Envisioning a Better Future

 How do you feel about the future? Many people fear how our world’s current troubles will play out, and every day gives us fresh material for anxiety. If we preoccupy ourselves with these things, our future will be covered with a pall. But what if we ponder possible solutions?

The Smithsonian Institution just completed an exhibition called “Futures,” which asked visitors what issues worry them most and invited them to think creatively about how to deal with them. The 650,000 respondents named issues like climate change, war, political conflict, and famine. They saw no relief from these problems in the future.

After touring the exhibition, their outlook changed. “An incredible 77 percent of people reported feeling more hopeful about the future after seeing FUTURES. A similarly overwhelming majority of 80 percent reported being inspired to take action,” The Smithsonian Magazine reported. Curators of the exhibit aimed to make it a kind of “mental time machine.” Reporter Rachel Goslins said, “The more concretely you can envision the details of a possible future, the more hopeful you feel about its possibility…”

I think that exhibit should challenge us as Christian writers. We can cast an alternate vision of the future in which people take practical steps to change systemic problems. Our readers don’t need magical thinking; they need realistic hope. And we can use the vehicle of fiction to take them there. 

Charles Sheldon's In His Steps is a classic example. Sheldon gives us an honest picture of hectic, self-centered city life, then invites us to consider how that picture would change if we did what Jesus would do. His "mental time machine" shows us an inspiring yet plausible future, based on that simple premise.

We should be futurists in the best sense of that word. We worship and serve the Lord of the future, so our work should point readers to a hopeful, faithful future.

Joe Allison writes both fiction and nonfiction, and has been a member of the Indiana chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers since 2010. His most recent book is Hard Times (Warner Press: 2019). He lives in Anderson, IN, with his wife Maribeth.

"Because you say so"

I’ve been dealing with discouragement in my writing. The novel I’m working on is taking much longer than I intended and all I hear is how hard my genre is to sell. But I’ve also had this Bible passage that has been really encouraging through these months and I want to share it with you.

In Luke chapter five, Jesus borrows a boat from some fishermen who had just come in from a night out working. He takes the boat out into the water a bit and teaches the crowd, then comes back and tells the fishermen to go and put out their nets again.

Okay, these guys had worked all night with nothing to show for it. They’d cleaned their nets and they were ready to go home. I can imagine how tired they must have been, maybe frustrated. The thing that they were supposed to be good at wasn’t going so well.

Have you ever felt that way? It’s how I’ve been feeling for months. But you know what? The story doesn’t end with them laughing it off and heading home to sleep. Simon Peter knew the power of doing what God asks. He admitted he wasn’t sure it would go any better than the night they had, but he’d do it anyway. The Bible says in Luke 5:5, “Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’”

Even under the shared banner of fiction, we write different things, in different genres, with different perspectives. But one thing we have in common is that God has placed a love of words and stories in us. He’s called us to write. And when He says to do something, you can be sure it isn’t for nothing. Good will come out of it, even if it’s hard. Maybe we won’t achieve the world’s definition of success in a literary career, but there’s a reason God has brought each of us to write.

Those fishermen pulled in a catch they couldn’t believe. It wasn’t a normal night’s work and it wasn’t something they could take credit for. God had used their faith and willingness to step out and do what He asked. And I believe He’ll do the same for us. Even if your writing career isn’t going the way you thought it was supposed to, there’s definitely a reason to keep writing. God has something in store for you.

If you’ve been struggling in this area at all, I encourage you to look back at the last few posts here at Hoosier Ink, too. They are so good, with both practical tips and wonderful encouragement.

If you want to share, feel free to post ways you battle discouragement in your writing life!

Abbey Downey never expected her love for writing to turn into a career, but she’s thankful for the chance to write inspirational romance, with two books published under the name Mollie Campbell. A life-long Midwestern girl, Abbey lives in Central Indiana, where her family has roots back to the 1840s. She couldn’t be happier spending her days putting words on paper and hanging out with her husband, two kids, and a rather enthusiastic beagle.

You can check out Abbey’s books at www.abbeydowney.com

Keep on

I’ll admit, I loved the first day of school as a kid. All those new school supplies, a new classroom, new teacher, new things to learn. For the first couple of days, it was all pretty exciting.

