Osler's Razor

Last week, on Thursday, I signed a contract with Abingdon Press to publish my book, Jesus Christ, Defendant. It was an incredible moment, and a dream come true.

When I finished writing the book, I was kind of at a loss about what to do next. My confusion didn't last long, though. As usual, some of my amazing mentors stepped in to help. I asked Bob and Mary Darden who I should send it to, and Mary quickly and definitively told me to send it straight to Abingdon. If there's one thing I know about the Dardens, it's to take their advice.

I sent the book off on a Friday, and heard the good news the following Wednesday-- I didn't expect, or deserve, to have it be so simple. The book will come out next fall or winter, due to the time needed for editing and marketing.

Like everything else, the book was the work of many hands, including those of the Dardens, Michelle Lowery, Bill Underwood, David Meadors, Misty Keene, Florencia Rueda, and of course Larry Bates (you can't really write a book about Jesus without involving Bates), among many others. It's hard to describe how it feels to know it will be published--I grew up in a home where books were important, not as symbols or decoration, but as tools to be used and handled. My mother read Proust while we at the beach, and from a young age I was taught to challenge myself through books. The idea that I may walk into a bookstore and find my own book there is almost too much to hope for, but now... well, I expect that to be a pretty incredible feeling.