What Happens When You Stop Arguing with God? (part 1)
Sometimes I crack myself up. Because I’m so funny? Hardly. Because I get told something time and again by many friends and colleagues and I don’t believe it until God smacks me in the back of the head? Yup, that’s the one.
What? God doesn’t smack you in the back of the head? Well, good for you. It means you’re listening. Me on the other hand…
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The answer is infinitely!
I know what you’re thinking, That’s all well and good, Amy, but what does this have to do with me?
I’m going to tell you.
First let me back up and tell you a story. Some of you may have heard this from me before so I’ll give you the condensed version. When I first started writing, I wanted to write romance. Because I had been reading ones with full bedroom scenes, it didn’t seem strange to write one like that. It was just the way romances were written. Right? Then I discovered that romances could be ‘sweet’ or not have detailed love scenes. I even tried my hand at a couple of those, but the market was tight. I went back to ‘the usual way things are done.’
Most everyone who has ever read my blog knows that I started writing Amish as a suggestion from my then-agent, Mary Sue Seymour. Thank heavens I listened and tried my hand at one. But it wasn’t the same as my fun contemporary sexy romps…Why not? I was writing, stories that satisfied me and my reader, I was getting good reviews, fan mail, the works. Why wasn’t it the same?
I don’t know. Maybe because I kept telling myself that it wasn’t. Who knows?
Now, I had been writing for (Amy cups hand over her mouth to muffle the words) 19 years before I got my first book in print. It’s almost embarrassing. Why did it take so long? I can string more than two words together. I can make people cry/laugh/love/believe. I had great stories, memorable, characters, and I had won awards. I knew language, metaphors, and MLA vs. Chicago style. Why did it take me so long?
This is a question for which I don’t have the answer. All I know is in January of 2011, I signed a contract for my first contemporary romance and in September of 2011, I signed my first contract for an Amish series. That’s one writer, nine months, and two completely different directions. (BTW I fully believe that the 9 months thing is an omen, but that’s a blog for another day.)
The contemporary came out from a small, digital-first publisher and things move a little faster in that world. Brodie’s Bride saw the printed page over a year before Saving Gideon. But here they were, two wonderful books, two completely different sub-genres, and both romance.
Just after I signed the contract for Saving Gideon, my friends (writer friends, that is) started giving me advice. Get a website. Change your twitter handle. Come up with a pen name or make all your books inspirational.
But I don’t want a pen name. And I don’t want to write only inspirational. I want to write what I want to write. And Amish of course. I want to write contemporary romances and books about the Amish. My readers will understand.
So that’s what I did. I had a drawer full of books that I had written over the last, ahem few years. I pulled them out, dusted them off, and got them onto amazon.
Everything should be perfect right? In a heartbeat I had twenty-five books on the cyber shelves. I was rocking. On my way at last.
Or so I thought…
This is part one of a three part story. Come back tomorrow, same time, same place, for the next installment…
Leave a comment today to be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Amish Brides. I’m giving away one copy each day so be sure to come back tomorrow.
Have you ever fought a decision you knew you should make? Have you argued with God? Let us know and get entered into the drawing! I can’t be the only one…
Winners of the three part blog will be announced Saturday morning, June 17, 2017. Last chance to comment is midnight June 16, 2017, CDT. Any comments made after that will not be included.
