Birthday Party!

Just wanted to take a minute to say thanks to those of you who've already sent me birthday wishes!! Apparently facebook has a way to announce birthdays, and so for the past couple of days I've been getting such sweet birthday messages!

My editors at Bethany House even sent me a birthday card and a book! Do they know what I love or what? I was beyond thrilled they took the time to make me feel so special.

Yes, today is my (numberless) birthday!

Not only is it my birthday, it's fellow writer and friend Janna Qualman's! We couldn't let the excitement pass without a celebration.

We would love to have you join us for a virtual birthday party! You're invited to head over to Janna's blog and join in the fun. Bring your favorite party food, silly games, and special entertainment. She has a beautiful cake waiting!

If you don't know Janna, please visit her blog and take a look around. She has such honest and inspiring posts about writing and life.

See you at the party!

Getting Personal: My Family's Reaction

Since I'm getting personal this week, I thought I'd share how my family has reacted to my new book contract. As most of you know, I've been married for 18 years and am blessed with five children ranging in ages 12 to 4.

When I got home from my recent writer's conference, one of my twin daughters wrote me a note: "Mom, I'm so proud to have an author mom." I think her note sums up the sentiment of my entire family. They're proud of me for working hard, for persevering through the tough times, for finally receiving the reward of publication.

My kids have loved being able to tell their friends that their mom is getting a book published. No longer am I just the weird neighborhood mom who sits out on the deck with her laptop and stack of history books. I'm the cool author mom now.

My husband is proud enough that I may not have to do my own marketing. He's great at telling complete strangers that I'm an author. Every time I'm tempted to hide in the writer's closet, he yanks me back out with his bragging on me!

With all of their excitement however comes a dose of reality. As I scan the road ahead of me, I see the rocky terrain, the sharp twists and turns, the steep climb. Soon I'll be writing my next book and have the added load of editing my first. I wonder how I'll have time keep up with blogging, other social networking, AND take care of my family.

I know I'll approach this new path of my journey the same way I always have--with determination and drive. I'll put my head down, move forward, and do what needs to be done. But here are just a few of the changes I'm making:

I'm trying to plan out more concentrated work time. On the evenings and days that my husband is home, I pack up my lap top and head to a quiet desk at the library. Even if it's only for two hours, without the interruptions it feels like five.

I'm also delegating housework. My husband is perfectly capable of fixing dinner and having it ready when I get home from the library. After all, I prepare supper and have it ready for him when he gets home from work! Fortunately he's incredibly supportive and helps wherever he can. My older children have taken on more responsibility as well.

I'm sacrificing social activities. I've always enjoyed inviting families over for dinner or going to various church functions and hanging out with friends. Over the past year, I've gradually done less and less. Often my husband will take the kids to gatherings and leave me home to work in quiet.

These kinds of changes have been the hardest for my family. My kids don't like having to kiss me goodnight at 6:00 p.m. as I head out the door to the library. They don't particularly jump for joy at folding extra laundry. And they definitely miss having our friends over or going more places together as a family.

Yes, having an author mom is cool in theory. But in reality, there are very tough days when they wonder if they can have their old "uncool" mom back, the mom who doesn't sit behind her laptop every spare moment.

When I wonder if I'm doing the right thing, if somehow I'll "damage" my children, I remind myself I'm teaching them so many things through my passion for writing. I'm teaching them to work hard for something they want. I'm teaching them that they can pursue what they love. And I'm showing them that their dreams can come true too.

What is your family learning from your passion for writing?

P.S. My dear blogging friend Roxane Salonen is featuring me on her blog today. For more about how how getting a book contract has affected my life, check out her awesome blog: Peace Garden Mama.

A Love Affair With Writing

July is a popular month for weddings. My family and I spent the past weekend in Kentucky at a nephew’s wedding. The bride glowed with beauty, the groom couldn't stop smiling, and we were thrilled to be there to help them celebrate the start of their life together.

My husband and I were married eighteen years ago in July. In fact, today is our 18th anniversary and I woke up to a dozen roses!

As I watched the wedding this past weekend, so many memories flooded my mind—the silky rustling of my own gown as I walked down the aisle on my daddy’s arm, filled with such joy at the thought of spending the rest of my life with the man I loved.

