Week by week we are getting closer and closer (so close now!) to when Peace in the Dark is out in the world. I am learning how to describe the book succinctly as I continue on with press interviews and podcasts. What’s it about? Such an easy question, except its not. Its about Holy Saturday. And also The Adirondacks. And also the in-between. And also hurt. And also waiting. And also grief. And also faithfulness. And also disappointment. And also me. And also, and also, and also…
Perhaps a good way to get to know a book is to see where it came from. Beyond the years of theological and scriptural study, it came from so much reading and pondering. The pondering is a hard thing to demonstrate. How do I articulate what happens when two seemingly incongruous ideas synthesize in just the right way? How do explain the serendipitous effects of a certain story or example coming to mind after sitting in silence starting out my window and into the boughs of the towering pine just beyond the panes?
But the reading? Well, that one I can show you.
These are the books and writings that have woven themselves into Peace in the Dark. It is a mix of history, nature, theology, fiction, memoir, prose; and I love that because the mix represents all of life and I continue to contend that most of our lives are spent in Holy Saturday moments. I hope that seeing these books wets your palette for what they helped birth. They have been companions for well over a year and I am truly grateful for each one.
Another element of a book is all the extra content and goodies you receive in exchange for being the beautiful ones who pre-order or order in those first few weeks of release. I hate wasting people’s time and never want to deliver more hype/swag when really what we need is more space to just be ourselves and process. To that end I am truly excited about the offering for Peace in the Dark order bonuses. Truly. I am also thrilled to 1) forego the launch team and 2) base most of my efforts here on substack.
Peace in the Dark Order Bonuses:
24 page Lent Companion (download)
Private online Peace in the Dark reading circle (substack)
Seven Week online guided Lent Study of Peace in the Dark walking through Lent Companion w/daily discussion posts, weekly reflection prompts, Live Q&A, prizes and extras. (substack)
3 mo paid subscription to The Table (substack)
These all offer ways to go deeper into the message of Peace, whether it be on your own in private study, with a group, or online with me. Recently I conducted a poll to see what workshops the paid subscribers of The Table were looking for in 2024 and one of the repeated requests was more book clubs. The Lenten read through of Peace in the Dark is like a book club but richer! And more than anything all the order bonuses are an invitation into the dark this Lenten season
You can sign up for the order bonuses at any time (even after the Jan 30th launch!) so that you can join in for the Lent study beginning Feb 14. Click this button to get all set up with the order bonuses.
I am looking forward to interacting with you all in the discussion posts and the Live Q&A sessions. It is going to be such a delight to talk and process the in-between, together.
I also recently did an FAQ on instagram and will share those Q&As here. If you have any lingering questions please post them and I will be sure to answer.
Is there a launch team?
No launch team. I am using my time with the reading circle/Lent study as my time to share about the book and pouring all my energy there feels right. Plus I get to give my actual readers the fun gifts I have been collecting!
Is this a devotional?
Nope. My books are hard to fit in a single category…a mix of history/theology/memoir/narrative is the best I’ve got. This time I added in nature and the Adirondack Mountains as well!
Is this a book for Easter specifically or for anytime?
This is a book for anytime we feel like things are not as we hoped and not yet resurrected. (all the time?)
What questions remain? As I started out by saying, its hard to categorize what is in a book, especially a book about this day that so few have written about. Perhaps that is the beauty of Peace in the Dark-it all starts out a mystery.
May there be peace.
“Jessica manages to take a quiet day which we know little about—Holy Saturday—and offers us a gift we hardly knew we needed” -Adriel Booker, author of Tethered to Hope and Grace Like Scarlett.
Peace in the Dark releases Jan 30th. As we know pre-orders are important to the sales of books so any pre-order placed is so deeply appreciated.
You can pickup my current books Life Surrendered or Break Bread Together:
I’m on page 29 this morning and loving it. If I book is really good I will bring out a highlighter. I brought out a highlighter, my highest compliment.