The Realization of a Dream

My dream since I was 18 was to write books. I started seriously pursuing publication in 2004 and nearly gave up toward the end of last year, thinking my kind of stories wouldn't find a place in the CBA market.

And now, as my first nonfiction book (Winning Him Without Words: 10 Keys to Thriving in Your Spiritually Mismatched Marriage—check out the sidebar) is about to release (Feb. 21), I sit here with TWO fiction book contracts!!!

I cannot believe it. I'm so glad my amazing agent, Rachelle Gardner stayed fearless and determined when I lagged. Thank you, Rachelle! You're amazing!

And I don't care if I sound like one of those actors or singers on stage accepting an award and they give the obligatory thanks to God. I give God all the glory and credit for all of my success, nonfiction and fiction. He's the one who's been in control of it all and opened the doors at the right time. I'm so glad my impatience and doubts didn't run the show. LOL!

So, sometime next year (I'm guessing Spring or Fall), The Soul Saver will release. I wrote this book to go with Winning Him as a fictional version of the 10 Keys Lynn Donovan and I share in regards to thriving in a mismatched marriage. Here's the blurb for The Soul Saver:

Sent to find the lost… but this time she has to find herself.

On an average day, God kept her missions to the grocery store, bank, and playground territories. But then came the tough missions—the ones that sent Lexie Baltimore into real battle. The goal was always the same. Reach the lost, bring someone back to God, restore hope. And she had a few battle scars to show for it.

Tormented that she can’t reach the one person she loves the most—staunch atheist and husband Hugh—Lexie finds her own hope waning when the battle comes to her doorstep in the shape of pastor who represents everything she wants and what her husband is not—a godly man.

Then false accusations and rumors spin her husband and family into a precarious position and the only way out is to trust God. But how can she convince her husband of that when she’s struggling to trust God herself?

This time Lexie is the mission.

I love this book so much, and I hope it will be an encouragement to others. My deepest gratitude to Barbour Publishing and Rebecca Germany for giving this book a chance! Thank you!

The second contract I received (also from Barbour) is for a novella that will be part of a series. I have the distinct honor and pleasure of working on the Rendezvous at Central Park series with Ronie Kendig, MaryLu Tyndall, and Kim Sawyer.

My story is titled A Love Meant to Be and is set partly during the Vietnam War and current day. I'm writing the hero in this story to honor my father, who was a Vietnam Vet and passed away last June. Wish he could be here to see it but I know one day we'll be together again to talk about it. Here's the blurb for A Love Meant to Be:

1973 — Unexpected love sweeps Alan James and Gail Gibson into a romantic journey that spans 38 years. After a whirlwind romance, they plan to reunite at Central Park after Alan returns from the Vietnam War, but the lies and deceit of Gail’s sister foil their reunion. Thirty-eight years later, Alan’s niece, Jamie, finds Gail and brings them back together. Alan and Gail’s plans to reunite in Central Park are finally realized in a surprise reunion that shows their love was meant to be.

So there you go. There's my great news! I've sat on the news about Soul Saver since early December until we got the contract done. Now, I get to share how God's brought my dream to fruition. What a great way to start the year!