Bella’s Beautiful Miracle arrives at The Butterfly House, Whitehouse Ohio

It’s actually happening! Time for a happy dance! I will be participating in the grand reopening of the Butterfly House on Saturday, May 6th, from 12-4p.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.com

God led me to this beautiful location in 2014, and it quickly became a place of solace. I spent hours and hours watching the butterflies dance around me. The soft sounds of the instrumental music playing in the background provided an excellent environment.

I think it was after the first year when volunteers and employees of the center realized I had been traveling for over two hours; a surprise to them but not to those who know me.

My passion for butterflies has taken me to many places. None, however, compare to the Wheeler Farms Butterfly House. It was there that I saw my first glass wing butterfly. The smallest yet strongest of the species actually landed on me. In that split second, I was transported into God’s love.

Like many businesses, the butterfly house was forced to close in 2020. A reopening in April 2022 was halted when a storm caused too much damage. Here we are, in 2023, ready to take flight again and dance among the butterflies!

I hope you can come out and see the many types of butterflies and support this fantastic facility. While you’re at it, grab an autographed copy of Bella’s Beautiful Miracle! I’ll be there Saturday, May 6th, 12-4pm.

Blessings,

Kimberly

The Butterfly House features over 25 species of butterflies from Central & South America this summer. Hours of operation and pricing information are available on their website at wheelerfarms.com.

http://www.wheelerfarms.com/

“The Light Shines in the Darkness and The Darkness Has Not Overcome It.” John 1:5

Allow me to let the pictures speak for themselves…no way! I want to tell you how wonderful it was to attend the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference. It was my first time at this event, and I was flabbergasted at the sight of the nearly 3,700 women in attendance. How wonderful for God to personally invite each and every one of them.

I witnessed God in action through pure enjoyment, smiles, and personal stories in all meaningful conversations. To say that I was proud to be standing beneath the Catholic Writer’s Guild banner is an understatement. I am still in awe of where God has taken me and the people and influences with which he has gifted my life.

The event theme was particularly near and dear to my heart, as it is a significant portion of Bella’s adventure and the message I hope readers are gleaning.

So often, our lives become cluttered with dark moments, and events such as this conference serve as beautiful reminders to stay connected with God and remain in His light even in the most challenging times. Suppose you need a spiritual reboot and cannot locate a program, retreat, or conference near you. I’ll be happy to research opportunities in your area. (Contact Form)

Spring has Sprung!

Spring is bringing a bevy of activities ranging from book signings at craft shows, local churches, and butterfly houses. I am still working on the local bookstores and hope to have an update soon. Check out the schedule below for location information. I hope to see you there!

The Holy Spirit has been creatively inspiring my writing these past couple of months. Check out my contributing articles and see what God has been up to!

God bless you and yours!

Kimberly

Book Signing Events

SaturdayMarch 25 – Paradise Church Craft Show

9:00-3:00pm 619 East Main Street, Louisville, OH

Saturday, April 1, 2023 – Strongsville Recreation Center

Saturday, April 22, 2023-

Avon Spring Avant-Garde Art & Craft Show

Saturday, May 6, 2023 –

The Butterfly House Opening Weekend

I will be signing books 12:00-4:00pm

This one is so exciting as I spent many hours and days enjoying the dancing butterflies over the years. Needless to say, the garden areas of Bella’s story were inspired by my visits.

Bella is One Month Old!

Let’s celebrate with a surprise! Bella’s Beautiful Miracle electronic version is in full color!

Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels.com

Yep, click here to check it out and see for yourself! Bella and her friends are illustrated beautifully in full color, as this was my original vision for the work. I noted previously that my publishing journey was often a roller coaster ride, which proved true until the end. I had a wonderful experience with my publisher and the design team, they did Bella justice, and I couldn’t wait to present her to the world in living color. However, God had other plans, and it wasn’t until several weeks later that it made complete sense to me.

All the many hours and days spent designing the scenes, right down to how much sparkle was on Bella’s cheeks, were my vision. I had an attachment to every decision made concerning the 18 designs. They were perfect because I knew Bella’s story inside and out. I used specific colors to capture her and her friends’ emotions. I didn’t and couldn’t see it any other way.

That was until I learned of the price my readers would pay for a product done with full-color printing. The book price would have far exceeded what I thought was reasonable to ask my readers to pay. More importantly, was the fact that my goal and mission through this work is to share the love of Jesus. I feared a high price item would impede what I set out to do.

Finally, a decision to publish with black and white illustrations seemed most reasonable. The good news was that as I reviewed each one, I realized they were just as beautiful. Also, an agreement was made to publish the electronic version in color. A colorful version would be such a treat to those who opted to read Bella electronically.

Today marks the one-month anniversary of Bella’s Release date, and God has blessed me with the gift of clarity and purpose. As I mentioned, all the colors and decisions behind each one were all mine. Today, I believe that God wants you, as the reader, to color Bella and her friends beautifully. We are all unique, carrying with us our reasons for how we see color. Perhaps, what I view as “Friendly Yellow” someone else sees as too bright. I could go on and on with examples, but I think I’ve gotten to the point.

