It’s been a crazy six months. I won’t bore you with the finer details (at least, not today), but the short of it is as follows:

 

The original publisher of my book closed its doors without reasonable notice, leaving me with nothing more than a promise that they would work to connect me with another publisher who would pick up where they left off, implying that this other entity would honor the original contract. I was hopeful, but I wasn’t holding my breath.

 

I emailed a reply, requesting more information, and I waited. As days turned into weeks and weeks into months, I heard nothing more.

 

Eventually, I got over my frustrations–at least a little–and I prayed more fervently. I asked God whether He wanted me to continue pursuing this passion He had given me, or whether He wanted me to wait. After almost two weeks of constant prayer, I submitted my second book to several agencies. A few responded positively, and I prayed some more. I was very excited about one of the agencies in particular, but I didn’t quite feel that peace I’d been hoping for. I asked God to either give me that understanding-passing peace, or close the door. He closed the door.

 

Finally, a new publisher responded to one of my queries. It was, to be honest, a publisher I’d never heard much about. I can’t even say for certain what it was about them which drew me to submit my manuscript. But, I was drawn, nonetheless.

 

And now, not only am I under contract with Ambassador International for my second book in the series, but they contracted with me to republish my first book, as well!

 

So, I was able to make some tweaks on the first installment of the series, and now the ball is rolling once again! God is good!

 

The takeaway? The theme of the series is pretty much Romans 8:28 fleshed out. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” And now, here I am, being reminded by my wonderful heavenly Father that when He says ALL THINGS, He means it!

 

I’ll keep you posted!

Book 2 is being edited, and I’ve learned so much since the publishing of the first installment in my “The Calling of Casey Evand” series! It’s my fervent prayer that you’ll enjoy the second installment even more than the first, and it is my hope that you’ll appreciate the improvements I’ve learned to implement regarding flow and the art of writing well, in general.

 

See more regarding the latest in the “news” section!

 

Have a great summer!!

 

God Bless!!!

It’s that season, again–when we intentionally focus on being thankful for things and giving gifts as outward expressions of love.  It’s a wonderful time steeped in sweet intentions and warm hearts.  It’s a time when we purpose to reflect upon our own lives, and we determine to remember just how blessed we are.

 

But why only for a season?

 

I have a quote upon the wall of my home’s breakfast nook–author unknown–which states, “The more grateful I am, the more reasons I find to be grateful.”

 

I love that we dedicate a season to thankfulness and giving and celebrating God, the birth of Jesus Christ, and the blessings we enjoy as a result of knowing Christ as savior.  I love that even those who cannot yet claim such a relationship still feel drawn to the spirit of thankfulness and lovingkindness.  It’s a beautiful thing.

 

And yet, how much more enriched might our lives be if we purposed to be thankful all year long? How much more fulfilling might they be if we remembered that the celebration of Christmas–which is, essentially, the acknowledgment of the identity of Jesus Christ as God Himself being crammed into the tiny shell of a human baby so that He might live and dwell among us so as to eventually fulfill our need for a Savior?  How much more might we be humbled and awestruck by the mighty love of our Redeemer if we embraced it every day of the year?

 

It’s just a thought…

 

Have a wonderful 2015 Thanksgiving and Christmas season, and may it carry through to Christmas 2016!

 

Every author deals with them.

 

We pour our souls onto paper, and we wait for the world to react. We hope for the world to notice. We pray for a passing glance. We wait.

 

We begin to be encouraged as accolades come. We read positive reviews and examine high reader ratings, and we are thrilled. But then, it inevitably happens. We get that first negative review.

 

When I first saw the review, I was bummed. For a brief moment, I was downright sad.

 

It was a rather lengthy review, and the criticisms were heaped upon more criticisms.

 

The first criticism: my book is too “preachy.” There was the insinuation that the story contained too many life applications; too many realistic truths. The reader had wanted to be entertained without being challenged.

 

Then, the reader was annoyed by most of the characters. The characters don’t behave the way the reader wanted them to behave. The characters are a little too imperfect for the reader’s tastes.

