I'm excited to share with you that I am officially now a blogger for the International Bipolar Foundation! Here's a link to my first blog, titled, "Is Mania a Spiritual Experience?"

http://www.ibpf.org/blog/mania-spiritual-experience

When the editor received my entry, she said, "I didn’t expect you to integrate spirituality and mania. I hadn’t heard that perspective before. Usually it seems more black and white."

Less black and white; I'd say that's a good thing! Thanks again for the support.

Y'all, it is exactly one week from publication (September 1st). That's one week until everyone has access to The Body of Chris, the freakin' project you made possible! You should be proud of what we've created. I'm indebted to all of you.

Hey Austin, thanks for the comment! I'm excited to hear you're enjoying the read. I tried to layer the book with "psychological underpinnings" so that the novice and expert would both find it intriguing. I'm looking forward to your thoughts upon completion.

I just started Body of Chris and am already sucked in. The subtle psychological underpinnings suggested in everyday moments such as the donning of the father's "heavy" coat are polished and natural. Themes such as "rules" hold chapters together, another testament to great craftsmanship. Well-done!

The Body of Chris is an Amazon #1 New Release!

I want to share my excitement with you all! Above is a screenshot from my Amazon page, and it looks like whatever you guys are doing is working, because The Body of Chris is now a #1 New Release in its genre!

Many of you have been sharing your experience of the book, and I have heard nothing but great things, so thank you. It means so much to me that you are enjoying the book you helped create. Without this experience with Inkshares and your generosity, I don't know if I would have ever been able to write this thing.

If you have read the book, please help give an extra boost by writing a review on Amazon or writing a review on Goodreads. It's easy to do, and it helps tremendously.

To leave a review on Amazon, click here.

To leave a review on Goodreads, click here.

I'm hoping to report more good news to you in the coming days. Thanks again for your love and support. 

Have I told you lately that I love you? I've been getting many personal messages that the book is shipping. Late last night, I was told some of you have had the book for a few days already! I just got mine this morning, and I'm over the moon!

The official publication date is not until September 1, so I am humbled and honored to be able to share this with you in advance. You deserve to read it first, since it was you who helped me make this dream a reality. Your generosity and support has meant the world to me, so I hope you find the book worthwhile.

When you do read the book, and I hope you do, please help me get the word out by reviewing the book on Goodreads. You would not believe how important online reviews are now to the success of books, and even just a sentence or two can make a huge impact. To leave a review, please click here.

If you are social media savvy, I'd love to see your images, thoughts, and recommendations on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Please hashtag #thebodyofchris, so I can see all of them!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you! I am forever grateful.

Love. 

Chris

Hi Everybody!

I'm excited to report that there is no more writing to be done! So if there was ever any doubt, fear not; you will get yourself a book, and thanks to your support, it will be beautiful and well edited. Now it's time for promotion and distribution—the stuff I have to mostly just trust to the experts. Instead of bearing my soul in what has been somewhat of a spiritual catharsis, my attention is now turning to the more practical: how to get this dang book in people's hands. And though marketing feels much stranger to me than sitting down and writing, I know it is crucial in order to achieve my original goals.

My writing process felt a bit peculiar the whole time. This is hardly a how-to book, and yet somehow it feels like I’m giving advice. There’s been just a few nameless faces in my mind—some young person out there hurting, a family with no idea how to relate, maybe a professional that wants to know more. With each passage I seem to be promising: “You’re going to be okay”—a mantra I still sometimes recite to myself. I realized early on that I was simply writing a book I wished I could have read. In moments of insecurity, I would wonder if this was enough of a reason to write at all. But there was a time—multiple times—when all I needed to hear was that I wasn't alone, that someone out there at some point was experiencing the same kind of heartache, and that he endured, and that maybe he even thrived. What's driven me to keep going is that old remembering of isolation and confusion, the idea that despite the alarmingly high mental illness numbers reported, maybe I was the only one.

Anyway, it has been a couple months, so I wanted to just let you know where the project is. Things are moving along. Words cannot express how grateful I am for this opportunity. My next little prayer is that someone influential picks up my book and finds it worth mentioning. If you know any authors with sway in the mental health and/or spiritual counsel arenas, please forward this message or pass along my email (chris@colecoaching.com), so I can send them an early manuscript and tell them why this work means so much to me. I’m looking forward to sharing more with you all soon.

Love.

Chris

Hello Backers!

I just want to give a quick update and let you know that the first three chapters of The Body of Chris are now available on Inkshares!

After edits, I changed a good bit to the opening chapter and renamed it, Original Sin. There is also the updated second chapter, Shape Down, and the never-before-seen third chapter, Good Sport. 

Can you believe there are going to be thirty-nine whole chapters, plus an epic epilogue? I know, I'm even surprised myself. Thank you all for supporting this project. I truly believe you will find it as entertaining as it is informative. 

Love.

Chris

P.S. Don't be shy when you visit Inkshares. There are all sorts of fun interactive tools for us to play with, like discussions and highlights and likes! So please, click away :)

Hey Everybody,

Oh the joy of reflection! Today, I'm revising the chapter where my family goes up to Lake Burton for Mother's Day... while I'm psychotic. In the news, we hear a lot about psychosis as violent and dangerous, and no doubt many cases are, but for me, my delusions were often a disorganization of identity, mostly resulting in hyper-religiosity and spiritual insight. 

Because you are my backers and I love you for it, here's a couple pictures of my Mother's Day gift to my mom during my 2006 manic episode. It's currently residing next to my computer to help me reminisce. At the time, I was certain that I could remember being conceived and how delighted I was to have such an incredible mom. She is a very special lady, no doubt, so I'm not surprised that I would project such gratitude onto my conception.

Here's the front:

 Here's the back:

The next time you hear from me, I will have turned in my manuscript! Thanks again for making this dream a reality.

Love.

Chris

Happy Halloween everyone! I just want to say a quick hello and provide an update on the progress of The Body of Chris. There are now three chapter drafts up for your perusal, so I hope you've all had a chance to read those. I'm making great progress, and I can't thank you enough for this incredible opportunity!

Next week, the editorial process will commence. As many of you know, I've been running through revisions and rewrites, and I'm excited to report that my manuscript is halfway completed. That means 35,000 words, the first 140 pages, are ready for professional edits.

This is a great pace, since funding wasn't even set to end until January! Thanks to your generosity and interest, I am able to get the ball rolling, and in turn, get a finished product to you all the sooner. I haven't stopped hearing that this work is hitting home for many, hopefully inspiring hope and acceptance, so thank you!