If you’ve ever imagined the publishing process as this dreamy, polished journey where everything flows smoothly—let me lovingly burst that bubble. 😅

Publishing my memoir, The Race of Your Life, has been emotional, stretching, humbling, and full of surprises I did not see coming. But every twist and turn reminded me that God’s hand has been in this from the very beginning.

Let me take you behind the scenes for a moment…

Seeing the Proof Copy… and Seeing Everything I Missed 😳

When the proof copy arrived, I opened the box like it was Christmas morning.

I held the book in my hands, and for a moment, everything stopped.

This is real. God helped me write this.

And then I opened the book…

And suddenly saw every single revision I had missed on the screen.
It was like the words were shouting at me:

• “This sentence needs more detail!”
• “Why did you skip this part?”
• “Stacy, girl, you know that needs tightening up.”

Proofreading on a screen is one thing, but proofreading your book in print is a whole different experience. There’s something about holding it physically that makes the imperfections glaringly obvious. And honestly, I’m grateful — because those final rounds of refining made the story stronger, clearer, and more aligned with what God wanted it to be.

Racing the Clock… and Losing to Amazon’s Timeline ⏳😬

I had a plan.
I had a deadline.
I had a whole release schedule mapped out.

And then Amazon said, “Oh sweetie… no.” 😭

Between their 72-hour review process and the Aleutian Time Zone not syncing with Amazon’s internal timing, my release date did not go as originally planned. I missed my self-declared deadline, watched my timeline slip away, and had to breathe through the frustration.

But even that turned into grace.

It didn’t go live when I wanted…
It went live when God wanted.

And I’m learning to be okay with that.

Holding My Book for the First Time ❤️📘

After I made the final adjustments and everything was approved, the moment finally came:

I held my memoir — the physical, tangible result of years of pain, prayer, perseverance, and purpose.

I felt proud.
I felt excited.
I felt overwhelmed.

Because publishing the book was not the finish line — it was the starting gun.

🤷🏽‍♀️ What Comes After Publishing? More Than You Think🤔

Once that book goes live, the real work begins:

• Marketing
• Asking for reviews
• Encouraging readers to share
• Getting people to add it to Goodreads
• Creating posts, graphics, blogs
• Praying over its reach and impact

This isn’t just a book. This is ministry.
This is a lifeline to someone who feels like their diagnosis swallowed their hope.
This is a testimony in written form — one that I’m trusting God to place in the right hands.

💬 A Thought for You

The things that feel messy, delayed, or imperfect in your life might be the very places where God is aligning your story with His timing.

Sometimes what looks like a setback is simply God syncing your life with His divine clock.

You don’t have to rush the process.
You don’t have to fear the delays.
And you don’t have to understand everything to trust Him.

Just keep showing up.
Keep breathing.
Keep surrendering each step.

God will handle the rest.

🙇🏽‍♀️Closing Thoughts

Publishing this memoir has reminded me of one truth over and over again:

✨ God’s timing is perfect, even when mine is not. ✨

I’m still learning.
Still growing.
Still healing.
Still trusting.

And I’m still walking this journey with God—step by step, page by page, breath by breath.

Thank you for being here.
Thank you for reading.
Thank you for running The Race of Your Life with me. 🩵

With grace,
Stacy

🙏🏽 A Prayer for You

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for guiding me through this publishing journey—through the excitement, the delays, the edits, and all the emotions I didn’t see coming. Lord, I place this book in Your hands. Let it reach the right people at the right time. Let every word bring comfort, hope, peace, and reminders of Your unshakable love. Help me continue to trust Your timing, not mine. Strengthen me for the work ahead, and use this story for Your glory, honor, and praise. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.