I love the feel-good, inspirational stories showing up on social media and in the news this time of year, don’t you? Here are a few examples of stories I’ve heard in recent days: Families enduring displacement after hurricane Matthew and can’t afford Christmas gifts are unexpectedly blessed by the generous contributions of others. A kid who thinks their parent is deployed for Christmas looks up from their school work or an ordinary trip to the mall and their mom or dad is suddenly there, wrapping them in a giant hug, reunited at last. Letters written by young children, asking for gifts not for themselves but for their parents and siblings. {That last one makes me cry every time}
I’m happy to report that I have some good news of my own to share. While I haven’t lost my house to a natural disaster or sent a loved one off to war, this year has delivered heartache and disillusionment to my doorstep on more than one occasion. Yes, I know that God is faithful and He is using it all for His purposes, but I was starting to wrestle with doubt on a regular basis.
Thank you, Lord, that those hard days don’t last forever.
On an ordinary afternoon through my middle schooler’s carpool line, I received The Call I’d dreamed of for months. My agent was calling to let me know she’d just spoken with an editor at Harlequin Love Inspired and they wanted to buy my manuscript. Woot! Woot!
The inspiration for this story goes all the way back to fall of 2014, when I visited a pumpkin patch with my kids. We were in line to buy our tickets when I noticed a framed newspaper article hanging on the wall behind the cash register. It explained how the family’s tobacco farm had morphed into a three-season destination family experience: summer fun at the splash pads, fall pumpkin patch visits, Christmas lights and hay rides in December. A tiny voice whispered somewhere in my head, “There’s a story here.”
I promptly dismissed the idea and went on the hay ride. A few hours later, we were back in the car and driving home. As we left the small town surrounding this farm-turned-destination-experience, I noticed the most adorable wedding venue. Again, the voice. Only louder this time: there’s a story here.
All the way home, the boys chattered about stuffing their shirts with corn, picking out their pumpkins, laughing at the pig race, and the friendly conductor on the train ride. Meanwhile, I couldn’t stop thinking about my new fictional friends (one of which apparently needed to be a wedding planner who worked at a pumpkin patch) who just wouldn’t be satisfied until I wrote their story.
A few months later, we went back to the pumpkin patch to see the Christmas lights. When I captured this picture of the sunset behind the buildings with the lights in the trees, chills–the good kind–raced through my body. I knew I couldn’t ignore this tiny seed of an idea that I’d tried so hard to bury in the back of my mind.
Fast-forward to spring of 2015. Harlequin Love Inspired announces a shiny new contest called Blurb 2 Book. I’ve entered these before. It’s the fastest way to get my idea in front of an editor. Also a fast track to much anxiety as I wait for them to eliminate my submission from the contest or ask to see more. I wasn’t sure I had the emotional energy to spend my summer waiting and wondering.
My experience at the pumpkin patch and unmistakable nudges to not give up hadn’t been forgotten. The possibility of a dream coming true (a publishing contract) won out and I entered the contest.
Miracle of miracles, my blurb and first page survived the initial round of judging. I’ll spare you the details of every twist and turn in this long journey. All you really need to know is that I submitted the completed manuscript in summer of 2015. I did not win the contest, but Shana Asaro, associate editor for Love Inspired, was wooed by the identical twin toddler boys I’d written into the story. Instead of offering a contract, she gently coached me through my revisions and invited me to resubmit. I submitted the new-and-improved version in April of 2016.
Then the waiting really began. I signed with my agent, wrote a novella, started and stopped new manuscripts, waited while my agent pitched other manuscripts to other publishing houses, met briefly with the senior editor for Love Inspired at a conference … I had every reason to believe this was going to work out.
But the doubt. Oh, the doubt. It screamed louder than the characters I’d come to love so much. Maybe I’d said the wrong thing when I met the editors at those conferences. Maybe my revised story was the worst thing they’d ever read. Maybe I imagined all those feelings at that pumpkin patch because I desperately wanted that dream to come true.
Maybe I’m an idiot and won’t write another thing ever again. This crazy, downward spiral of negative thought continued until…
The Call. I wish I could tell you that it suddenly all made sense. The truth is, I don’t know why this story of mine has taken such a crazy roller-coaster ride. The ride’s not over yet. It still has a long climb until it’s in print and on the store shelves.
The heartache and disillusionment in my non-writing life didn’t suddenly disappear, either. A publishing contract isn’t a magic wand that wipes away all of our struggles.
But the lessons I’ve learned along the way will last me the rest of my life. God has taught me that He is faithful. He hears those desperate, whispered prayers. He doesn’t plant big dreams in our hearts only to snuff them out. Sometimes He says ‘not yet’. Sometimes a closed door is for our own good.
Friends, whether you’ve had the most fantastic year ever or you can’t wait to kick 2016 to the curb, I hope you’ll find some tiny nugget of inspiration from my experience and carry it with you into the new year. This Mark Twain quote is painted on the wall of my neighborhood coffee shop. I think about it every time I buy a latte. I want to know, at the end of my days, that I walked (sailed?) in obedience to God’s calling on my life. No stories left untold.