And then the first week turned into the second and third week. Homework was assigned. Classes fell into a routine. The newness wore off. When the real work started, I struggled.

It can be the same with writing. At first, the idea is so exciting. New characters! A new plot! So many possibilities ahead!

But after the initial rush wears off and those first few chapters are written, the real work begins. Writing the middle chapters can feel like slogging through mud. The characters cause problems and the plot sags. The words won’t come, or they do come but they’re clearly terrible.

Honestly? I’m tempted to quit at that point every time and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one. If, like me, you wonder how you can keep going to the end, here’s some encouragement.

First, remember that what you’re writing isn’t permanent. It can always be changed so don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make it perfect in one try. The important part is to get it on the page and it can always be fixed later. That’s gotten me through a lot of rough chapters. I’ve even written notes about what I think a section needs instead of writing it, giving myself some space to come back to it later. Take some of the pressure off yourself and it might go easier.

Also, remember that all writers struggle with something. I completely expect that I’ll still be trudging through the middle of books even if I write 100. That’s just a hard part for me. Maybe for you, it’s the beginning. Maybe it’s character development, grammar, writing a synopsis. There will always be something hard. But God calls us to put our full effort into what we do (Colossians 3:23) and that includes writing. He will be faithful to help us through, no matter how hard it is.

It’s definitely not easy to put together thousands of words along with characters and plots to get to the end of a manuscript. But it is worth the effort. Breathing life into a story God planted in your heart is an incredible blessing. So, keep at it! Refresh yourself as needed and continue pushing through. I believe in you!

Abbey Downey never expected her love for writing to turn into a career, but she’s thankful for the chance to write inspirational romance as Mollie Campbell. A life-long Midwestern girl, Abbey lives in Central Indiana, where her family has roots back to the 1840s. She couldn’t be happier spending her days putting words on paper and hanging out with her husband, two kids, and a rather enthusiastic beagle.

You can check out Abbey’s books at www.abbeydowney.com

Thanks, Dad

by Jean Kavich Bloom

What encouragement to write do I most remember? I'll tell you, but first, about that name, Kavich.

Kavich was my last name before I married into the Bloom family decades ago. Shortened from a Polish name, it's a challenge for people to know how to pronounce it. Yet the pronunciation is simple, if not phonetically a hoot.

Say it with me: “cave-itch.” 

Despite my maiden name’s challenges, I decided long ago to include it on anything I published. Why? To honor my father and his encouragement.

Way back in my teens, Dad encouraged my writing and to “maybe work in publishing one day.” Not in a pushy way, but enough that it made an impression on me. I wish I had fully embraced that idea when I entered college, although I don't think many programs related to writing or publishing were available then. And I thought all you could do with an English degree was teach. Instead I majored in social work and then established a short career in that field. Guess what I enjoyed most about my work in a crisis intervention position. Writing my reports.

When my husband and I decided it was time for me to go back to employment after I’d been a stay-at-home mom for ten years, I was hired into one of a nearby publishing house's editorial departments. (That was one hundred percent a God thing.) From the start, my dad’s encouragement rang in my ears, giving me courage to take advantage of opportunities there to train and learn editing and all aspects of the publishing world. I worked there for twenty-four years, and after becoming a freelance editor and writer, I was commissioned by that company to write a couple of children’s devotional and activity books.

“How do you want your name to read on the cover?” my editor asked. Without hesitation, I told her, “Jean Kavich Bloom.” 

My father, who passed away a few years ago, wasn't too impressed when I handed him copies of those books. By that time, his frail, ninety-plus-year-old body had begun to take its toll on his spirit. He wanted nothing more than to be with God (and soon after that, he was). Yet his lack of response didn’t dampen my gratitude for his encouragement, way back when I was a teenager and an avid reader, dipping my toe into writing. 

And as I write now, his encouragement still rings.

Thanks, Dad.  

Has a parent or someone else significant in your life encouraged you in your writing? Do you know someone you can encourage?

Jean Kavich Bloom is a freelance editor and writer for Christian publishers and ministries (Bloom in Words Editorial Services), with thirty years of experience in the book publishing world. Her personal blog is Bloom in Words too, where she sometimes posts articles about the writing life. She is also a regular contributor to The Glorious Table, a blog for women of all ages. Her published books are Bible Promises for God's Precious Princess and Bible Promises for God's Treasured Boy. She and her husband, Cal, have three children (plus two who married in) and five grandchildren, with foster grandchildren in their lives on a regular basis.

