“I love it when a plan comes together!”

In December 2015 I completed my third novel. It felt good! Closure. A sense of satisfaction. A job well done. All those wonderful feelings a writer experiences when something is finished. It reminds me of something said by Col. John “Hannibal” Smith— the cigar-smoking leader of a renegade commando squad in the 1980s TV show, A-Team. Played by George Peppard, Col. Smith became famous for saying, “I love it when a plan comes together.” Well, