Turning Pain Into Power
Author and book coach Erin Lund’s book, The Torch of Brighid, is being published in June 2023, so we sat down with her to hear about and celebrate her experience.
Which publishing route was taken for this project?
Indie publishing through Moon Books.
What are you most proud of in terms of this book’s journey?
That I wrote it after ending an abusive marriage, enduring a difficult divorce, and being isolated by a pandemic.
Was there ever a moment of doubt about the book?
Yes, actually. I originally bailed on the contract and decided that I was no longer in alignment with this book's topic and purpose, so abandoned the project altogether for a year. And then, the spiritual practice I developed and wrote about came to me in a deeper and fuller way, and I realized that I wasn't yet ready before because the true book that I needed to write hadn't been shown to me yet. Once I saw it, I was able to get my contract renewed, and then wrote the book.
What did you do to celebrate the news?
Shared the news on social media.
What’s next for the book?
It’s available for preorder now, but it will be released in June 2023. I’m planning an epic book launch event!
What is your favorite passage from the book?
When we transform, our world transforms, and when we receive abundance, we then have riches to share with the world. Spiritual growth is a positive feedback loop that brings more and more abundance, spiraling out from our inner spiritual sanctuaries into everything around us, and this received abundance of inspiration, vision, healing, and wisdom will shine from you like a torch for others, warming and guiding their souls as your is warmed and guided by Brighid. When we consciously step into spiritual transformation, we become Brighid's torch for those around us, and in this way, keep her fire alight in the world. This is the soul of flametending.
Forge --a poem
hammer and tongs in hand,
I settle myself at the forge.
the fire is built, the bellows have
blown, and the ore stands ready,
poured into forms resembling
joy and fear
security and confidence
comfort and chaos
the power of the hammer
must now shape them
like bones
like limbs
and I feel each blow on
my skin
as I fashion the form I wish
to take, and shape the life
I wish to live
molten gold becomes my
marrow as I glow from
within from a secret flame
and I speak with a tongue of fire
as poetry flows from my head like a
river of lava, creating the land
where I will live
and all those who also burn with
love and truth and mirth and grief
may join me here —
on this island of coals
floating
on a cosmic sea
What are the next steps in your career?
As an author, I want to create an audio recording for the guided meditations in the book. And to facilitate deeper work, I want to write a series of courses for further engaging with Brighid, and a companion book that guides the reader in creating their own Brighid-inspired oracle deck.
As a book coach, become certified through Author Accelerator to support my book coaching business!
As a poet, publish a volume of my three poetry collections, start a band, and record an album!
Thank you for sharing your success with us, Erin!
Erin R Lund is a writer and book coach helping heart-centered coaches and consultants confidently write books so they can grow their impact, help more people and change the world.
Learn more on her book coaching website.
