Laura's Love Letter: Mystical, Magical Connection

I hope this finds YOU and your family well. If you are celebrating Easter or Passover this week - may the love, light, power, presence, and promise of God fill you up! I thought I’d share my own special Easter story while on tour during the release of my second book, You Are a Gift to the World/The World is a Gift to You - that title sure does ring true for this time of the year! We began the tour in Aspen, which was pretty dang spectacular! I spent a week visiting schools and signing at Explore Booksellers. There are so many precious moments - including when a young boy, probably 8 years old, told his grandmother to pull over because there was a sign outside the store that an author was visiting. He came in and spent as long as he was allowed with me! He was full of questions and I enjoyed answering them all. 

I was on tour with my publisher Sourcebooks. They like you to pop into a bunch of different cities and the path doesn’t always make sense! I was out in LA for Easter and attended service at Agape, which always feels like home, but before that I was in New Jersey. My angel Donna’s cousin Sara and three daughters lived in Caldwell. I love staying with friends on tour (or Kimpton hotels) and was there visiting schools with indie bookstores, Watchung and The Clinton Book Shop. I knew Barnes and Noble had the book on the shelf though, so we went to a few local stores to sign copies.

First, of course, we went to Pizzeria Uno - which was where Donna and I first had dinner before becoming roommates, and the last place we ate before we were in the accident in which she earned her wings! I always love getting together with Sara and her girls, as something magical always happens. We walked into the B&N at the Livingston, NJ Mall. I had never been to this store before, but by then knew where my books would be on the shelf, so I walked right over to the area. There was a bookseller, kneeling down in the section reading a book, she looked up and asked, “Can I help you?” To which I responded, “YES, I’m an author and I’ve come to sign my books.” “Great,” she said, “which one?” I answered, “The one you have in your hands!” 

YES...turns out she is a huge I Love You More fan and had been off the day You Are a Gift to the World had come in. She was, at the same moment I walked into the store, reading the book for the first time. We hugged, took pictures and signed books of course. I visited again in 2017 with I’ll Hug You More and that’s when we had the epic moment with Noah when I sang Silly Giraffe and he ROARED laughing! I’m still friends with his mom and Noah still has that same laugh! We’ll post the video over on the blog. 

And, I am for sure still friends with Mary Mandel - an angel who is a big part of the Livingston B&N probably selling more copies of my books than any other one in the country. Oddly, or “Goddly” enough, in 2018 my nephew CJ opted to attend Seton Hall as a swimmer - his school is 18 minutes away on the same street! I can’t believe he graduates this year, and, of course, while I’m there for his graduation, I’ll be stopping in for a book signing! To keep the swirl of connection going, recently a new Soul Sister Jaime (I’ll share our epic meeting another time) came to work with me and she went to school with Mary’s daughter! We are all connected in a mystical, magical, awesome way! You'll be working with Jaime if you're interested in having me come for a school visit! 

PS....If anyone knows of a school in NJ around Seton Hall or Atlantic City that might want a visit towards the end of May, send them my way! 

Love in Action Activity: Global Love Conversation

It’s always been part of my mission to generate the conversation of love around the world... I love the collage Mary Mandel made pictured above. Our first meeting is the left corner, school visits in 2017, and pictures with her grands and my books over the years.

I want to see your pictures with my books out in the world! Take a picture, and send it to us, or upload it to social media with the tags #iloveyoumore #lovearoundtheworld and add your city, state and country, and TAG someone YOU LOVE!

I’ll get a map and mark off everywhere we reach! Let’s see if we can get all 50 states and as many countries as possible! This is an awesome way to celebrate May 1st which happens to be Global Love Day and I Love You More’s TWENTIETH Mother’s Day! Holy Moly! 

For every book we sell through the website from now through June1st we will donate $2 to Central World Kitchen. (excluding school visit sales - as a  percentage of sales goes back to the school)

This is my mom and I in #Greece back when #ILYM was still self-published. 

Laura's Love Note

Love Live Events

• April 23, 9am-4pm: Las Olas Oceanside Market A1A and Las Olas (park in the Las Olas Garage)
• April 24: Heal the Planet Day at Esplanade Park, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (I will not be there, but it is an awesome event for all ages!)
• April 24-May 1st: Laura in Nashville, TN - events TBA
• May 1st: Global Love Day
• May 8th: Mother's Day - make sure you have your books!