An Update on the Writerly Thing

       Hey!
       So, I realize it's been awhile since I've posted anything on here. Things have been pretty crazy for the past few weeks- actually, let me rephrase that. Things have been pretty crazy this winter. And now spring is well on it's way, and they're sure to get even crazier.
       When I started working on Unseen Things last fall with Abby I had no idea what we were getting into! It went from being a simple serial story on my blog to a visually enhanced Kindle e-book that's due to be released in a few more weeks. Honestly, I never knew it would be such a huge growing experience, but I'm so thankful for every step of this journey. It pretty much equaled a six month derailment from my other projects, but, turns out, it really was something I needed to do. I can't fully explain it, but this process, along with other things that have been going on in my life this winter, have driven me forward in my writing career more than ever, in so many different ways. I wish I had the time and space to explore them all, but that would probably be the blog equivalent of the infamous "info dump" in newbie novels.
       At any rate, I would really appreciate your prayers as I continue to explore this crazy writing and publishing world a little more professionally. I'm driven in this. It's not just a dream for me, but a passion that only gets stronger. Books have shaped my life. They've changed me, they've saved me. This world is a crazy, changing place, and while God's word and His truth don't change, sometimes the practical applications of them do. Or at least there are more opportunities now to reach more people in more ways than there were in ancient times. Mentoring, encouraging, and challenging are all a pretty big deal in the New Testament. Older folks are told to help the younger ones to grow. To share their wisdom, and they do that because they've had experiences, and lessons, trials and triumphs that they've already gone through. I'm not old and rickety just yet, but I've been through things I'd rather not have, and still come out on the other side knowing that God is faithful, and that no matter the earthly end to our story, there's always hope. If there's anything I'd want to convey with my writing and my Christian walk, it's hope.
       Reading has given me that hope before, when I didn't have any. And I'm not talking about Bible stories, or biographies or how-to books on prayer or goodness knows what. I'm certainly not discounting them, either! But for me it has always been the stories. The stories that use fantasy and fiction to pinpoint truth so beautifully and so clearly, the fleshed out echoes of God's truth that explode with power. Those are what have worked in my life, and that is what I'm so passionate about passing on to my readers. Hope. Faith. Those things that the Bible tells us to encourage one another with, to mentor each other. But for a painfully shy introvert like me, sometimes the best way for me to step outside myself and nudge someone in the right direction is through story.
       Of course, I also have that annoying artistic temperament that makes any type of normal career downright painful. But hey...

       Anyway, I guess all that to say that I'm hoping God has a lot more in store for my writing career as I try to develop it further. I really appreciate your prayers and support.  With Unseen Things releasing very soon Abby and I have been pretty busy making sure we meet that deadline, but there are a lot more exciting things on the way as well!