May God grant you the courage to throw off those bowlines, move forward in faith, and explore what He has in store for you beyond the comfort of your own safe harbors. Merry Christmas to you and yours, and best wishes for a wonderful and adventurous 2017!
Sailboat photo credit: Armando Castillejos via Unsplash
A Pacific Northwest girl at heart, Heidi was blessed to spend her formative years in Alaska. Her unique upbringing, coupled with Alaska's breathtaking scenery, fueled her active imagination and loosely inspired her debut novel, Unraveled. Heidi graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Sports Medicine from Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington and a Master's Degree in Athletic Training from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. After a brief career as a Certified Athletic Trainer, Heidi married her husband, Steve. They live in North Carolina with their three active little boys. When Heidi isn't stepping on Legos, chauffeuring the boys around suburbia or watching one of their many sporting events, she loves to read and write heartwarming romance.
Life is a journey! Thanks for sharing yours. Looking forward to reading your romance. Merry Christmas and God’s richest blessings in 2017.
Yay! Congratulations, Heidi…I’m so happy for you! You’re right, Blurb2Book was a fast track to anxiety, but it’s worth it, right? Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Congratulations, Heidi!
LOL, I just had a big moan in my journal about how difficult the past two years have been, and how hard it feels at times to trust that God has a plan and a purpose through all this. Then one of those good news stories popped up on my screen. A mom talking about how much she missed her son who was deployed abroad, then the son walks in. I was sitting here all teary after watching that, and then I read your good news story. :)
God is good indeed!
Congratulations!
Great testimony, Heidi. Congrats.
Thank you, Renate. Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Thanks, Jill. Yes, a bit of anxiety on this journey but definitely worth it in the long run. I’m a better writer for it, too. Merry Christmas!
Yes! God IS good. I’m preaching that message to myself on a daily basis. I do enjoy those deployment stories. I’m glad you heard some good news today. Merry Christmas, Autumn.
Thank you, Elizabeth!
Thank you, Ginger.
Thanks for the testimony and quote. I’m going to show my husband the quote, as we are in the middle of a big change.
Awww, I’m glad this post was a blessing to you, Diana. Thanks for stopping by. Merry Christmas!
Congrats! It’s such a fine balance, isn’t it! For anything worthwhile to happen we have to both take action and sit back and wait. Sometimes it’s hard to know when it is time for one or the other.
LOVE this, Heidi! Many congratulations to you. I always enjoying hearing about an author’s story inspiration, those little nudges, and the resulting journey to receiving THE CALL. Thanks for sharing! :) And anyone who has a Mark Twain quote is my kind of writer. I’ll look forward to seeing your LI book on the shelves. Blessings, and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Congratulations again! THE CALL is always an exciting moment.
Thank you, Valerie. Yes, a fine balance for sure. Waiting and trusting is hard. Merry Christmas!
Thank you very much, JoAnn. I’m glad you enjoyed my story. I like to hear the story behind the story, too. We are apparently kindred spirits when it comes to Mark Twain quotes, as well. I appreciate your kind words and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Thank you so much, Merrillee. Very exciting. Still feels surreal. Merry Christmas!
Congratulations on your contract! I enjoyed reading about your journey. Merry Christmas!
Thank you, Kimberly. Merry Christmas to you, as well!
Your story is a good lesson for all of us…listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit when a story idea niggles our brains. Congratulations on your call from Love Inspired! BTW, I love that Mark Twain quote. According to family stories, Samuel Langhorne Clemens was my grandmother’s second cousin. Grandma wrote her first inspirational romance novel at the age of 70! It’s never too late in God’s timing. Merry Christmas!
I really enjoyed reading your post! 2016 was a sad year for me due to the passing of a dear long-time friend! I will miss her in the years to come, but I am thankful for her friendship. We never know what the future holds. I am hoping that 2017 is a good year!!
Love this, Heidi! Congrats on the sale. :)
2016 has been a tough year here, but it’s also been a good year. My immediate family is all healthy, we’re snug in a warm home during winter’s very cold start, and God still loves us. I’m grateful for all of that.
Hope 2017 sees more wonderful books from you!
Thank you very much, Barbara. I love that family story, too. Nope, never too late. God’s timing is perfect. Have a blessed Christmas.
Congrats! It’s a great story! Praying 2017 is great year for your family :)
Hi, Linda. I’m sorry to hear about your friend. That is a tough loss. Close friends are a tremendous blessing. Thank you for reading my post. I’m looking forward to seeing what 2017 holds, too.
Thank you, Sally. Thanks for the reminder that we have much to be grateful for in the midst of our struggles. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
Thank you very much, Janet. I hope you and yours have a blessed Christmas.
Congrats Heidi on getting THE CALL :-) Another Love Inspired novel to look forward to, I’ll be on the lookout for it!
Blessed Merry Christmas to you and yours and may this New Year bring many more of God’s blessings raining down on you!