Dreams do come true but not always on our timetable

On Thursday, my first full-length novel is being officially released to the world. 

Sometimes, it doesn't seem real to me. 

Other times, I can't shut up about it and my loved ones are getting rather tired of my incessant snoopy dancing.

I remember my very first ACFW meeting. I'd heard about ACFW from someone in Oregon. I did an online search and discovered how to join, and somehow found that first meeting at Carpenter's Son Book Store in Lafayette. Lafayettte is almost 100 miles from my house. I was bound and determined to find that meeting!

It was there that I met Colleen Coble and I admit it, I gushed. I was in such awe of her. I still am. I also met Cara Putman, Diann Hunt, Denise Hunter and Brandt Dodson. I probably met other published authors there, but those are the ones that had me the most star struck.

L to R: Cara Putman, Diann Hunt, Colleen Coble, Denise Hunter, Brandt Dodson

 A few encouraging words from Colleen Coble gave me the courage to imagine that I could one day be published. And so, glowing with inspiration from rubbing shoulders with such greatness, I went home to work on my novel. 

The following year I scraped my pennies together and went to conference. Armed with my novel, I was met with great disappointment. Every publisher I talked to was uninterested. But I learned a ton at the conference, took home the CDs and studied hard. I put the novel in a drawer and got to work on other projects.

A year later, I took the novel out of the drawer, slashed the first three chapters and made them into one.  When one of my crit partners became an agent and invited me to become a client, I was in awe of how God orders our steps. 

And now, on Thursday, I'll get to say I'm a published novelist. 

Dreams do come true, but they don't always follow our timetable. (Tweet This.)

I had much to learn when I went to that first ACFW meeting. Thankfully, God sent me a critique group that was a perfect fit. And from there, He took my book into publication. Not because I'm a great author, no way. But because there is a message of love and acceptance that others needs to hear. 

Because our dreams aren't about us. They're about the people who need to read what we have to say. How grateful I am to be used as one of His storytellers!

This week to celebrate the launch of my book, I'm having a contest! Please put your name in the hat! 

My Facebook party is on my author page. "Like" my page and come to the party this Thursday, August 8 at 8 PM EST. I'm giving prizes away every 15 minutes! Click here: Facebook.com/KarlaKAkins

You're all invited to my book launch party

on Saturday, August 24

2 - 4 PM

 at

Chrisitan Fellowship Church

1002 State Road 114 East

North Manchester, IN 46962

Karla Akins is an award winning author who loves to ride a motorcycle. Her book, The Pastor's Wife Wears Biker Boots is due out August 8, 2013. You can contact Karla via her website at KarlaAkins.com 

Karla is represented by Linda Glaz of Hartline Literary Agency.