Leigh Kramer

Leigh Loves It giveaway: When We Were On Fire

Addie Zierman came into my life last year and now I scarcely recall a time without her friendship and her writing. I also can't remember how we first crossed paths in the blogosphere but I do remember the instant recognition of a kindred spirit. She's my people.

We commented on each other's posts and traded emails and then graduated to phone calls. We met for coffee when we were both back in the Chicago suburbs for Christmas. We have talked long and hard about writing, blogging, friendship, and life.

When my advance copy of her upcoming memoir When We Were On Fire arrived in the mail, I cried. Knowing the path it took to get to publication, knowing my friend, I was overwhelmed with pride and amazement to hold her book in my own two hands.

And then, at long last, I read it. Again, I was struck by the knowledge that Addie is my people. No, our stories aren't exactly the same but we both grew up in the evangelical subculture and we've both struggled to find our place in the church since then.

Her words were a balm time and again.

"To learn to pray is to learn to walk this labyrinth again and again, in and out, in and out. It is to be filled with honesty and determination and love, to learn to walk circularly through your whole life toward the Light at the center that never stops burning." - p. 189

When We Were On Fire is stunningly crafted and full of grace. You could take the same subculture and string together words that wound. Yet there are no bad guys here. There are mistakes- theirs, hers, ours- and there is redemption. There are things that could have been done better. There are root issues and hurts that fester but there's also hope and healing.

This is real life and it's reflected throughout the memoir. It's gritty and sometimes the language is salty. (This made me fall in love with Convergent.) Who among us hasn't experienced the power of a well placed curse word? Who hasn't recoiled from a sugar-coated platitude or whitewashed advice? By naming and honoring the dark parts, we let the light in. Addie's writing is nothing but authentic and perhaps that's why it resonated so strongly with me.

"The future will be a mix of both of these things: the devotion and the cynicism. You have to find a way for them to coexist within you." -p. 224

I finished her book the night before I went back to church. I left her a message of gratitude over the timing, of the seed of hope her words gave me. And then I told her to get to writing her next book.

Addie's writing is beautiful. Her story is stunning. The connections and insights this one book contains overwhelmed me all over again.

I don't just love this book, I adore it. I want its truths to settle down deep in me. It won't be published until October 15 and I want to shout about it from the rooftop. That's why I'm giving away 2 copies of When We Were On Fire.  I believe in Addie's message and so will you.

 

For the giveaway:

Entering is easy! Last week I started an author Facebook page and since Facebook denied my request to merge the blog FB page with the new one (thus losing all my hard-earned Likes), all you need to do is Like the new page. (It counts if you've already Liked the page. It also means you're my favorite.) Rafflecopter will take you through it and then there's opportunities for extra entries.

Giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only and will end this Saturday September 7 at midnight. Winners will be notified by email and have 48 hours to accept their prize before another winner will be picked.

(P.S. The author page doesn't mean there's exciting news to announce. Let's say it's my version of a Name It and Claim It kind of deal.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I was provided an advance copy of When We Were On Fire but all thoughts and opinions are my own. I decided to fund and give away two copies for Leigh Loves It of my own volition. Because this book rocks!

Disclosure : Amazon Affiliate links included in this post.  If you click through to Amazon, any purchase you make supports this site.

Leigh Loves It: Birthday Giveaway

Birthdays are the perfect time for another Leigh Loves It giveaway. I turned 33 yesterday. (Woot!) If you know me at all, you know I derive great joy from giving gifts. I wish I could give away 33 presents but you will have to settle for 3.

It's a tough world out there.

But! What a wonderful 3 gifts they are.

***

I have crazy talented writer friends. I'm 90% impressed by their work and only 10% jealous. Or maybe that's more of a 50-50 split.

Whatever the case, I have been particularly impressed by these three memoirs.

I want everyone to know about Katherine Willis Pershey's Any Day a Beautiful Change. Man, woman, married, single, whatever season of life you're in, you need to read this book. Katherine makes amazing connections between life events and the spiritual. Readers greatly benefit from her authentic and honest portrayal of her life, from her marriage to motherhood to pastoring. Beautifully, beautifully written. I went to Katherine's church and had brunch with her while I was home for Christmas. She is the real deal and I love her for it.

