The Metamorphosis of a Novel, Part One

The First Edition

With the release of the new edition of my first novel, Before the Season Ends, I thought it might interest some of you to follow its journey since I first wrote "the end." In this post and the next few, I'll be sharing the many published versions there are of this one novel. (Three are with Harvest House alone).
Each post will have tips for writers at the end.

Year: 1990s-2003

1st Edition 2005

Indie Excellence Finalist Award

There's a saying that goes like this: If you can't find the book you want to read, write it yourself.

That is exactly what spurred me to write my first novel. I hoped and waited for years for someone else to write a "real" Christian regency, but it never happened. When I read some that fell woefully short, I thought, I could do better than that. So I did.

Here's how it happened:
Once I realized that in order to read a "real" Christian regency, I would have to write it myself, I spent hours and hours at the library in their reference department, scouring resource material. (Today's authors don't realize how easy they have it now! What is a click away for them, sometimes took hours for me to dig up.) I was determined to get my research right.

Meanwhile,  I had three young labors of love called children, so library--or writing time--was hard to come by. But I would try to get alone at night and work on various literary labors of love--one of which became Before the Season Ends. My husband watched the kids upstairs while I wrote at a desk in a little basement bedroom in our house on Long Island. But there were also days when I scribbled scenes as a toddler crawled across my lap. (The difficulty of carving out time to write made me work harder at it, I think, than if I had had all the hours in the world to do it.)

Little by little the book took shape. After my fourth child was born, I kept up my sporadic attempts to finish a novel. Just about the time I finished it, we moved to Ohio. I spent years homeschooling and dabbling with other books, but I couldn't get away from Before the Season Ends. I spent a year  editing the book with such skill as I had. (Not as much as I've acquired.)

The Game Changer
I began praying about how to get it published. I knew NOTHING about the world of publishing, agents, etc. I did some poking around and decided to send it to two publishers. One--a major Christian publisher--expressed interest and requested the full manuscript, but later turned it down. That close call discouraged me. Nowadays, I would know that when you're seeking to get a book published, you either use an agent, or you query as many publishers as you can find who accept unsolicited manuscripts in your genre. But after only two rejections, I was (foolishly) discouraged and ready to quit. Except that the Lord wouldn't let me.

Little Holy Nudges
I love to tell this story. Here's how God nudged me not to give up on the book. In college, as an English Lit. major, I read my fair share of Shakespeare. In Hamlet, the ghost of the dead king nudges his son to kill the usurper who has not only stolen his crown and his wife, but murdered him to boot. He wants Hamlet to avenge his death but has to remind the famous procrastinator of
"thine almost blunted purpose." Well, oddly enough, God kept reminding me of "thine almost blunted purpose." It would have been startling, except I already knew the Lord has an exquisite sense of humor. I knew, too, exactly what "purpose" He was talking about: my book! It took me years to figure out why He chose a line from Hamlet, however: (in retrospect, it's painfully obvious) Because, like that poor prince, I was an expert procrastinator! After those first rejections, I'd done nothing to get the book published.

There were two wonderful things that came of His reminders.
1. I knew HE cared about the book!
2. I realized it was no less than my purpose (one of them, anyway) to get it out there! 

2004-2005
With incentive coming from God himself, I had the courage to look around some more. I settled upon a Christian self-publishing company (never even considered querying more traditional publishers--you'd think with divine inspiration I would have; but no, because I'm about as thick-headed as they come.) In any case, the first edition was born, and was a finalist in The Indie Exellence Contest. (See picture above)

(To Be Continued...)

WHAT I LEARNED (Tips for Writers)
1. Don't scrimp on research. If I did anything right, it was being meticulous about this.
2. Don't be too quick to give up! The publishing world is tough to break into, but not impossible. 
3. Commit your work to the Lord. And let Him direct its path. 
4. Be flexible. Your perfect vision for how and when your book gets published may not be God's plan for that work.
5. Nowadays, the old-style vanity publisher should be a last resort unless the writer only wants to publish for friends and family. As a publisher myself, I help authors who want to get their books into print--but I would caution any writer from going with a company who will print anything. Back then, I didn't know better. Even so, when I got the galleys, I made endless changes--all costing me--but I was aiming for excellence. If editing and/or book doctoring isn't part of the deal, run, don't walk, in another direction. (And that book still needed editing--don't scrimp on that, either.)  

Click here to see the latest, newly updated and edited release of Before the Season Ends
http://amzn.to/2H7eTLI

What Does the Lord Look For?

Today's post comes from my current read, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World," by Joanna Weaver.





Are you a little bit Mary and a little bit Martha? Or, as in my case, a whole lot of Martha?! Read on for encouragement. God doesn't expect us to live in any extreme, but he does expect us to be transformed from either extreme as we grow closer to Him. We can have balance in our lives if we learn how to.

