fully expressing all your assets, so it felt important to at least try to do the cover art. I left it to the book designer whether the art was professional nuf or not for a cover. And he felt it was. I wasn’t going to try to do the cover design myself, I left that to a pro. He did an awesome job, I can’t wait to show it to folks!
Love it! 🙂
Well, you mean a lot to me! But you know that. 🙂