The Pen and the Bell Give-Away!

I came home from work last Monday, tired (as always--I can't seem to make it past 4:00 nowadays without feeling like I need a long nap....). And peeking from my mailbox was a small, padded manila envelope, a sight that always perks me up. And this one had a Boston return address. Hmmm.....could it be?

And yes, there it was: the long-awaited first copy of The Pen and the Bell: Mindful Writing in a Busy World, co-authored with my friend Holly J. Hughes.

I don't know why, but every time I hold a new book in my hands, it comes as a surprise. Sure, I knew it would be coming, but the book had existed so long (over four years) in the abstract, that to hold the actual artifact in my hands feels a little unreal.

It's a beautiful book (if I do say so myself). It's square and small and fits in the hand like a tool kit. Which is what we hope it will be for many, many people.

We also have a wonderful new website for the The Pen and The Bell, where you can find out all about the book, and receive letters from Holly and me with additional stories, reflections, and writing prompts. We hope you'll join us there, and send your friends!

To encourage you, I'll be giving away a FREE COPY of The Pen and the Bell! To enter the Give-Away, here's all you have to do:

• Spread the word about The Pen and the Bell. You can do this by posting a link to our website on your own blog or website or Facebook page; or tweeting about it; or sending some emails; or simply telling a friend.

• Tell me how you've participated, either in the comments here, or on my Facebook page, or in the comments of the "Writing Practice" section of The Pen and The Bell website. 

  That's it! I'll be posting more about the book in the next few days. In the meantime: thank you, thank you, thank you for being here to share in the news!