About
Once upon a time, I read a romance by a NYT best-selling author that was so bad, I uttered those famous last words, “I could write a better book than this!”
So...I did.
I won awards, even got an agent, and then came “the call.” A publisher wanted to buy my book. The problem is we never know what our next second will bring, and that early success ground to a fast halt. The publisher rejected a rewrite and my agent dropped me. What next?
God knew—and frankly, I’m glad I didn’t.
In succession, four elderly family members developed a variety of severe health issues including dementia. For the next 15 years, while raising two kids and working from home as a medical director, I became the family care manager. Trying to get a novel published got shoved to the back burner. I still wrote—at crazy hours, in fits and spurts, but the dream never died. In the interim, I helped other inspirational authors with writing-related medical questions and even ended up as a minor character in a Love Inspired novel.
My care managing duties ended with time, but by then, the publishing landscape had undergone a dramatic revolution from standard print runs to e-books and print-on-demand. What now?
Try again. And keep trying.
If you’re wondering—Ebenezer means “stone of help.” One of my favorite hymns is O Thou Fount of Ev’ry Blessing. The prophet Samuel, after the Children of Israel had messed up yet again, set up a stone at Eben ha’ezer to remind them of God’s ever-present help. That’s the story of my life, and probably why I like rocks and mountains so much. God likes mountains too. So many major events in the Bible take place on a mountaintop. Ararat, Sinai, Horeb, Moriah, Nebo, the Mount of Olives . . . the prophet Micah even says:
“In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and people will stream to it.”
Mountains force you to climb looking upward to God, and once you’re on top, you can see where you’ve been and can glimpse where you’re headed at the same time. God is the rock of my salvation, has always been there, never failing, never changing—even after I’ve messed up time and again.
I write about finding grace and hope in the middle of life’s unexpected conflicts. My prayer is that you will find that same hope and grace through my forthcoming books.
Writers, check out my blog, Rx for Writers, where I help you imagine deadly diseases and figure out how to maim, kill, or even heal your characters!
Future Readers, I hope to have book-related news to share with you soon.
Come journey along!
