I’ve been dying to share this news for months but am only now moving toward the stage where this dream is becoming a reality. I have a book deal (!!!) with well-known publisher Harper Collins (via the Thomas Nelson division) — and the book is completed (barring last edits). It’s coming out this June — so we have 6 long months wait but, still! Newborns and first-born books, oh my! Life is certainly moving fast in 2018.
The book is titled:
“Leaving Cloud 9: The True Story of a Life Resurrected from the Ashes of Poverty, Trauma and Mental Illness.
It is the memoir of my husband Rick’s life. He has lived through some incredible hardship and his story of redemption, healing and finding freedom in Christ from a host of afflictions is one to marvel at. It’s hard to believe some of the experiences he lived out as a child, which is why — when I started to learn more about the trauma and neglect he went through — I saw an important book in the making.
As he revealed more of his story to me, I began writing it down, conducting interviews and turning the story into a book, even as the last chapters were being lived out in our life at present. I’m so thankful I was able to be a part of the healing process and watch it move full circle with the birth of our son and soon-to-be daughter. I can only hope I’ve done his story — and God’s bigger story — justice in what I’ve written in this book. It was certainly written with lots of prayer and divine leading — and I’m still doing a LOT of praying about the hands this book will land in when it is released to the world.
For over four years, I worked on this book, slowly but surely, sometimes stopping for months at a time and never imagining it would get picked up by a major publisher and sold on Amazon and the shelves of Barnes and Noble. And yet, here it is, this dream coming true.
I will delve into more details later about how and why this eventually came to fruition but long story short for now, we are in the final stages of editing, getting hopped up for the sales and marketing of the book — and I’m still in la-la land about the fact that it’s happening.
I hope you will read it and I can’t wait to share more of the process with you!
Lisa Overman says
Congratulations! What a thrilling moment for you all. Blessings and agree with you in prayer that the book lands in the right hands. Thank you for honoring your husband in sharing his story and thank him for his courage in telling you and letting you share it for him.
Ericka Andersen says
Thank you Lisa!
J.P. Freire says
This is such a sweet tribute to your love, but also, an important story from which others can learn. Bless you for putting your journalistic knowhow to work in something so important. Can’t wait to pick up a copy.
Ericka Andersen says
Thanks JP. I really appreciate it 🙂 I hope you are doing well!
Nancy Cobb says
So eager to read it. I know a big part of the story but it will be possibly eye opening for me to know the whole story. Thank you for writing it.
Ericka Andersen says
Thank you Nancy! I will be honored if you read it!