Photo credit: https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=222174&picture=father-and-daughter-at-beach

Encouraging Those Young Aspiring Novelists You Know

I’ve written about these five ideas to cheer on young writers on my personal blog, using one of my own granddaughters and a great-niece as examples. But this week I started thinking about how many young writers you might know, the ones who love to tell stories, the ones who one day might write novels like you do. And so I’m sharing them again here. 

Here are some ways you might encourage the budding writers of the junior persuasion in your sphere of influence.

1.      Read, read, read. Reading makes writers better writers. Reading gives you ideas about what to write. Don’t you think so?

2.      Ask others to read to you. Grownups and older kids can be busy, but they might also remember how much they loved it when someone read to them when they were your age. Ask them what their favorite book was.

3.      Write, write, write. Maybe you could write a story and give it as a birthday present or Christmas gift. Or write something for someone who is sick or in the hospital to cheer them up. You can write stories, but you can also write poems or Get Well cards to help someone have a better day.

4.      Keep a list of what you would like to read about and ideas for stories to write. Then when you have a chance to get some books or write some stories, you’ll already know where to start!

5.      Tell whoever encourages you to write a big fat thank you. Maybe you could even write a thank-you note for them. Hmm. I love to get thank-you notes! 

  How else would you encourage a child who loves to create story?

    Jean Kavich Bloom is a freelance editor and writer (Bloom in Words Editorial Services). Her personal blog is Bloom in Words too, where she sometimes posts articles about the writing life. She is also a contributor to The Glorious Table, a blog for women of all ages. Her published books are Bible Promises for God's Precious Princess and Bible Promises for God's Treasured Boy. She and her husband, Cal, have three children and five grandchildren.

photo credit: http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=136134&picture=pencil-and-sharpener

The (Pep) Talk

by Mary Allen

There comes a moment in every WIP in which it seems that the kindest thing to do is hit the delete button, empty the trash, and start fresh.

Don’t do it. It’s less dramatic than the lusty zing of ripping a page from a manual typewriter, wadding it up with a growl, and pitching it across the room, but it’s more permanent. 

Pause. Take a breath.

This is where a critique group is helpful. In my opinion, the best group is the one that meets face to face. It’s a luxury most don’t have. Don’t despair. Help is out there. ACFW offers on-line critique groups for your specific genre. Even established writers might find an occasional critique session helpful.

There is also this wonderful invention called a phone. It allows you to call another writer and moan to an empathetic ear.



"This WIP is terrible! It’ll never be finished! What brain freeze made me think I could write?"

Of course, you’ll then hear how they’ve been through the same thing. Oddly, such an exchange can fortify you rather than confirm that throwing in the towel and throwing out the “trash” is the best step. It reminds you that these feelings are normal and will pass. Soon, you will fall in love with your story again. Don’t wallow in self-pity. Swallow your pride and make the call.

Writing fiction can be a love-hate relationship. You pour yourself into the story for hours on end and like eating an entire pie at a sitting– no matter how good it is—you get sick of it. Stuffed. Glutted. Gorged. A little fast may be in order. Take a break from it. Throw yourself into your family, church activity, praising God, or a nature walk. Sometimes simply removing self completely, if briefly, from the effort of writing will refresh you and vitality miraculously reappears in your already-written word.

Remember this the next time you are tempted to take overly drastic steps with your WIP.

How many times have you “given up” on writing? How many WIP have cause you to run from the room screaming? How many have you trashed and regretted it? Speak up. Your episode might just be the pep talk some fellow author needs today.

Redefining Failure

Reading the loop, following blogs for authors, or attending conferences can leave a person with the notion that REAL writers have to develop websites, Facebook author pages, Blogspots and be active on Pinterest. They may come away with the idea that it is essential to be on LinkedIn or whatever the current networking rage is.

All of these tools can be immensely helpful with self-promotion, making important connections, building writing or business relationships. The pressure to be a part of them can leave one asking, “Am I disloyal to my trade if I prefer not to chase the big dream? Am I abnormal if I only want to live a quiet life? If my dream of writing is simply to touch family and a few friends, is there something wrong with me?”

