Cottage 12- Cover By Mike Biggs

Mike Biggs served 13 years in the sports industry before leaving his dream profession to answer a call to write and begin a new journey. It was a difficult decision to make and one without any guarantees or much security. But it was necessary. His sports career took him thru events such as the Ryder Cup and PGA Championship; working alongside sports figures such as Walter Payton, Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, John Daly and Justin Leonard; and eventually the formation of his own company. He was content and experiencing the kind of worldly success he felt was required as a healthy sibling making up for a physicallychallenged older sister.

$24.95

Life was good for little brother. After all, he was living life in a world that looked like it belonged to Jerry Maguire.

Ownership of a three-year-old sports PR firm and 10 previous years in the business featured experiences with names like Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, John Daly and Justin Leonard. Memories with sporting legends like Barry Sanders, Walter Payton and others were just part of the “job” and part of his life since college years began in the late ‘80s. Many considered him to have the dream life, and in many ways he did. But he walked away.

The focus on writing began in earnest at the start of 2004. His road has been bumpy, unpredictable and with many seasons of uncertainty, doubt and struggle. However, God remains faithful and present among the challenges never letting Mike forget the heart and childlike faith of his sister.

A call that would change his life forever had come without warning. Amidst a winter of new beginnings, with only a slight hint of direction, he discovered the most unexpected of paths. Little did he know it would lead from the sporting greats to a place that once housed the person in his life he seldom even remembered to mention—his older and physicallychallenged sister, Kathy.

Biggs currently serves part-time in various capacities at Life in Deep Ellum outside of downtown Dallas. The facility also serves as the home base for his writing and the development of Wasteland Creative which he founded in 2006.

As Kathy’s 40th birthday drew near, this writing journey revealed the symbolic relationship of siblings connected by a twist of fateful birth circumstances. Kathy’s life in the wilderness had served as a beacon to the land that had been awaiting his arrival.

Kathy Biggs was born with a severe case of cerebral palsy, but it has never stopped her from being a positive light on those around her -- friends, caregivers and family alike. Her life teaches lessons that require discernment and proper perspective on what is most important in God’s eyes. While unable to speak, her voice shouts loudly through the witness of those who have spent their lives caring for her and through the pages of Cottage 12. She is surprisingly content and experiencing the kind of intimacy with God that was required to make up for the worldly heart of her spiritually-challenged younger brother. Biggs currently resides in a speciallyequipped residential home in Tulsa where she continues to fight various health issues associated with her disability.Yet her impact remains the same.

Cottage 12 is a cause-related work published under the author’s personal imprint,Wasteland Creative. By self-publishing with the support of an experienced literary marketing/distribution company, Wasteland Creative is able to distribute the book to potentially large audiences while maintaining the majority of royalties and having more to give to worthy causes.

And there, he found his path was one she had been traveling all along.

The light he often believed was his would be found in the heart of his sister and in the memories of a facility he had spent his life trying to forget. “Cottage 12” embarks the reader on the same journey taken by the author, both as a writer and as a person—an adventure fueled by divine intervention and interpretation. It tells the story of changing perspectives and seeing life—past, present and future—through new eyes and with a transformed heart.

40% of all net proceeds from book sales will be given to various charities and non-profit organizations. A minimum of 10% will go to Life in Deep Ellum (LIFE) and Bring Them In (BTI). The remaining 30% will either go to LIFE, BTI or any charitable or non-profit organization purchasing in bulk. Life in Deep Ellum is a cultural center built for the artistic, social, economic and spiritual benefit of Deep Ellum (a music and culture hub of Dallas) and its residents, supporters and visitors. It features a coffee bar, mid-size concert venue and acoustic lounge, art gallery and classroom space for activities such as after-school programs for at-risk teens. For more info, go to www.lifeindeepellum.com.

By the end, the life that may change the most is yours.

Bring Them In is a unique ministry serving families with special needs issues. Weekly services are currently held at Eastland Assembly of God in Tulsa, Okla. The organization has plans to expand nationally and worldwide in the near future. (Insert current contact info -- have requested)