Announcing the title of my book!

I’ve debated for literal months on what I should title my book. There were so many options and so many places throughout each chapter from which I could have chosen the title.

There are two parts to this book.

Part one describes the elements of my childhood and adolescence, and explains how those things effected who I have become today. Part one is the life I lived before I truly learned what it meant to love Christ and live as He did. Part one details the tragic, lost pieces of my childhood that developed my mindset and led me to the life I lived for the greater part of my existence – the hate that festered in my soul, the begrudging mindset I kept, the most disgusting parts of my heart – all of the very ugly things that come from a life without Christ.

Then there is a chapter between Part One and Part Two. I created my title from this transitional chapter.

Part Two is about healing. Emotional healing, mostly, but also spiritual healing. It shows the change that happened when I stopped letting the constant disappointments and trials make me who I was, and instead allowing myself to accept the parts of life that aren’t so enjoyable and transform the ugliest of situations into beautiful things. It’s about how none of these beautiful things can exist without the hand of God leading your life. Part Two is about how my still-developing relationship with Christ has allowed my heart to transform into what it is supposed to look like.

I had decided on a title back in November, but then I heard one of my favorite songs on the radio, and immediately I knew I needed to rethink my decision. It’s like I was hearing the lyrics for the first time. This song is parallel to the story of my life, and also probably the story of 90% of my reader’s lives. This song means so much to me.

It’s called “Undo.” It was written by Rush of Fools. You can listen to the song here, but these are the lyrics that led me to the title I have chosen:

“To label me a prodigal would be only scratching the surface of who I’ve been known to be…You’re the only One who can undo what I’ve become.” – When I think back on the first sixteen, seventeen, maybe even eighteen years of my life, and then hear this song, I am overwhelmed when I look at the grace that has been poured into my life.

So here it is. Here is the title of my book:

Initially, it was only going to be “Undone.” Throughout the transitional chapter between Parts One and Two, however, you will see how and why it made sense for me to extend it.

So there you have it! This is the faithfully awaited announcement I have been wanting to share for too many months.

*Tangent* – I sincerely hate when people say “It’s official” and then proceed to explain something that is most definitely not official at all. But here I am, saying that it is finally official! And the difference between these pedestrian statements and my claim is that mine is truthfully official.

I want to say one more thing, and that is this: I’m having a very difficult time deciding if I want to self-publish or use my current publisher (don’t tell him I said that! – He doesn’t know I have a blog.), and the deciding factor really is a financial question. I can buy access to a high quality self publishing plug-in, but that would only allow readers to access an e-text version. With this option, I can print copies on demand, but they would not be in the format of a bound book. So here is my question for everyone interested: Would you rather purchase a less expensive copy (probably somewhere close to $8 or $10) to read online, or would you rather have a much more professional, tangible copy (closer to $12 or $14)? Either way, I will be having a certain amount of hard copies for myself and for the people who have specifically requested one, but I need to know which is preferred so that I can prepare to invest in the best option for distribution. Personally, I would rather have them published and printed so that they can be sold in chain bookstores (Barnes & Noble, Books-a-Million, etc.) and because I prefer to hold the book I am reading, but I don’t want to waste having them printed if the majority would rather have an e-book. If you would like to share your preference, feel free to comment below, on my Facebook post, or you can email me at hannahchristenbury@gmail.com.

I promise all of my blog posts are not going to be about this book. I have been saying for several months, though, that I would announce the title soon. Occasionally, life throws some unexpected delays at you, and that has stalled this process. But alas, now you have it.

Un|Done – My Journey Through a Life of Drinking from the Bottom of the Bottle.

Oh, and I also have my own hashtag!! #UNDONEtheBook

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“Still sitting on the edge of the bed, I leaned over onto my knees, once again staring into the bottom of this bottle that defined who I was. But this wasn’t enough. This would never be enough. I needed to find something more but I didn’t know where to look.” – Me (duh.)