Ms. Weaver says:

"(God) isn't looking as much for workers as he is looking for sons and daughters--a people to pour his life into."

..."When we put work before worship, we put the cart before the horse. The cart is important; but the horse must come first, or we end up pulling the cart ourselves. Frustrated and weary, we can nearly break under the pressure of service, for there is always something that needs to be done."

"When we first spend time in his presence--when we take time to hear his voice--God provides the horsepower we need to pull the heaviest load. He saddles up Grace and invites us to take a ride."

Amen to that.

Later she adds, .."Good news is woven through the New Testament in a grace-filled strand that shines especially bright in the Gospel stories of Mary and Martha. The message is this: Salvation isn't about what I do; it's about what Jesus did."

I don't know about you, but these are good thoughts for me to begin my day with!
Warmest blessings,

Linore

NO DOUBT ABOUT IT!

The President continues to call for his health care "reform" bill. But when there is legalized abortion, can it be called "reform?" How long will our nation continue to enjoy the blessings of God while we are killing our most helpless future citizens?

For those who may doubt whether or not the Lord really condemns abortion, I offer the following verses from the Bible: Just read them once, and I think you'll agree there can be no doubt about it--abortion is the murder of a child. I don't raise this issue to condemn any woman who has undergone this traumatic event; I have, on the contrary, a great deal of compassion for her. "But for the grace of God, there go I." This is not to condemn, but to enlighten. Let's start right at the beginning of the Bible:

Genesis 1:26a "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
Genesis 1:27-28 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"

Psalm 139: 13-16 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;"

Notice these verses are from the Old Testament. Tomorrow I'll share some from the New Testament that speak equally strongly of how God is the creator of life, from the womb, and that there are no "accidents" in the divine scheme.

Blessings, my friends.

Catch my guest post today on PETTICOATS AND PISTOLS about weapons during the Regency.
I'll be stopping by once or twice to say hi to visitors, too. One of my daughters' turns 13 today, so I can only hop by quickly, but I'll do my best.

Even if you can't come and visit, think about this truth today as you go about your tasks:
GOD IS GOOD.
(Ps. 119:68; Ps.136:1)

GOD IS FAITHFUL
(Constant, loyal, reliable, steadfast, unwavering, devoted, true, dependable)
Deut. 7:9
Psalm 119:90
II Timothy 2:13

Just this past week, I had occasion to experience the faithfulness of God. It had snowed a little during the night, but I was up bright and early to go to an appointment I had. As I was driving happily along, I began to notice that the road was perhaps a bit slippery, and decided to slow down. It was a country road and I had been driving around 45mph. As I began to slow, in one second I was suddenly on an angle and unable to control my van.

I frantically tried to remember what to do when a vehicle is skidding, but watched helplessly as my van crossed the road and went headlong into a ditch. Even in the ditch it didn't stop immediately, but continued along until a large, bare bush stopped me, ruining the driver side mirror in the process. But I was okay!

Heart pounding a little, I reached for my cell phone only to realize I hadn't brought it along! "Oh, no," I fretted to the Lord. "How are you going to get me out of this one?" The road was empty, a few houses along the way were all quiet and still--no sign of life anywhere. First, I did the thing a stranded driver should not do: I tried to back out of my predicament. When the van moved a few feet, I felt elated, only to have it start to dig into the snow and dirt. After that, I was well and truly stuck!

I looked in my rear view mirror at the looong stretch of road I'd just come. My home was at least a mile away, maybe more. I was wearing snow boots, thankfully, but I was not relishing the idea of that long walk in the cold. I prayed, "Lord, I don't see how you can help me, but I know you can. Please help!"

I got out of the van to survey the damage, and saw that I was definitely not going to get my van out of the ditch. The back tires had carved a deep gully around them of about half a foot. (Probably less, but it looked deep.)
I stood by the van just looking across a wide, empty, wintery field and down the road in the direction I was going to have to walk. Out of the corner of my eye I saw movement. There was a woman walking a dog right on the side of her house.

Funny how good news brings energy. I was suddenly hurrying down the road towards that nice new house with a woman and a dog, but she was already disappearing around the back of her home. After a few calls, she re-appeared, and thus began my rescue.

She was visiting her daughter for the Christmas holidays, allowed me to use her cell phone to call my hero, er, my husband, and the next thing I knew I was inside that cozy home speaking with two sweet ladies who were so happy to help me. I love meeting neighbors, and a mile from home in the country means you're neighbors! It was great, and they were thrilled to discover that I was an author.