My husband and I met when we were freshmen in college. A mutual friend introduced us, but at that time we attended different colleges in different states. We spent a semester writing letters and calling each other non-stop. One semester was all it took for my new man to decide he wanted to be with me. The next year he transferred schools. And so began a love affair. . .

The longer I brush virtual shoulders with other writers, the more I realize we have a love affair with our writing. It’s that love that keeps us going against all the obstacles. So, in keeping with the season of true love, I thought it would be fun today to share how we first fell in love with writing.

When did you meet this love of your life? Did you start off slowly as friends or was it passionate love at first sight? And did you ever break it off for a while or were you certain this writing love was the one for you for always?

I’ll go first. I was in elementary school when I fell in love with writing. And it was definitely love at first sight. From the moment I could spell and compose full sentences, I was never again without a spiral notebook and pencil. I luxuriated in long family trips across the country, spending endless hours with my love, filling page after page with stories.

Eventually I grew bolder with my love affair and entered and won a couple of writing contests. I even started college with every intention of getting a degree in writing. However, when I looked at other majors, I broke up with writing for a while in order to “date” around.

For a time I tried another career, but it didn’t take too many years for discontentment to settle in and for the longing for my first love to return with full force. I dumped the other “guys” and ran back to my writing, embracing it with all the passion in my heart. We’ve been together ever since.

Your turn! Here are the questions again: When did you first start writing? Did you start slowly or was it passionate love at first sight? And did you ever break it off for a while or were you certain this writing love was the one for you? I'd love to hear your story!

Off the Clouds

Most writers play the comparison game. As I said yesterday, when I compare I tend to err on the side of pride and criticism. Others of you mentioned the same tendency.

Sometimes we need a reality check, something to bring us off the clouds and back to earth.

Today I thought I'd share one of my reality checks.

After an entire year of research and writing, I finished my first historical last May. I spent the summer revising it and getting it ready to send to agents. I was just sure they'd take one look and want to represent me.

I researched all of the Christian agents that accepted queries from unpublished authors and quickly discovered I had very few choices. So, as with most over anxious writers, I sent multiple submissions and then sat back to wait (and check my email every few minutes for responses). Little did I know. . .

After weeks, the responses started to trickle in. And I rapidly descended from my euphoric cloud back to earth. Here's a snippet from one of my rejection letters:

Thank you for sending us your proposal to review. While your project exhibits merit, it is not quite what we are looking for at this time. This is a good idea for a series. Unfortunately the writing of the books would be much more effective if they spoke and thought in the voices of that era. They are far too modern right now. Almost as if Hollywood were remaking a classic instead of setting it more accurately.

Ouch! I was grateful for this personalized letter which was better than the form letters and emails that told me nothing. But, nevertheless, the letter was a huge reality check. It helped me see I still have a long way to go on the path to publication.

As much as we need those reality checks from time to time, we need encouragement too. The same manuscript that got the rejection I just mentioned, also got an encouraging response too:

I really like this! May I see a complete manuscript via a single email attachment?

Wow! As short as it was, it gave me incredible encouragement. I learned something from both responses: my manuscript still needed work, but I was doing something right.

What's your experience? Have you ever gotten a reality check? Or what about encouragement--what's the best thing any one's said about your writing? We'd love to hear!

Into An Arboretum

We've been talking this week about obstacles we face as writers and the need to persevere through them. But is there ever a time when God calls us to take a break or to get off the writing path altogether?

There was a long period in my life when God took me off the path. I had already been writing seriously for several years, had studied the craft, sent out manuscripts, garnered rejections, and was steadily improving enough to finally get a call from an editor at Steeple Hill. (You probably remember from an earlier post that I did not sell my book, but it was still exciting to have someone interested!)

About this time in my writing career as things were starting to look promising, my personal life measured off the charts with stress. My husband had recently graduated from Denver Seminary and taken a counseling job across the country. We had packed up and moved, were in the midst of settling in, trying to find a church, and trying to make new friends.

And I was 30 weeks pregnant with twins.

I slowed down too little, too late. At 31 weeks, I gave birth to premature, 3lb., tiny baby girls. I had to do one of the hardest things a mother ever has to do: go home from delivery empty-handed. Because of the delicate nature of their survival, my daughters had to stay in the NICU for an entire month. The NICU was a 30 minute drive from my new home. This wouldn't have been a problem if my two year old son hadn't needed me also.

