My First Official Published Work

So here it is folks my first official published work!

Not what I thought it would be. But isn’t that usually how life is? What we think will happen, what we are expecting is rarely how it turns out. God says in his word "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. Isaiah 55:8.

My life is in His hands and He is faithful to me as I am faithful to Him. He has given me this gift of writing and as I am faithful to use it as He directs me He is faithful to me. I am published. A dream that I have hidden away for over ten years had come true. It did not come true in the way that I had dreamed, yet this is only the beginning, He is still teaching me to be faithful. He is still leading me down a path of discipline. As I walk with Him and follow His plan for my life He rewards my faithfulness with the desires of my heart. What a great God we serve. That He would give me such a precious gift. He does not need to give me this gift. He has already given me so much; such a wonderful life, such a wonderful family. Yet in his immeasurable abundance and grace He desires to give me more, to give me the desires of my heart. What great love He has for me and for you.

I wonder how often we miss out on those things we desire because we don’t peruse them. So many times I’ve put away my desire to write. Saying it’s trivial, it has no real value in the Kingdom. Was He all the while waiting patiently for me to use the talent He had given me? Waiting to reward my efforts with the gift of my dreams? How often do we not see his great abundance because we do not ask? We do not dare to dream? He is our father, our loving father who longs to give us good gifts. What are the dreams that you long to pursue? God has made us in His image. He is a dreamer too.

Another Choice

Hello friends, once again I need your help. Vote for your favorite "pitch". which one would make you pick up this book?

1.) A hired killer decides to turn his next hit into an elaborate game targeting eleven people and leading local detectives on a wild goose chase.

When one of his victims narrowly escapes, he’s faced with something he’s not accustomed to, his own failure. The voice tells him it’s time to cut and run but his ego won’t let him leave until the game is finished.

The suspense mounts as the killer becomes more unstable and detectives get closer. It all comes to a head in a building rigged to explode, and only the fiery conclusion will reveal who lives and who dies.


2.) Gage Maverick has three dead bodies. The killer is careful, using fire to cleanse each scene of clues. The only connection is the package each victim received. What does the strange content reveal? Can he figure out the irrational clues before someone else dies?

Jenny Malone opens her mail only to discover a bizarre package that will transform her simple ordered life into one of terror, disillusionment and murder. She must find an inner strength she never knew she possessed, but will it be enough? Will she survive?



3.) A hired killer decides to turn his next hit into an elaborate game targeting eleven people and leading detectives Gage Maverick and Sam Lark on a wild goose chase.

When Jenny Malone narrowly escapes his attack, he’s faced with something he’s not accustomed to, failure. The voice tells him it’s time to cut and run but his ego won’t let him leave until the game is finished.

The suspense mounts as the killer becomes more unstable and detectives get closer. It all comes to a head in a building rigged to explode, and only the fiery conclusion will reveal who lives and who dies.


4.) It was a day just like any other day. A package in the mail, an envelope with no return address that sits in a pile with the rest of the days correspondence. How could she know that this unassuming envelope with its bizarre assortment of papers would transform her life in a matter of days?

How could she know that this package would put her in the cross hairs of a deranged killer? That this package would propel her into a world where she had no experience. A world where nothing is at it should be. A world of terror, disillusionment and murder.

This package would give her the opportunity to find an inner strength that she never knew she possessed. But would it be enough? Could she survive?

A Better Person

I just got home from the Florida Christian Writers Conference and all I can say is WOW!

What an incredible experience. My head is spinning from all the incredible information, and my heart is about to explode from all the wonderful new friends I found. I realized that I have a long way to go but was encouraged by so many great people to keep on going.


Author Virginia Smith taught a class on Fabulous Fiction that was, well, fabulous! She poured into us all she could of what she has learned over the years about being a successful author. It will take me weeks, months, maybe even years to work though and apply all that I learned. I can say that one of my favorite authors is now one of my friends, that alone was worth the trip. Thank you Ginny!



What a great speaker Cecil Murphey is. God has blessed him with an unlimited supply of encouragement not just for writers, but for people. His words brought wisdom as well as encouragement. I feel that I left there a better person than when I got there and isn’t that what we all strive for? As Christians we realize that we can never be the best, we can only be better today than we were yesterday.

If you have a chance to attend a writers conference do it.

This was my first but it will not be my last. I learned so much is such a short period of time it was almost overwhelming.

I have already marked my calendar for next year.

The Votes Are In

Here’s the tally

#2 wins with 8 votes
#3 fell behind with only 4 votes.

Thank you everyone for participating.

I’ll let you know how the Conference went.

Vote for your favorite

Hey friends I need some help. I need a 'pitch' for my new book Gone Missing. Here are four options pick which one you would buy.

1.) A picturesque little town at the base of the mountains seems so perfect.
When a young mother mysteriously goes missing, the pursuit of the truth will crack Its carefully constructed façade and reveal what lies beneath; a sinister web of deceit and betrayal that will rock the sleepy little town to its very foundation.