Later on, the woman's husband used a truck he owned to pull my van out of the ditch, so I gave the ladies a copy of my first two books. I love that I had them to give.
And honestly, sometimes I think that women who read and love Christian inspirational romance are the sweetest women on the planet.

Moral of the story: It doesn't have to look like help is there for God to have help there. : ) I missed my appointment, which was to have blood drawn for my annual physical, but that was rescheduled. Meeting those women was worth it.

At least it feels that way. When my husband gives me the bill for having the mirror fixed, we'll see. But THANK YOU, LORD. You have proved your faithfulness and loving kindness to me once again!

WHAT DO YOU CRAVE FOR?
(NEW BOOK TO READ)

I just added this to my to-be-read list. [CRAVE: by Chris Tomlinson] I love reading about how other Christians experience God, as I compare/contrast their experience with my own. It's also encouraging and uplifting to see how the Lord works with other people in ways that can be at once both similar and unlike the ways He works with me. God is so cool in that He is knows us each so intimately that he tailors His dealings with us according to who we are, and our level of understanding. I just can't get enough of Him--which I guess amounts to a craving. What about you?
Do you have God in your life today? Got cravings?

Watch the trailer for the book (Click Here)

Today I hope to remind myself that when cravings for ANYTHING hit, the real need of my life is for more of God.
It's the real need of your life, too.
Have you reached that decision, yet? If not, consider getting this book. You have to start somewhere to explore the possibility that God is calling you, that He is real, and that He really speaks to His people. Not only is He 'out there,' but He wants to use each and every craving and need in your life to point you to Himself.
I pray you take the opportunity to read Crave for yourself, and let the Lord fill you up.

For more info on Crave you can also click on the book cover. For special music today, I couldn't figure out how to get songs by Chris Tomlin (the singer/musician who does such beautiful worship CDs) onto this blog, so here's a link to listen. Hear Chris Tomlin: Not the same guy as the author.

Devoted Music (To God)

I don't know about you, but it is rare that I can be satisfied listening to music with lyrics that aren't Christian in nature. I can enjoy a great song as much as anyone, and there's a really eclectic mix of musical styles that I like--from Handel to rock--but for day in, day out enjoyment, I almost always prefer a Christian artist. Why?

Because Christian music feeds the soul, not just the ears.

I recently picked up "The Ultimate Collection" by Rebecca St. James. There are quite a few here that were on her first 'best of,' but a few that are new to me. I love Rebecca's "sold out for God," lyrics, her passionate styling, , "pure" energy, and the fact that she lives what she preaches. She walks the talk.

If you're looking for some upbeat tunes to play while driving or cleaning the house, give Rebecca a try. Some of my personal favorites by her? "God," "Go and Sin No More," "Pray," "Song of Love," "Reborn," and "I Thank You."

Beautiful flowers are always a welcome sight to my eyes. In fact I love the Spring for its profusion of blooms. We always rejoice to see the first signs of new growth--those precious little shoots that raise their brave heads even while the wind is cold, and the earth seemingly still in the sleep of winter. It seems so miraculous that these new tiny green things are able to sprout at all.

And then there are the birds. Suddenly flitting about from tree to tree. Yesterday I watched a pair of robin red breasts as they played and dived and flirted with each other. "We'll be seeing some baby robins for sure," I told my daughter Grace, while we watched their antics, not more than a few feet from our back sliding doors. "If we watch carefully, we can see where their nest is."

You know where this is heading, don't you? The old adage of "Stop and smell the roses" is close to my point. From today's WWJD reflection, Harrison reminds us that "Jesus said that the Father takes note of a falling sparrow and that He clothes the lilies of the field." For one moment, consider this: None of the beauty of spring, the new life, the new growth, happens by chance. God has not wound up the world like a sort of toy and then sat back to let it all unwind. He has His hand on it, still.

Harrison adds, "[Jesus] also said that our Father cares much more for us than His works of nature." What a profound statement! Jesus said this, KNOWING it to be fact. No one ever before could have known this the way He did. He had a communion with the Father that no mere human has had--for Jesus is very God.

As you enjoy the thrill of beauty in your area of the world today, and throughout this season, remember that you are of far more value than the flowers, to Your God. He who "clothes" them so sumptuously, will He not much more "clothe" you? To be clothed means much more than merely having things to wear. It refers to the entire fabric of our lives--the "soil" we are planted in; the nutrients which support our growth, and even the water we need to sustain us.

God is concerned greatly with every aspect of your life.
Can you rejoice today for being His planting, His work, His child?
I can.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you for the care You give me, individually, and for how You plant me collectively with others. I am Your child, Your handmaiden, and my growth and blooms are
products of Your mercy and grace. Let me raise my head bravely where you send me, and do the work of Him who sent me, just as Jesus did. In Jesus' Name! Amen.