Showing posts with label lighthouse christian bookstore. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lighthouse christian bookstore. Show all posts

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Follow through God moment

I needed to write a letter of introduction for The Inheritance. The introvert in me let the task slide. Why? Because the next level meant contacting people. In my dreams of what I should do, I intended to talk with the owners of the local Christian bookstore to see if they would carry my book. I frequented the store as a customer but walking in the door to promote myself felt unnatural.


I'm a goal setter. It helps me stay anchored and to get done what needs to be done, even when I don't feel like it. This week my letter of introduction as a Christian fantasy author needed to be written. I let it go to the last day, Saturday. I pulled out my copy of How to Write Attention Grabbing Query and Cover Letters and spent a good amount of the morning crafting the first draft. Once I had the draft, editing and tweaking was the easy part. Actually contacting the bookstore would be another matter. The introvert in me is so much more comfortable behind the anonymity of the computer!

I prayed again, that the Lord would lead me in the way I was to go. I read over the completed letter once more. I just had to fix the second line of the address, when the phone rang. It was my daughter. She had been to the bookstore that morning and mentioned me, and The Inheritance, and my upcoming interview with the local paper. Long story short, they wanted to talk to me. The door was opened and the letter ready! It wasn't coincidental.

The journey

As a writer, I knew God wanted me to write this story of a young man who realizes nothing satisfies the hunger within him. Not his riches, not his accomplishments, or anything else. He heads out on a quest for Wisdom and meets two sisters. Earthly Wisdom and her sister Heavenly. They each give him a gift and he is on his way as he decides to head to the Eternal City, but every village, along the River of Tradition, offers a different way to gain citizenship there. They can't all be right! How can he find his way?

Even though I knew God wanted me to write this story, I thought it was just a matter of obedience. I didn't expect much other than finishing the book. 

I had a secular publisher accept the book and it actually was nominated for an award in the spiritual category back when Eppie e-book awards were around. It ranked in the top three out of hundreds. Oh, yes, I was excited, but even more so I was stunned. Then the owner of the publishing company died suddenly and unexpected. The doors to the company shuttered, and I had a book listed on as a finalist with a link to nowhere. 

Long story short, I scrambled in my own strength to try and pick up the pieces and I self-published. Talk about stepping outside of your comfort zone! 

I took a breath and prayed that God would enlighten the eyes of my heart based Ephesians 1:18. 

"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints" (NIV).

My walk with him is not for awards of this earth.

Going to the Christian bookstore

I walked out the door armed with my letter of introduction and copies of the book. I returned home with my books on the shelves of The Lighthouse Christian Bookstore in Calhoun, Ga, and a tentative date for a book signing. For me it was another God moment. It reminded me, again, that God is in control, and he cares for me. As uncomfortable as I felt, I did what needed to be done and he paved the way to make it a little easier!

Today, The Inheritance has found a new home with Each Voice Publishing in Atlanta. 

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