All this to say, God wrenched me off the writing path and led me to an arboretum. In hindsight I can see his wisdom at work in taking me off. During the nine year hiatus, I learned so much about life, about relationships, and about hardships. God refreshed me and filled my writing reservoir so that now it is richer and deeper than ever before.

Only you can know for sure where God is leading you. But sometimes when the obstacles in our lives become insurmountable, perhaps we need to ask God if he wants us to step into an arboretum and rest.

What's your experience? Has God ever led you off the writing path?

P.S. Today, my twin daughters are beautiful nine year olds. God protected them and has brought them (and me) a long way!

12 and a half More Things

Today's things have to do with writing and the picture is of my "office" (a.k.a. the dining room table):

12 and a half. I'm over half done with my WIP (check side bar to keep me accountable).

13. I won two short story writing contests in my youthful days to a magazine no longer in print.

14. I started "serious" writing after hearing a radio interview with Lori Wick about her journey into writing.

15. I wrote and sent out at least five category inspirational romances (in the early days of my writing).

16. I garnered more rejections than I remember!

17. I finally got a real live call from Patience Smith of Steeple Hill (long ago!); she liked my book but couldn't sell it to her editor.

18. God took me off the writing path for an extended rest, education, and growing time.

19. I'm back on the path, but now writing historical fiction.

20. I've completed one novel and am half done with a second.

21. I recently submitted two historical romance entries to the Genesis Contest through ACFW.

22. I was in a critique group through ACFW for only one week before backing out of it.

23. I also love writing children's stories and devotions.

24. Keys for Kids has published several of my stories.

25. I hope to bring honor to my Lord Jesus and serve Him through all my writing.

Thanks for letting me introduce myself. Now who's next? :)

12 and a half Things

I was inspired by my writing friends' blogs to post 25 things about myself. But since I'm in a bit of a Slough today, I can only think of half that amount.

1. My one year old Golden Retriever eats socks and gloves like they're candy.

2. I tore off a piece of the Berlin Wall on a mission trip to Germany right after the fall of communism.

3. I've been married for 18 years to a Christian counselor and I get free counseling whenever I want (or don't want!).

4. I love Michigan winters (yes, I'm one of those weird people who likes winter).

5. I'm passionate about teaching and training my children in the ways of the Lord.

6. I lived in Denver for three years when my husband went to Denver Seminary but I never went skiing.

7. I have two boys, three girls, 1 dog, 2 cats, and two hamsters. Some days I live in a zoo.

8. My garden only gets sunlight for half the summer (I still don't know why I bother).

9. I love to take family bike rides on the Rail Trail.

10. I grew up a PK (pastor's kid).

11. My husband's mother was a twin, my father was a twin, and we had twin daughters (go figure).

12. I tent camped at Yellowstone in six inches of snow (in June).

12 and a half. Some days I operate with only half a night's sleep!

Aren't you glad you know all this about me? I'll try to think of 12 and half more for tomorrow. . . I know you'll just be dying to hear more!

A Step of Success

I write for Keys for Kids and today's story "Behind Castle Walls" is one of mine. Check it out here: http://www.cbhministries.org/kfk/home.php. I love listening to Uncle Charlie read them. His voice brings the story to life.

This Pilgrim

I've been writing since I could hold a pencil and pad of paper. . . which writer hasn't? But serious writing? That didn't start for me until after college when I realized I didn't like the degree I'd spent thousands of dollars on.

So after I got home from the job I didn't like, I spent my free time writing (and it really was free back before kids). I completed no less than five novels, sent them out, and garnered plenty of rejections.

Then I got the call. An editor was interested. Could I make changes? Definitely. I tried, really tried to polish up the book. But, no amount of editing could sell it. God had different plans. He pulled me off the writing path, put me in the den, and closed the door.

In hindsight I understand God wanted me to mature, educate myself, experience life--all of those wonderful things that happen with parenthood. He was enriching me, deepening my reservoir, readying me for the journey.

After ten years, God is opening the door and pushing me out of my little den. He's set my feet on the writing path again.

With trepidation and excitement I wait to see where He leads. . .