2.) The quaint little town of Jasper seems the perfect place for Ana Holms to finish her novel. When a young mother goes missing, Ana’s offer to help with the children turns out to be more than she bargained for. She quickly finds herself embroiled in a dangerous investigation that will crack the facade of this sleepy little town and reveal a sinister web of deceit and betrayal.

3.) The quaint little town of Jasper seems the perfect place for Ana Holms to finish her novel. When Devin Rylan is called home to help find his missing sister, the two of them soon find themselves tangled in a dangerous web of drugs and corruption and the only way out may cost them everything.

4.) Ana Holms and Devin Rylan are looking for his missing sister, but what they uncover is far more dangerous than either could have expected. The ensuing investigation will reveal far more that the whereabouts of the woman.

Presence

The other day it was dreary outside, not uncommon for this time of year. It must have been 100% humidity, it wasn’t actually raining, but the air was so saturated with moisture that when you passed through it you got wet.

It got me thinking; wouldn’t it be great if our lives were like that? If God’s presence so permeated our lives that whoever passed though them; whether by our words or our presence, that they would be covered with the love of Christ? How much more would our written words do, if we were so filled with God that it poured out with our words? How many hurts could be healed, bruised eased and souls filled with joy and laughter?

So often we get busy and put-off our quiet time with God. We use the excuses of the world: we have too much to do. People are counting on us. We have a deadline to meet. We can’t get up early to spend time with God because we need our sleep. We are too tired, have too many responsibilities.
As writers I believe it is even more important to spend time with God. When we write we are pouring out what is inside of us. It needs to be re-filled. I have to intentionally re-fill my soul with God and not the world, so that when someone passes through my world they will get some Jesus all over them.

What part of your life do you need to fill with God?

Taking Our Thoughts Captive

Recently a verse caught my attention…


We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, - 2 Corinthians 10:5


I thought How can we take every thought captive? Apparently there is power in this action. We cannot control the thoughts that “pop” into our heads, but we can control what we do with them. We take a thought and follow it into a line of thinking, but where does that thinking lead? It can lead us to one of two places: it can lead us to the foot of the cross (drawing us closer to God) or it can lead us to the trash-heap of life (I heard that term once and really liked it – isn’t that what life feels like sometimes, a trash heap?).

It is up to us. So before we follow a thought, we first need to decide what direction we are going to let it take us. Is it going to help us heal, help us understand ourselves or others, help us realize the need for a savior? Or is it going to lead us down a path of self destruction, depression, and helplessness? We choose what direction it will take us. How? We take the thought captive and we make it take us toward the cross. We have the control and the power because Christ is in us, it’s His power and He will lead us if we let Him.

What thoughts do you need to take captive today?

An Exciting Life

Today I got my first post published. How exciting. For years I have been writing and hoping that one day I could be a published writer. I write fiction. This last year the Lord has given me some little nuggets of insight and provided an avenue to share them with others. Today seeing my words published on a Magazine’s blog was uplifting to say the least.


I am looking forward to 2012. I have a feeling that it is going to be a great year; but then again every year with the Lord is a great year. Today was just a glimpse of the possibility that my dreams of being a writer might come true, but let’s not get the cart before the horse.

I have been working hard toward this goal, off and on, for many years. Nothing worth having is easy. The Lord has taught me that if I just do the best I can do, He will provide the rest.

For many years I was in a sales field and attended, what felt like hundreds of seminars on how to be successful. Their focus was on worldly success, which is not a bad thing, but through many trials and errors I learned that my success was in the Lord’s hands. He taught me to concentrate on what is important, my clients, and do the very best job I could do and He would handle the rest. I became successful and with that success was the assurance that I was doing it His way not mine.

So this has become my life’s philosophy, to do the very best I can at whatever I am involved in and leave the rest up to Him. Not only is it more profitable, but it’s much less stressful.

A New Year

I have started blogging this year and am finding it a daunting adventure. I am a mystery/suspense writer, so I’m generally lost in a world of my own creation. Even when I am not in my imaginary world, I tend to be quiet, more comfortable observing than participating.

The Lord gives me profound insights but not on a daily basis. Maybe He gives me more insights than I realize, and I just need to be more open to His leading. So my quest is to pay more attention to what He is trying to show me.
I have joined a few writers’ groups this year and have met some great people who I hope will become great friends.

I am going to my first Writer Conference in March. I am so excited at the prospect of meeting people in the literary profession. I am sure that the Lord will connect me with some great people.

I’m going to concentrate on my writing more this year, not quite a “New Year’s Resolution”, (I believe those to be a recipe for failure.) but a goal. We all need goals in our lives to strive toward weather we succeed or not, it’s the journey that counts. Along the road is where God can mold us and direct our paths, if we are not moving how can He direct our path?

And so my new adventure begins. I know from past experience that the following His leading is always and adventure; sometimes scary, sometimes fun, sometimes full of discovery and wonder, sometimes solemn and reflective, but ALWAYS an adventure. So here’s to 2012 let the adventure begin!

What adventure are you participating in this year?