Join me.

Why, you say?

As a child, writing and reading were two of my weakest subjects. By the time I graduated high school, my GED scores told another story. I placed 99% in reading skills and 96% in writing skills.

So what changed?

I was introduced to Jesus, and suddenly I had something worth reading and writing about.

I can still remember the first story I wrote. Well, only the basic premise- something about a pig, a rainbow, and God’s promises.

I also remember a “series” my sister and I were going to write together- kids learning character qualities and the fruit of the Spirit.

I started writing poetry and when I was 12 or 13 I entered a writing contest and was so pleased when my poem was chosen as a semi-finalist and was going to be published in an anthology, In The Fullness of Time. Imagine my surprise when I learned All entries were semi-finalist and were all published in the anthology (including the poem about barf!)

Not the “recognition” I thought it was going to be.

But I continued writing and reading and I fell in love with Christian Fiction. I read the Elsie Dinsmore series, The Mandie series, and then The Corrie Belle Hollister series by Michael Phillips. I wrote him a letter and months later received a handwritten response. I still have that card today and use it for inspiration to keep going.

I was going to write a novel called Home Sweet Home and I began… then I planned out this whole series based on that theme… then I began researching publishers… before I even had a written manuscript.

I was the best writer in the world!

After graduation, I enrolled in the “Breaking into Print” program from the Long Ridge Writer’s Group, a graduation present from my parents.

I knew nothing!

My first stories were weak, full of grammatical errors, lacking in setting details, cardboard character. Needless to say, I had a lot of work to do. But I persevered.

In 2007, I married my best friend and had our first baby. Dreams rested on the back burners. I turned my attention to raising our daughter and loving my husband.

When I began homeschooling, I discovered that I spent a lot of time waiting on her to finish worksheets and assignments. And if I left the room, she stopped working and got distracted. I needed something to do. I was bored. Out of my mind bored!

The Lord reminded me of my publishing dreams, so 18 months ago, I reopened an old novel idea called Whither Shall I Go? I had 40,000 words finished.

I wrote.

And I wrote.

And I wrote.

One year later, I finished my first draft. 132,000 words.

Six months and three full edits later, I had a completed manuscript.

Now what?

During last month I read articles and built a book proposal…

And I discovered that waiting to hear from an agent is like pregnancy– you know you will hear something (at least you hope) eventually, but you wait…

And wait.

And wait.

And still waiting…

Will you wait with me?