Dear First name / friend,
Good morning,
I know twice in the same week!
As many of you know, my husband Don is a true foodie. When the pennies add up, our favorite spot to disappear to is
Lucca Tavern in Corvallis. The owner, Evan, is incredibly hospitable, and the staff always greets us with a smile (it helps that we try to be good tippers!).
Lately, life has been all about the book. Between the constant tweaking of cover specs, hunting down stray bullet marks, and the technical marathon of uploading to Amazon KDP and IngramSpark (printers that bring books into shops like Barnes and Noble and handle world distribution), I knew Don needed a "foodie appreciation" shot in the arm.
Don is famous for his Sunday lamb tacos, and after promising Evan a taste, we decided tonight was the night. We bought the groceries, Don cooked up the vittles, and we surprised the crew right as they opened at 5:00.
Evan couldn't believe we actually followed through! The staff leaped at the portions Don was handing out from the corner of the bar, and Evan even began serving Don’s tacos to his own clientele. Seeing the head chef give a huge thumbs up from the kitchen made Don’s day. His grin was ear-to-ear.
After a glass of wine, we packed up and headed to our favorite parking spot—for the Corvallis locals, it’s the lot behind the old bank building on Second, right next to Sugar J’s.
As we backed out, satisfied with our little community offering, Don put the car in drive and pointed. "Kristen, look."
There, on the vintage marquee right in front of us, the sign proclaimed:
FLIGHT
Don't you wish you could open a book,
spine splayed, pages fluttering,
heft it above your head so pages
turn into wings as you clutch covers
front and back, and let it lift you
up, up, up?
After weeks of technical hurdles and "Review in Progress" screens, it felt like a victorious final whistle. God is good, and I truly believe He is just as excited as we are to share this book with the world.
Thank you for your love, your help with the "lonely bullet marks," and your unwavering support as we approach our April 1 release.
Picture below,
God is good, and I would highly suggest He is as excited as we are to share this book.
Thank you for your love and support
Kristen
the rest of the story…
That poem is titled "Flight," and Ann Farley, a poet from Beaverton, Oregon, wrote it.
The reason it likely looks so familiar right now is that it won the 2026 Corvallis Poetry Marquee.
Love God's timing!
May the Lord reveal, highlight, say, sing, open in your lap, on the back of a cereal box, or boldly place on a vintage Marquee His words that carry you, Up, Up, Up!