I reply with a resounding, “No!”

If Christ asks you to write a pamphlet of poetry to share locally, writing a best-selling fiction novel instead is failure. If Christ gives you stories and the desire to publish a work of fiction, do that. Do it to the best you can then whether you sell few or many you are a success. Failure would be to refuse or let fear stop you.

One of the attitudes in ACFW I admire is that we don’t have to compete with one another. Each author, each story fits into a particular time and place. That is why we can rejoice with those who rejoice at winning Genesis or Carol Award or get the contract we wanted.

I’m not saying it’s easy. Some of the best storytellers I’ve known have had their season of struggle with jealousy, comparison, judgmental-ism, and self-doubt. These attitudes can creep in for the seasoned author as well as the newbie especially when God’s timetable doesn’t make sense and expectations end in disappointment. However, the struggle doesn’t validate or excuse the negative mindset. Thank God that we don't have to stay stuck in the Slough of Despond. We have a Rescuer.

Christians do not view success as the world views it. For a Christ follower success is being who Christ made you to be, doing the task Christ gives you to do as he gives it. That’s success in its entirety. Simply put, failure is not doing what the Master asks.

Until next time, 

                   Mary Allen

Antidote for Fear of Success

The list of hurdles a writer must overcome can be long and familiar such as writer’s block or deadlines. One I’ve rarely seen addressed is fear of success, yet I suspect this may be particularly insidious especially for Christian writers.

The heart of the matter is quite personal. What if success changes me?

We’ve all seen the movies and read the stories of how success changed plain, simple people. What if success changes me for the worse? What if I forsake the God I love for mammon? What if I lose my family in the hectic schedule fame brings? What if I can’t deal with the loneliness of a publicity tour? What if I get caught up in harmful relationships or habits? What if I become demanding, arrogant, and prideful? What if success puts my family in the public eye? Does God want me to succeed? Am I being compelled by my pride? As a Christian, is it wrong to long for success?

The prescription for relief from fear of success for the starting writer is the same as for the established writer and the same for the writer with many books, high sales and a well-known name. It’s a seven-fold prescription:

1. Put God first.

2. Trust Him to give you all you that is good for you.

3. Read His Word daily.

4. Stop to love on Him and listen.

5. Do not entertain ungodly counsel.

6. Hold onto your integrity through decisions and actions that honor Him.

7. Remember the formula for success has not changed: God first, family next, and other ministry, including writing ministry, third.

Men and women of God who made the greatest impact on the world spent the most time with God. The One who created time still makes everything fall into place, still creates enough time to accomplish what he has given you to do, still makes things happen or delays them so that his will might be done, and that we might acknowledge our dependence on him.

True success does not involve pulling of bootstraps on one’s own. True success is living by Jesus words: “I am the vine and you are the branch. Without me, You can do nothing that will count for anything in God’s kingdom.”

In every eventuality, God has already provided. That is because he knows us. He understands our tendencies and fears. Fears that are not from him as 2 Timothy 1:7 states God hasn’t given us the spirit of fear. He’s given us the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind. Here's some of God's provision:

·         Meditate on and speak continually from God’s Word …then you shall be prosperous, and have good success. Joshua 1:8

·         Wisdom starts with a deep abiding respect of the one supreme LORD Prov. 9:10

·         The LORD gives wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Proverbs 2:6-7

·         Wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and readily available, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. James 3:17

·         Stay securely in God’s truth and then you also will remain in the Son and in the Father. John 2:24

·         Let the Lord be magnified. He takes pleasure in the prosperity of His servant. Psalm 35:27b

·         As My Word goes forth, it shall not return to Me void… and it shall prosper as in as I the LORD intend it. Isaiah 55:11

·         I cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I, the LORD, will give them treasures. Prov. 8:21

Mary Allen

 This is what I know personally. " I sought the Lord. He heard me and delivered me from all my fears." Psalm 34:4.

Until next month, walk with God.

Creativity - a Spiritual Issue

 “The Artist’s Way – a Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity” is a self-help book by Julia Cameron to inspire creative people of all types to a greater creativity. One of the chapters caught my attention because it jived with a sermon last Sunday in which the young minister quoted from a book he’d read. “You can never exaggerate God.”  Think on that for a moment, or many minutes, because there is no end to God.  Yet, how often we limit God.