 

The main character, Casey Evand, is too weak; too pathetic. The character struggles with victim mentality, and she doesn’t overcome her bondage as quickly or as dramatically as the reader would have preferred. Again, there was the insinuation that the character is too realistic.

 

On and on the criticisms went, and as I read, my smile broadened. For this negative feedback was among the most encouraging reviews I’ve ever received.

 

Within the lines of this rebuke, there were a few insights which I felt were helpful criticisms which I can keep in mind as I deal with the publishing of future installments, but the rest were–in the end–simply edifying. It does not seem that the reader’s intention was in any way to edify, and yet God used her words to encourage me–to remind me once again about why it is that I write.

 

My goal in writing this first installment in the series was to set the stage for the six-book saga; to deal with realities faced by many people–and many people of faith–in a truly realistic manner. There is drama, but it is cloaked in believable possibility. My writing is designed to convey truth through fiction.

 

And most wonderfully, the reader ended her critique with a rather surprising admission: she is looking forward to reading the next installment to see what happens! How cool is that?

 

I’m sure this first negative review will not be the last, just as I’m certain that not all of the negative comments to come will contain such thrilling complaints. But, for the first negative review to be such an apparently unintended encouragement is a pretty big blessing.

 

To God be the glory!

It’s been an interesting few months. I’ve been praying about how to proceed with regard to seeing the publication of the second installment of The Calling Of Casey Evand series. With pepperings of interest from a few large publishing companies coming to naught thus far, and with my hopes of finding a reputable faith-based literary agent at a sort of standstill, I’m befuddled.

 

I’ve heard from so many wonderful readers who have told me that they have been blessed by The Crimson Purpose. Some have shared with me testimonies of their own walks through trials reminiscent of those facing the story’s characters. Some have shared with me assurances that I had described their struggles with false Christian guilt, victim mentality, or depressive tendencies accurately. I give God the glory for this, for I believe that, in articulating struggles which we face–especially as believers–we can gain a better perspective, and we can respond as God would have us to respond.

 

And, of course, such encouragement from readers makes me all the more excited about the prospect of being able to offer the next book in the series. I’ve been working on tweaks and improvements, getting it ready for the professional editors. I’ve been praying over the content, hoping that the words will serve to continue the theme of the first book while entertaining and engaging the reader. I’ve been doing all I know to do… and yet, I’ve been increasingly concerned that nothing big has happened, lately; nothing to push that next book onto the presses.

 

But, then, God did something which should not have surprised me–for my God is indeed a big God. On the day during which I was feeling especially low–especially frustrated about the lull in sales and uncertain as to what my course of action should be–I prayed, as I’ve been praying. But, this time, I tried to pin God down on a definitive answer. Silly me.

 

God didn’t answer me in the way that I asked Him to answer me. Instead, He showed me that my duty is to follow His leading. Nothing more. Nothing less.

 

Someone to whom I’d given a copy of my book nearly four months previous–someone I barely knew–crossed my path. This person told me that after reading the book, it was passed on to several others. He shared with me the impact the story had made on himself and his wife, and their hopes of using the book as a tool to reach out to a dear friend struggling with many of the same issues addressed in the book. We spoke for some time, and I left that conversation feeling profoundly humbled. God had answered me in a way which far exceeded my hopes of knowing the future. Rather, God showed me the present.

 

As if that weren’t enough of an epiphany, God, only a few hours later, lead a lovely young woman to share with me–quite unprovoked–about something in her past with which she still occasionally struggles. The things she described were so reminiscent of the issues in the book, that I assumed that she had read the book and had sought me out because of the similarities. But she hadn’t read it. Humbled yet again, I told the woman that I wanted her to have a copy of The Crimson Purpose. It wasn’t a gesture born of arrogance, but of a certainty that God had placed me at that place with a means to minister to that woman. God is so good, and I am so thankful that He is allowing me to be an encouragement through my writing.

 

So, no, I don’t yet know what tomorrow will bring regarding the publishing of the second installment of the series, but I am striving to remember that God does know. And He will let me in on His plans when it suits Him to do so. Praise God!