L. Neil ThrussellToday is a very special day in our household.
A Warrior’s Heart: The Promise is officially launched.
There is an energy around launch day that is hard to describe unless you have lived through the process of creating a book from the inside.
For months, sometimes years, a book exists quietly behind the scenes. It lives in conversations, late-night edits, scribbled notes, changed paragraphs, questioned scenes, rewritten chapters, and those moments when Neil suddenly says, “I’ve got it!” and disappears into his writing world.
Then one day, all of that private work becomes public.
Today is that day.
And I have to say, I am incredibly proud of Neil.
I have watched this book grow from an idea into a full story. I have watched the characters develop, watched scenes get rewritten, moved, tightened, questioned, expanded, cut back, and occasionally wrestled into submission.
And once again, I had the pleasure — and yes, sometimes the challenge — of being Neil’s editor.
There is something very special about being this close to his creative process. I get to see the story before almost anyone else does. I get to ask the annoying questions. I get to point out when something doesn’t quite make sense. I get to say, “You already used that word three times on this page.” And I get to catch the little things that Neil’s eyes have read so many times that they simply glide right over them.
And, because I love him, I also get to tease him.
I am happy to report that his use of commas and sentence structure is getting better.
His spelling?
Well…
We’re still working on that. 😊
Some things in marriage require patience.
Apparently spelling is one of them.
But behind all the commas, edits, red marks, tracked changes, conversations about word choices, and occasional debates over whether a sentence really needs to be changed, there is something much more important.
There is heart in this book.
That is what I am most proud of.
Neil has always believed that stories can do more than entertain us. They can remind us of who we are. They can challenge us. They can open something within us. They can make us laugh, ache, wonder, hope, and sometimes see our own lives a little differently.
The Promise carries that spirit forward.
This book represents another chapter not only in the A Warrior’s Heart series, but in Neil’s own journey as an author.
Writing a book takes imagination.
Finishing one takes discipline.
Releasing it takes courage.
Because eventually an author has to stop changing the words, close the manuscript, and place something deeply personal into the hands of strangers.
That is what Neil has done again today.
And I know how much this series means to him.
I also know how excited he is.
Actually, “excited” might be an understatement.
He has been counting down the days, talking about launch day, checking details, talking about launch day again, and then just in case anyone forgot…
talking about launch day some more. 😊
But that excitement is beautiful to witness.
After all these years of writing, creating, teaching, dreaming, and sharing his stories, he still has that spark.
He still gets excited when a new book arrives.
He still holds that first copy a little differently.
He still lights up when someone tells him they have read one of his stories.
And today, I get to watch him experience that again.
For those of you who have followed the A Warrior’s Heart journey from the beginning, thank you.
Some of you have been reading Neil’s books for many years. You have encouraged him, shared his work, attended launches, sent messages, left reviews, and asked the wonderful question every writer secretly loves to hear:
“When is the next book coming?”
Well…
The next book is here.
A Warrior’s Heart: The Promise is available today.
You can get your Paperback or Kindle copy on Amazon here:
And if you are new to Neil’s writing, I have one suggestion before you begin this particular journey:
Go back to the beginning.
Start with A Warrior’s Heart: The Awakening.
There is a richness in watching the journey unfold from the very first book — meeting the characters where it all began, understanding the choices that shaped them, and experiencing the lessons, challenges, relationships, and growth that ultimately lead to The Promise.
You can meet these characters later in the journey.
But in my opinion, you will appreciate The Promise much more if you first experience The Awakening.
So if Neil’s writing is new to you, begin there.
Pick up A Warrior’s Heart: The Awakening, settle in, and start at the beginning.
Then, when you arrive at The Promise, you will understand just how far the journey has come.
And I think that makes today’s launch even more exciting.
For long-time readers, this is a return to people and ideas you already know.
For new readers, it is an invitation to begin an entirely new journey.
And for Neil, it is another moment where something that once existed only in his imagination now has a life of its own.
Today, however, I get to step out of my role as editor for a moment.
Today I simply get to be his wife.
And as his wife, I want to say:
Neil, I am proud of you.
Proud of your persistence.
Proud of your creativity.
Proud of the way you continue to follow the ideas that stir your heart.
Proud that you keep writing when a story becomes difficult.
Proud that you keep learning.
Proud that you keep putting yourself out there.
And proud that after all these years, you still believe stories matter.
Today your words leave our home and travel into the hands, homes, hearts, and imaginations of other people.
That is a pretty remarkable thing.
So today we celebrate.
We celebrate another finished book.
We celebrate another promise kept.
We celebrate the readers who have walked this journey with Neil.
And we celebrate those who are just now discovering it.
Congratulations, Neil, on the launch of A Warrior’s Heart: The Promise.
I love you.
I am proud of you.
Now go enjoy your launch day.
You’ve earned it.
And don’t worry…
I’ll keep watching those commas.
And the spelling.
Especially the spelling. ❤️
— Tina
