Today I’m reposting a wonderful blog from my friend Barb Haley. She has some excellent non-fiction books. This is her wonderful debut novel.
By Barb Haley on Jun 10, 2018 11:35 pm
What a wonderful day! After more than 10 years, my first novel is finally available for purchase.
I’ve learned so much over the years about the craft of writing and how to make my book entertaining and worth your time. Biz is a unique character who has become one of my closest friends. Sounds weird, right? But it’s not. As I discovered many of Biz’s quirks and prayed to give her the right directions and answers, I found myself growing in the knowledge and love of the Lord.
Many say that an author’s first novel can be very similar to an autobiography. I think that’s probably accurate. Although I didn’t experience anything Biz did in her past or present life, I found much of my heart in Biz.
There have been so many times that publishers have expressed interest in publishing the book. They told me I was a strong writer and that the story idea was great. But the publishing world has changed drastically in the last few years. In order to be traditionally published today, an author is expected to build a huge platform—a list of at least 50,000 names and provide multiple opportunities in which to promote and sell the book. The author must be visible on all kinds of social media. No longer can we just write.
Last year, as I continued to work toward this goal, I began to wonder if I should really be spending such a tremendous hunk of my life pursuing my goal to be published. Was my writing touching anyone’s life as it remained, year after year, on my computer? Would God rather I spent this time involved in actual ministry to others through the church, Bible studies, etc.?
I asked Him and as He so often did in the Bible, He turned the question back to me? “Barbie, if your book touches only one life in the whole scheme of things, do you think that would be enough for Me to have you spend all this time writing it?”
Of course. Jesus left the 99 sheep to save the one who had strayed. He was all about one-on-one relationships when He lived here on earth.
The thought of Christ asking me to spend years for one soul brought me to tears of humility and gratitude. He filled me with peace and excitement as I returned to finish my book. But He wasn’t finished with the conversation.
He asked me again, “Would your time be worth it if your book touches and ministers to only ONE person?”
“Yes, Lord. Definitely.”
“Good,” He said. “Because that one person is YOU.”
Okay. A few tears turned to an anointed stream as the Holy Spirit revealed the depths of God’s love for me in that moment. Me.
And as God’s love filled me to overflowing, all I could think of was how I could share His love with others … with you!
I pray that Biz On the Gowill do just that. In this first book in the series “A Second Wind,” Biz struggles to trust God, especially when He seems silent so much of the time. But she opens her heart just a crack to test God’s love and the love of others. She risks being hurt as in the past. Life is tough, but through it all, Biz begins to understand how God can use her pain to help others … if she’s willing to take down her walls of protection in order to do so.
Can you identify with Biz? Do you know someone who is struggling with repressed pain? Deep sorrow buried since childhood? Drowning in a sea of hopeless disgust and self-hatred. Overwhelmed with questions about how and why a God who claims to be LOVE can even allow such horrendous situations to come about.
If so, I promise you this story will minister in a mighty way. Please read and share it with as many as possible.
Biz and I would love to have our second and third books traditionally published so many others can discover God’s unconditional and never-failing love, but in order to do that, we need your help. Would you consider becoming one of my team—praying for me and supporting me in the following ways as we work together to further God’s message?
- Read Biz On the Go.
- Review the book on Amazon and on your Facebook page.
- Recommend the book to everyone you can. Consider buying the book for others as a gift.
- Go to my website at www.barbarahaleybooks.comto add your name to my email list. Ask others to sign up, too. I’ll send you occasional newsletters and updates on future books. And I will never pester you or give your information to anyone else.
So, I’m a bit embarrassed promoting my own work, here. But, NO! I’m not going there. It’s about the heart. I’m not in this to make money, but to use story (as Jesus did) to reveal God’s love.
Thanks for listening and prayerfully considering signing on to support this ministry!
“I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:18-19).
In His love,
Barbie
From <https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#search/info%40barbarahaleybooks.com/163ede4c5018f6c3>
Since I have chosen to be part of the team of volunteers who help with the conference, my husband, Roy and I arrived at Ruesch Auditorium at the YMCA camp in Estes Park on Tuesday. We helped set up the bookstore and print what was needed for the faculty and conferee packets.
With over 50% of our conferees attending for the first time, many people had questions about where things were or who to talk to or what to do next.
Imagine you get on an elevator (not the high-speed kind) in the lobby of a hotel at the same time as a publisher who would make your book an instant best seller, pay for you to go on a worldwide book tour, and pay you 50% royalties. No one else is on the elevator. The publisher is getting off on the 20th floor with no stops in between. He asks what you are writing. What do you want him to know so he will want to know more and will ask you to talk to him after the elevator ride?
of things to do for the conference is so long, I don’t think I can complete it.
I’ve never forgotten when I heard Jeff Gerke say “The only writing rule a writer can’t break is ‘don’t break faith with your reader.’ But if you break a rule, break it well.” The quote might not be exact because it has been a few years, but it is close. I thought of Jeff while at the Write In The Springs conference last Saturday.
Margie Lawson, our presenter for Write In The Springs, demonstrated several ways to use words or phrases respectively to better touch our readers’ emotions. And not just repeat one or twice, but three, four, or five times. Experimenting with these techniques during the conference was fun. Coming home, looking at my WIP, and playing with the different ways we learned was not only fun, but greatly improved my WIP.