George Orwell once said, “When I sit down to write a book, I do not say to myself, ‘I am going to produce a work of art.’ I write it because there is some lie that I want to expose, some fact to which I want to draw attention, and my initial concern is to get a hearing.”
When I first began interviewing Nick Foles for Believe It in early March, we weren’t hoping to expose a lie. Rather, we wanted to draw people’s attention to the truth—the amazing reality of what God has done in Nick’s life and NFL career and what God can do in their life if they, too, are willing to submit to him.
By God’s grace, the book has received quite a hearing.On July 5, we found out that Believe It had reached The New York Times bestseller list. After its first week of release, Believe It ranked in the following NYT bestseller categories: No. 5 in hardcover nonfiction, No. 3 in sports and fitness, and No. 13 in combined print and e-book. Believe It also debuted at No. 3 in the Publisher’s Weekly hardcover non-fiction list that same week.
All this, of course, has been a great thrill—and quite humbling. The chain of events that led me to initially meet Nick over the phone 14 months earlier had beautifully divine fingerprints all over them. All I could do was marvel at God’s kindness and give thanks.
Nick’s remarkable book tour during release week provided a bit of foreshadowing for the success that Believe It would enjoy. Beginning on June 26, Nick did 50-plus media interviews, including appearances on major TV shows such as ABC’s “Good Morning America,” ESPN’s “Get Up!”, FOX News, as well as many others. He even did a humorous stint as a stand-in TV weatherman for the local FOX affiliate in Philly.
But it was during the bookstore signings that you could really tell something special was about to take place with Believe It. In five days, Nick made 11 bookstore stops throughout Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey and signed about 13,500 copies of the book for fans. At some locations, the lines of people waiting outside were at least 400 deep! Some folks reported waiting four hours just to get Nick’s signature. That’s longer than some lines at Disney! This was the heart of Eagles country, and folks came out in droves to support the beloved MVP of Super Bowl LII.
All said, Nick and I are amazed at what God has done. Several times in the days that followed, we texted back and forth to express congratulations to one another over making the NYT bestseller list and simply to bask in God’s goodness. Writing a book the size and scope of Believe It is a massive project, especially given the deadline constraints we were under, yet Nick, his wife Tori, and the Tyndale publishing team were fantastic to work with. The Lord poured out his blessings in countless ways the entire time.
The best part about writing this bestseller is the knowledge that the gospel of Jesus Christ is being proclaimed to many people. Nick’s story is ultimately a story about God’s love and redemption in the life of a man who has humbled himself before his Creator. For tens of thousands to read and be encouraged in their own spiritual journey is very exciting.
If you haven’t read Believe It yet, I encourage you to do so. Nick’s story is powerful, and I think you’ll be glad you picked it up. You can learn more about the book and order it by clicking here.
If you enjoyed Believe It, I’d like to recommend my other new release to you. It’s called the The Biggest Win, and it releases on July 30. I actually wrote it during that NFL season before collaborating with Nick on Believe It. The Biggest Win features the stories and testimonies of Nick and five other Christian players from the 2017 Eagles to inspire athletes of any age or sport in their pursuit of gospel-centered living.The book addresses key topics that all athletes will benefit from, such as competing for God’s glory, seeking your true identity in Christ, training yourself for godliness, enduring athletic trials, handling Scripture correctly as you strive toward your athletic goals, and much more.You can pre-order The Biggest Win online at Amazon by clicking here.
Happy reading!