Full disclosure: Josh Riebock and I went to the same grammar school. He was a grade ahead and oh so popular. I'm quite certain he had no clue who I was. It's been a delight to become reacquainted with him by the power of the blogosphere. Heroes and Monsters is an unusual and unique memoir. Josh tells the story of his life and faith, along with the occasional appearance of a talking cow and Jesus represented by a scarecrow.  And it's interspersed with original artwork. This is not your average Christian nonfiction. It may not be for everyone but it's the most original work I've read in awhile and Josh's vulnerability spoke volumes to me. So much goodness, so many words underlined and asterisked and already revisited. Don't miss out.

The only complaint I have about Shawn and Maile Smucker's book How to Use a Runaway Truck Ramp is they didn't devote a section to their time spent with me during the Killer Tribes conference. I get it though- they didn't want the fame to go to my head. All that aside, I cannot say enough kind things about this book. Shawn and Maile write about their 4 month adventure across the US with their family. Filled with gorgeous prose, it's also a call to adventure and trust and faith. I can't wait to see what the Smuckers do next.

So there you have it. Three amazing books. Happy entering!

***

This giveaway is open to US residents only and ends at 12:01 am EST on Sunday January 13.There will be 3 winners, 1 book per winner as determined by me.

Simply follow the prompt in Rafflecopter below and don't miss out on your chance for extra entries!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Amazon Affiliate links included in this post. If you click through to Amazon, I'll get a few pennies to help support this site, as well as my book habit. Thanks for your support!

Introducing Leigh Loves It: Mumford & Sons and Avett Brothers Giveaway

When I love something, I feel compelled to tell everyone I know. This may be why I love my monthly What I'm Into posts so much. I'm honored you all seem to enjoy those posts as much as I do. Even better: you pay attention to my recommendations and let me know how I did.

Sometimes I've loved a book so much, I've decided to give one away. Sometimes I ask the publisher to offer up the goods but often I just pay for it myself. The community that's formed here over the last couple of years means the world to me. I can't help but want to give back in some way.

After I gave away a copy of Elora Ramirez's stunning debut novel Come Alive, I dreamed up the idea of regular giveaways sponsored by me, myself, and I. The books, CDs, shows, and maybe even clothes I love most. A way of celebrating my readers.

And so Leigh Loves It came to be. Only the best of the best, a curated and occasional giveaway.

***

What better way to kick off the inaugural Leigh Loves It giveaway than the latest efforts from two great bands?

The September releases of Mumford & Sons' Babel and Avett Brothers' The Carpenter felt like Christmas. I scarcely listened to anything else the month following.

When I saw Mumford & Sons play at the Ryman this past March, I wrote it was like going to church. Babel evokes those same emotions. The lyrics and the often driven music lend itself to a unique worship experience. There are no easy "tied up with a bow" answers. This is the music of a wanderer, a wrestler, a questioner. And this must be why fans love the band so.

Yes, at times the rhymes become pedantic but the themes hit home. It's hard to pinpoint a favorite song (Babel, Holland Road, and Broken Crown stand out) but Hopeless Wanderer is especially gripping. I am the one grappling with hope set on fire. I am that wanderer learning to love the stars I'm under.

I've not been lucky enough to experience the Avett Brothers in concert yet. These two bands are often grouped together and I can understand why. But they're not the same, which seems more obvious in The Carpenter. There are tones of the spiritual in AB's lyrics and yet I consider the music differently. The title track's inspiration is clear but then there's the moral tale of Down With The Shine. And then how to qualify the fun of I Never Knew You or the haunting notes of Winter in my Heart?

Avett Brothers guide us through a range of emotions and experiences. We draw truth out accordingly. And that is why I love them.

(Interestingly, Jonathan Fitzgerald says Mumford and others are part of the New Sincerity, "a larger movement that recognizes the artificiality of the separation between sacred and secular." Critics may not all agree but clearly their music is reaching people and resonating.)

***

I hope most of you already own these 2 amazing albums. enter anyway and give them as gifts this Christmas. Or if you only have the mp3s, then you can stash the CDs in your car. If you don't, you're in luck! Here's your chance to win.

As the inaugural giveaway, I'm going to keep it open to US and Canada residents. The giveaway ends at 12:01 am EST on Wednesday November 7.

Simply follow the prompt in Rafflecopter below and don't miss out on your chance for extra entries! And if you're already a FB fan, simply hit enter. It still counts.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: Amazon Affiliate links included in this post. If you click through to Amazon, I'll get a few pennies to help support this site, as well as my book habit. Thanks for your support!

Note: I realize some of my readers may not have Facebook accounts and will therefore be unable to enter the giveaway. I plan on changing up the giveaway options each time I do this. If you're ineligible this time around, cheer up! You'll be able to enter the next one.