The Inspiration Behind You’re Amazing
by Julie Arduini
I remember getting dressed in the YMCA locker room, still wet from the pool and focused on hurrying so I could grab our daughter from childcare. A group of women was near me, about my age, maybe a little younger. I couldn’t help but hear their conversation.
One mom admitted her mother was coming for a visit and she was so anxious about it that she hired a cleaning company to come to the house. Another confessed she pays for her family to stay at a hotel because the stress of having in-laws and big events is too much. I didn’t know the ladies well, but I knew enough that these were professional women, wives, and moms. Yet when they talked about their parents visiting, their confidence vanished.
That memory stayed with me through the years and that toddler I needed to pick up in childcare is now a teen. Last year Hannah and I released You’re Beautiful, a novella for females of all ages to encourage them to surrender the lie they believe about their appearance. Hannah came up with the idea after overcoming adversity in middle school, and she wanted to encourage girls before they faced similar situations. She ended up plotting three books. You’re Amazing is the second book in the Surrendering Stinkin’ Thinkin’ series.
Hannah’s plot revolves around a mentoring ministry in Youngstown, Ohio where both a middle school character and an adult mentor both have stories revolving around believing the same lie about themselves. In You’re Amazing, Jazmin is a natural at dance until there are changes that make her question her worth. Lena is a mom of young children who feels overwhelmed and less than.
It was those locker room memories that helped me add to the plot and write out Lena’s story. I’ve been there, worrying if I was good enough as a wife and mom. Feeling overwhelmed and lacking confidence around family and other moms. Hannah could relate to Jazmin because she’s seen girls deflate after a well-meaning person says something that’s critical. Her heart has always been to encourage those friends because she knows what a broken spirit feels like.
You’re Amazing is now available. Hannah monitored my writing to make sure it stayed true to her vision. She also came up with character names and explained how she wanted the cover to look. I’m really proud of You’re Amazing because I believe God has a message for readers. It’s simple. You’re Amazing!
Jazmin’s a natural at dance until a series of changes make her wonder if she should even keep up with her favorite hobby.
Lena’s a mom with young children overwhelmed with her schedule when a woman remarks that what Lena does isn’t even important.
Both Jazmin and Lena belong to Linked, a mentoring ministry where all ages encourage each other and build friendships.
Can these two surrender the lies they are believing and realize they are amazing?
A novella for tweens, teens, and women of all ages by mother and daughter team Julie Arduini and Hannah Arduini.
Julie Arduini loves to encourage readers to find freedom in Christ by surrendering the good, the bad, and ---maybe one day---the chocolate. She’s the author of the contemporary romance series SURRENDERING TIME, (Entrusted, Entangled, Engaged.) She also shares her story in the infertility devotional, A WALK IN THE VALLEY. Her latest release, YOU’RE AMAZING, is a book for girls ages 10-100, written with her teenaged daughter, Hannah, and is book 2 in their SURRENDERING STINKIN’ THINKIN’ series. She blogs every other Wednesday for Christians Read, as well as monthly with Inspy Romance. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two children. Learn more by visiting her at http://juliearduini.com, where she invites readers to subscribe to her monthly newsletter full of resources and giveaway opportunities.
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ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY:
Here's a Question from Julie for you to respond to:
Is there an area where you question your worth? Leave a comment and I’ll choose one winner to win a copy of You’re Amazing. US winner has the choice of eBook or print. The international winner automatically receives an eBook.
To Enter: Just share your thoughts in the comment section below with your name and email (in case you're the winner) Giveaway ENDS one week from today, Wednesday, March 6, 2019, at Midnight, CST. Winner will be drawn Thursday, March 7, 2019, and notified via email.
Thanks, Peg, for letting me talk about You're Amazing!
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure, Julie. I love that your daughter writes with you. So special =-)
DeleteWhoo boy...how many areas can I mention? (: Even though I'm a grandmother now, I still question my worth as a parent. Yep. If that button gets pushed, I'm instantly questioning whether I did the best I could. (Even though I know I DID do my best at the time.) Thanks for the question, and for writing this book, Julie. I can see it helping many, esp. b/c I have young teen grandchildren. Bless you.
ReplyDeleteI hear you, Gail, in spades! I'm a great-grandmother now, but I still wonder if I really did my best as a parent. Of course I did at the time, with the best I knew how to do.
DeleteThanks for dropping by and leaving a comment for Julie. You're entered in the drawing.
Sorry I'm late with my reply, I was down and out with bronchitis and a sinus infection. Parenting is so hard at any stage. I struggle as well and know I always will. Thanks for reading, and commenting! I have a copy of You're Amazing for you. I will be in touch!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you've been sick, Julie. Hope you're feeling better. I'll send you Gail's email address to you shortly.
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