“Creativity is a spiritual issue. Progress is made by leaps of faith.”

Cameron writes, “One of the chief barriers to accepting God’s generosity is our limited notion of what we are in fact able to accomplish. We may tune in to the voice of the creator within, hear a message—and then discount it as crazy or impossible. On the one hand, we take ourselves very seriously and don’t want to look like idiots pursuing some patently grandiose scheme. On the other hand, we don’t take ourselves—or God—seriously enough and so we define as grandiose many schemes that, with God’s help, may fall well within our grasp.”

God is greater than what we conceive and humanity’s need to put him in a box so we can understand him is a detriment to our spiritual growth and to our professional growth.

“Most of us never consider how powerful the creator really is. Instead we draw very limited amounts of the power available to us. We decide how powerful God is for us. We unconsciously set a limit on how much God can give us or help us. We are stingy with ourselves. And if we receive a gift beyond our imagining, we often send it back,” Cameron says.

Have you sent back a gift God gave you? Of course, we all have. The problem is we are often far beyond reversing that decision before we realize what a mistake we’ve made. Why do we do this?

1. We don’t want to overspend our spiritual abundance.

2. We consider God a capricious parent figure.

3. We try to dictate how and when the gift comes.

Each of these problems, and others, is rooted in a lack of faith in the goodness and greatness of God. Even saying we don’t doubt God we only doubt ourselves is an act of faithlessness. Who are we to argue with what God has declared good?

In Isaiah 7 God sends the prophet to encourage king Ahaz that those warring against him will not succeed. God will give any sign to Ahaz as proof. Ahaz says, “Oh no. I’ll not test God.”

Whether this was lack of faith or false humility a.k.a. pride, God was angered. God gave his own sign: the prophecy of the virgin birth which would happen long after Ahaz could see it. Ahaz missed God’s personal gift prepared especially for him in a situation that affected the entire nation. How often do we do the same?

“If we learn to think of receiving God’s good as being an act of worship—cooperating with God’s plan to manifest goodness in our lives—we can begin to let go of having to sabotage ourselves.”

Accepting God as our Source increases our confidence that God will provide. Our job is to listen for how. When we have done that, our creativity will blossom and so will our faith.

Mary Allen lives in Northern Indiana with her husband and two dogs. "Kernels of Hope" published by Majesty House, "Journey to Christmas" and "Ten Days to an Empty Tomb" are available from the author of on Kindle ebooks. "Full Spectrum Living" will be released soon. 

Year End Mourning and Joy

     The holidays—Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve—follow closely upon each other sending us in a rush, making our heads spin. For many of us these days are accompanied by dreary gray with the sun on a short schedule. Too-long evenings stretch interminably, sapping energy, spontaneity, and creativity. This whole mix adds to regrets of another year passed with plans incomplete. It may even occur to us that opportunities have been wasted. We fear our most cherished hopes – perhaps for publication are once again dashed.

     In “Journey to Christmas” my chapbook of poetry of the thoughts and feelings of those involved in the first Christmas, Joseph is in this same predicament. He had spent hours, days, weeks, maybe even months preparing a home for his cherished hope - Mary. The news of her pregnancy, of which he had no part, was bitter. It seemed all was lost. All his work and preparation was a mockery. He was ready to cast it all away, forgetting that God has his own way of doing things that often sends us over the rough road, tests our inner strength, reveals our true motivations, and uncovers our weaknesses.

     If you are experiencing year-end blues, think of Joseph and how what he thought to be true was exactly the opposite of how things turned out. Within months, he found himself to be happily married and raising the Messiah. It was an unexpected culmination of many of his heart’s desires. As you compare your 2012 to Joseph’s feelings, take heart. It’s not over until God says it’s over. He’s doing a great thing in you, in his own time.

Mourning His Loss

Grief over what we’ve lost is natural even if what we’re losing has not been ours except in our dreams.

I’ve worked upon this house

Muscles straining timbers,

slapping mortar into place,

making it respectable.

Now, lamplight flickers on white walls

in a room we’ll never share

as husband and wife,

pure, sweet, Mary and I.

