About the book

The Art of Encouragement is a story of resilience — about keeping going, rebuilding what life breaks, and lifting others along the way. Its conviction, carried through every chapter: nobody is finished yet.

It is the first of two books Nic LaLonde & Mark Gai wrote together, and the seed of everything around them — including the Heart of Encouragement podcast arriving November 2026.

Who this book is for

• Anyone rebuilding after loss, failure, or a season they did not choose
• Churches, recovery and reentry communities, and the people who stand beside them
• Reading groups looking for a true story that starts an honest conversation

For reading groups

• Where in the story did you first see hope turn the corner?
• Who encouraged you at a moment you could not see a way forward — and did they know?
• What would “encouragement as a practice, not a feeling” look like in your community this week?