The Little Things

I am not the calmest person in the world. Not even close. I am easily overwhelmed and I deal with my anxiety by keeping to a routine, by creating detailed lists and following them obsessively in an attempt to keep my world in order. So when the pandemic hit in 2020, my orderly world turned upside down. In a time of fear and uncertainty that was far beyond anything my lists could control, my anxiety level went spinning off into outer space.

I watched as one by one churches and businesses closed. As an “essential worker” I went to my job every day but other than that I stayed close to home. In the quiet solitude of my new routine, I turned my attention to the little things. I walked my dog, taking note of the absence of traffic noise and the vast blue sky above us. I tried some amazing new recipes, experimenting with different herbs and spices. I became obsessed with the songs and colors of the birds at my feeder. These things calmed my mind and I began to recognize some blessings I had taken for granted and the hundred ways that God’s voice whispered to me through the chaos… I’ve got you.

Like most every writer I know, a clear calendar and the absence of distractions meant more time for writing. I put together some short pieces, but the time seemed right for another novel, so I dusted off some ideas that had been on the back burner. I slowly put down a paragraph. And then  another, and another as that strange magic that is novel writing overtook me.

And finally the book was finished. And a new journey, begun.

I’m thrilled to announce that I have just signed a contract with Pelican Book Group for my latest Contemporary Christian Romance, The Little Things.

I’ll keep you posted!