My name is on the cover of a book, and while I haven’t held it in my hand yet, it is still surreal.
Being a writer is an interesting job. While a byline may be the ultimate goal for some, at the heart of every writer is the burning desire to tell a story. Writers like Tolkien, Dickens and Twain transport us to intricate worlds with complex characters. Even non-fiction writers communicate ideas and information through stories. The Magnolia Cookbook doesn’t fly off the shelf because people have been dying to know how to make biscuits. (Don’t get me wrong, the recipes are amazing, but seriously, when’s the last time you made a biscuit.) It sells because people have connected with the story of a growing family that tries to share beauty to those around them.
Writers can take a series of dates and events and craft a story to feed the natural human desire to connect.
Nine months ago, I approached my friend, Ashley, about writing her story. 
I offered to be a ghostwriter, penning her story from her perspective. Even on the surface her story is amazing. As a 26-year-old young woman, she and her husband were expecting their first baby when she was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Despite every effort made to save her life – an early delivery of her son, surgery, meetings specialists – her cancer spread rapidly cause her grim diagnosis to teeter on hopeless. Her miraculous story of healing just a few months later is awe-inspiring. It is an amazing story. 
As a ghostwriter, you almost have to literally crawl in someone’s head to tell their story in a compelling way. I wanted as many details as possible to transport me to the events, as if I had been there myself. Through interviews and the writing process, I began to see another story emerge that was almost more powerful than the miracle on the surface. I saw the story of a young woman grappling with her faith in the face of death. She struggled to understand her circumstances in light of her faithfulness to the Lord. Like many of us, she asked, “Why me?”
All of a sudden, it was like looking in a mirror.
See, I cannot relate to being diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, but I can relate to the devastation of my world falling apart despite my futile efforts to hold it all together. I can relate to screaming, “Why is this happening to me?” and feeling like heaven is silent. My guess is you can too.
Dear friends, I cannot explain to you how excited I am about the story contained in the pages of this book. Ashley’s story is gripping and has all the highs and lows of a blockbuster Hollywood drama and worthy of being told, however, Hollywood dramas don’t change your life. Only Jesus can do that. Losing Control is the story of God taking the ashes of brokenness and turning them into the beauty of purpose. It is about seeing our story in light of the gospel. It is the story of hope – hope that beauty and purpose and life can come from every story, not just to a young mom with cancer. Even you.
Losing Control: How God Used Cancer and Infertility to Bring Me to the End of Myself is available here. While the book officially releases in July, in honor of Ashley’s ten-year remission anniversary, take advantage of this chance to reserve your copy now! The first 200 preorders will receive a signed copy!