All of this leads me to some exciting news. I have created a coloring/activity book to relate to Bella’s story. I will post updates as I have them in my hands! In the meantime, I’m adding a PDF treat for you to get a head start on deciding how you envision Bella and her colors.

Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com

As we walk in God’s light daily, we will see the world in the colors God intends. There may be a reason I see the sky as a soft blue, and someone else describes it as smokey blue. Colors bring out emotions, memories, and matters of the heart. So, the next time you open a box of crayons, take a moment and have a prayerful chat with God sharing how each color makes you feel. Perhaps colors in your life will take on an entirely new meaning.

God Bless,

Kimberly

Book Release Events – Thank you for sharing with friends and family!

Bella’s Beautiful Miracle Book Give Away Begins Today! I’ve made it easy for you to enter. Simply click the link and follow the steps. The winner will receive a limited edition full-color, hardcover copy of Bella’s Beautiful Miracle, A Caterpillar’s Journey. The winner will be notified and announced pending approval on September 7, 2022.

Book Signing Event Scheduled! It’s actually happening! I have locked in my very first book signing event! I am very excited to share that I will be hosting a book signing on September 17th and 18th at the Beechcreek Nature Preserve Butterfly Release Celebration. The event runs 10:00am – 4:00pm both days. Click the link for more information and to preorder a butterfly for release! Partnering on this butterfly release is a dream come true for me and I look forward to seeing you there!

I want to thank you all for the help and for sharing of links! I can only be successful with God and you all at my side. I appreciate your prayers and interest in making this a Grand Adventure for Bella and her friends! If you are interested in promoting on your social media sites. I can email you all the marketing links so you have them in one place. Please comment below or send me a message using the contact form.

Blessings,

Kimberly

Writing News and Updates

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

Hello my friends, it has been an exciting week! If you missed the broadcast, Bella’s Beautiful Miracle, A Caterpillar’s Journey, releases September 7, 2022! The book is available for pre-order online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. I’m anticipating more online retailers to carry it as well. The publisher will be notifying the Christian distributors, Ingram/Spring Arbor. In doing so, it provides an opportunity of getting into local bookstores. If there is a Christian Bookstore in your area where you want to see Bella, please let me know by commenting on this post or completing the contact form.

Book Launch and Signing Opportunities – more to come

I am diligently researching local opportunities to organize a book launch and signing. I hope to have more information on this soon. There are several upcoming events I am praying and waiting on.

I will attend the Catholic Women’s Conference in Lansing, Michigan, with a few of my fellow authors as a vendor. The one-day event will give us an opportunity for networking and sales. I am super excited about the theme: Esther 4:14

“PERHAPS YOU HAVE COME TO YOUR ROYAL DIGNITY FOR JUST SUCH A TIME AS THIS.”

If you would like more information on how you can attend, click here.

Article Updates and Writing Milestones

Earlier this week, I posted a book review on my blog. I was delighted and surprised when the ask came straight from a monastery. The book was fantastic, and I have added the review here.

I have posted new contributing blog articles here.

I am thrilled to share that a story I wrote will appear in a 2022 Anthology with a theme of Courage. I will share the publishing date as soon as it becomes available.

Shareable Marketing Links

As some of you may have heard me mention, God gifted me with Bella and her story. I am utterly sure that the Holy Spirit was my pen and guided every syllable to the page. Your prayers and marketing assistance will be necessary for Bella to reach the hearts and homes of all those God intends. Today’s Psalm calls us to “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news” (Psalm 117)

If you feel called, I encourage you to help Bella and me prayerfully spread the Good News by sharing any marking links below or within my website. 

Be Blessed!

FaceBook Author Page

Google Books

Google My Business Profile

Bella’s Beautiful Miracle: A Caterpillar’s Journey: Novak, Kimberly: 9781685562540: Amazon.com: Books

Bella’s Beautiful Miracle: A Caterpillar’s Journey by Kimberly Novak, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Glad I buckled my safety belt, this is quite the ride!

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

As summer exits, I would guess amusement parks, vacation hot spots, and local swimming pools are gearing up for the end of the season. Scripture tells us there is a time and season for everything under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1) I believe an ending usually leads to the beginning of something beautiful and perhaps better than what came before.

The adventure of publishing Bella has been one I will never forget. Even with the twists, turns, and the times I questioned out loud, “what have I gotten myself into?” I have loved this ride! I won’t bore you with details; that could be a book in itself.

Here comes the best part of this post! Bella’s Beautiful Miracle is set to release on September 7, 2022.

Both the paperback and kindle versions are available to pre-order. All you need to do is click the link below!

Pre-order now at Amazon

Also exciting are upcoming announcements that will include advance copy giveaways, including a full-color hardcover copy!

I thank you all very much for your participation and genuine interest. I am beyond excited for the future, even with all the unknown adventures accompanying it.

Keep an eye on my social media sites for marketing pitches and updates. The first shipment of author copies will arrive at my door in the next few days! I’m not sure how much sleep I will get anticipating the emotional response as I open that box!

Click to enjoy the book trailer, which you will see much more of in the coming weeks as we gear up for the release date!

Bella’s Beautiful Miracle Book Trailer

Copyright Kimberly Novak 2022

Blessings,

Kimberly