I tell in the introduction of my book how God led me to write His Love Carries Me. (Refer to the “Peek Inside” feature on the Home page.) But there is more to the story that explains why I have two publishers’ logos on my books.
After God clearly gave me the title to the book, it was challenging to focus on anything else. The Lord was nudging me to do something out of my realm of experience, and it was exciting. With Him leading the way, it appeared I would be writing a book after all. But I still didn’t have a clue how to get a book published.
A couple of weeks later, I took my mother to a Christmas event for women at our church. The guest speaker was a morning personality on a Christian radio station in Dallas. When they introduced her, we were told she had written a book that was available for sale. We could meet her afterward and get her autograph. I didn’t hear much after that. All I could think about was asking her how to get a book published.
I bought her book after the presentation. As she autographed it for me, I mentioned I wanted to publish my husband’s inspirational blog and planned to write a companion book.
“Can you tell me how to get them published?” I asked.
Donna Skell / Roaring Lambs
“I can tell you exactly who to contact. Call Donna Skell at Roaring Lambs, and she can help you with the process.”
I pulled a small spiral notebook out of my purse, and she wrote down the website for me.
I think I waited until after Christmas to call Donna. When I briefly spoke to her over the phone, she told me, “You have a wonderful testimony to share. I’d love to meet with you in person.”
Lisa Burkhardt Worley / Roaring Lambs
In January 2017, I met with Donna and her business partner Lisa Burkhardt Worley, an award-winning author. They encouraged me to write my book and said they would help me get it published. They gave me the name of two independent publishers to interview and also connected me with the Dallas Christian Writers Guild to help me with my writing/editing skills. God was continuing to pave the way for me.
I contacted both publishers plus another well-known independent publishing company, and they all were willing to publish my book—which I hadn’t even written yet. I couldn’t decide which publisher to use.
In July 2017, I attended a Roaring Lambs writers' conference, which was designed to help Christians tell how God has worked in their life. One of the publishers I had spoken with was there, and I was impressed with his experience, knowledge, and professionalism. But they only publish a maximum number of books each year, because the president/CEO personally manages the entire process.
I finished the first rough draft of my book in December 2017 and called Larry Carpenter at Carpenter’s Son Publishing the first week of January to see if they would save time in 2018 to publish two books for me. We discussed when I wanted to have the books done by. I threw out several dates: June 25 is the anniversary of Chris’s death, July 7 is our wedding anniversary, or November is National Lung Cancer Awareness Month (and Chris’s birthday). I told him I wanted this to be as stress free as possible without having to worry about meeting deadlines. I’d had enough stress in my life the last several years.
Larry Carpenter / Carpenter's Son Publishing
Then Larry gave me a dose of the real world of publishing. “If we started today, the earliest we could release the book is September 1 because of the deadlines for various stages of the publishing process. The first deadline is in two weeks for the book cover to be included in the fall catalog.”
So much for “no deadlines.” We got busy, and I had covers for both books finished by the deadline. Chris’s book had to be to the editor by February 1, and I hadn’t even started editing it yet. Deadline after deadline was met.
God continued to put people in my path to help me through the process, including two friends with editing experience who volunteered to assist me at just the time I was ready to begin editing my book. I previously didn’t even know they had editing experience!
God has already begun opening doors for numerous speaking engagements that will allow me to promote the books, including a group of oncology nurses, nurse navigators, caregivers, cancer patients, a book club, and even a radio interview. The problem is, I don’t speak.
To give you a little insight into my personality, I am an introvert and shy in social settings. Rarely do I engage in group conversations. By the time I get the courage to add to the conversation, they have changed topics.
The thought of public speaking terrifies me, but it’s something I feel God is leading me to do. So I am facing my fear of public speaking. I figured I would start small with speaking to a Bible study group. However, God’s idea of starting “small” is different from mine.
I have already been interviewed on Dallas television news stations Fox 4 Sports and NBC 5. An interview with “A Time to Dream” international radio broadcast is scheduled in less than two weeks.
I guess God compromised with me: I have spoken/will speak to a “small” group of two people at a time, but the message has reached/will reach far and wide. That’s the way God orchestrates His plans.
Please pray for me as I am learning to find my voice. This quiet little lamb wants to roar as I share what God has done in my family’s life.
To read how God's perfect timetable allowed me to get my books by my original requested date of June 25th and to see my TV interview on Fox 4 Sports, check out my blog "God's Timetable and Sense of Humor."
UPDATE: Here are links to my first two radio interviews:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=173179343584034
If you would like to share how God has touched your life, contact Roaring Lambs. They are a non-profit that inspires, equips, and provides opportunities for Christians to share their faith.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."