Trying my first vlog! (And it only took about five takes. *winks*) I'm sharing some thoughts for fellow creatives, and I hope you will be encouraged. 

Time is such a funny thing. I signed a publishing contract in January of 2018 and waited fourteen months for the book to be released. Release day finally arrived, and already two weeks have passed since Grace & Lavender made its official entrance into the world. And those two weeks have been a blur!

One of the most fun, and busiest, parts of the book launch experience so far, has been the amazing blog tour hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours, and two great Bookstagram tours--one hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours  and the other by TLC Book Tours. In part, this blog post serves to preserve the links from these great social media tours, so I can look back at them.

I had the privilege of being featured on twenty different blogs! Click here to see which ones.

One of my favorite reviews so far came from the blog SusanLovesBooks. Part of it reads:

"GRACE & LAVENDER is filled with twists and turns as well as faith, family, love, hope, and had me staying up way too late one night to finish! I had to know where Heather Norman Smith was taking us and what would happen to Colleen, Melody, and Grace. Poor Grace will pull at your heart strings and never let them go. There is so much heart in Heather’s writing that I was left with a huge smile on my face and my heart very happy. I could totally see GRACE & LAVENDER becoming a Hallmark movie and I would love to see it. All of the characters are very interesting and believable, so much so that I felt as if I’ve known them for a long time."

These words made my heart happy!

Between the two tours on Instagram, I was able to connect with lots of readers I wouldn't have otherwise reached. The link listing all the tour stops with TLC is found here. Below is a sample of some of the amazing pictures these talented Instagrammers have posted over the last two weeks. Follow me or search #graceandlavender or #heathernormansmith on Instagram to see them.

This week, I also had an opportunity to guest post on the Seriously Write blog. You can find my short encouragement for Christian writers at the link here. Many more guest blog posts to come in the near future. 

Perhaps the biggest event of this book  release season happens this Sunday afternoon. My family is hosting a  book signing/launch party at my church's fellowship hall. My parents have put a lot of effort into this event, to celebrate this book, and it means so much to me. Their encouragement and support are invaluable in my life!

I'll try to keep you updated as the whirlwind continues. I am immensely grateful to be able to share my words and to share God's love through the stories He's given me.