Pure?

Sweet?

I cannot believe it’s true.

Was it her naïveté

or her gentle kindness

That did her in?

I only know we’re through.

This place will make someone else

A good home.

Someone who will care for it,

not tear it—and us— down,

throw away everything

for a youthful fling.

Mary. Mary. How could you?

You were like sweet honey and sunshine.

Who snuffed the light that once was you

cheering the darkness?

The dark and silent night

mocks me and each decision

I could make.

Still…

for all she’s done,

who am I to throw the first stone?

Am I so perfect? No.

But, I can’t marry her either.

I will divorce her quietly.

It is settled.

How it wearies me.

Oh, that I would never wake

to the uneasy task tomorrow brings.

Merry Christmas, ACFW friends. May Jesus live so large in your hearts that others see Him when the look at you, recognize Him when they read your writing, and be drawn to Him by the love within you.

Mary Allen is a Hoosier author and poet. She was the La Porte County Poet Laureate 2010. 

To order your e-book copy of "Journey to Christmas" go to  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00APSB0DS/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_IKMNsb17H5GMH

The Perils (and Blessings) of Publishing by JoAnn Durgin

I’ve seen a lot in the last (almost) three years since I’ve been a published author. If nothing else, you can always count on me for being honest and upfront about my life, including my writing career. Something happened in the past few weeks that might have devastated me six months ago…but now? Not so much. Let me explain: the publisher of my Lewis Legacy series decided he didn’t want to publish anymore. “Nothing personal,” he said, and I know he means it. He simply wants to concentrate on his own writing, editing and publishing projects. So, I’m being cut loose. I liken it to the bird in the nest who's now ready to fly on its own. So, on a wing and the proverbial prayer, here I go.

What to do now? Well, I could shop the series (four books out now and more to come) to other publishers, but I don’t think I’m going that route. You see, I believe the Lord prepared me for this to happen and I’ve expected it for some time. Like so many in the publishing industry, including the CBA, I’ve kept a close eye on several well-respected, multi-published authors who’ve taken to self-publishing their backlist titles or new, shorter works and listing them for sale at a low-cost price. And now these same authors are saying they’re earning their “bread and butter” from these books. Interesting, eh? Sure, they’ve been traditionally published and have earned a strong, large and loyal following…that certainly helps. Keep reading.

Let’s face it. There used to be a certain “stigma” attached to self-publishing. As Michael Hyatt told his audiences at writing conventions two years ago, “The stigma is gone.” Honestly? I never expected to be published by a big CBA house, if I was published at all. Not because I didn’t believe my writing measured up, but for the very fact that my writing is “different.” I write outside-of-the-box, non-formulaic contemporary Christian romances. From the beginning, I wrote because I simply love telling a story. I understood—if I was published at all—it would most likely be with a small, independent publisher. I wasn’t personally willing to compromise to make my stories fit the “safe” mold required by most mainstream publishers. Among other aspects, my books are longer in terms of length, and my characters unashamedly refer to scripture and things of the Lord (without “beating them over the head”), and support conservative “causes” many publishers don’t want to touch. So far, the readers aren’t complaining, and my books are reaching an audience beyond the typical “Christian” mainstream reader, and I now have a small but strong and loyal following upon which to build. I couldn’t be more thrilled. Praise the Lord!

To test the waters, perhaps, I released Catching Serenity on my own a few weeks ago, something I’d planned to do before I learned of my publisher’s decision. Again, I believe it’s because I knew this was coming. I’ve been harder on myself and agonized over this one book because it’s all mine. Put it this way: it’s a good thing Amazon doesn’t charge for reloading a file when changes are made. Self-publishing is a scary proposition and yet an exciting one. To be clear, I’ve also published with a couple of other small CBA publishers and I plan on producing more books with those same publishers in the future. As always, I’ll continue to follow His leading first and foremost, in writing as in all aspects of my life. Like anything else, writing and publication is a journey. I’m sure I’ll stumble at times, but hopefully I’ll also have times when I’ll soar. But I’ll have the freedom to help design my book covers, set my own deadlines and schedule, but more importantly to me? I’ll have the freedom to tell my story my way. And that’s just fine with me.

Blessings,

JoAnn Durgin

Proverbs 3:5-6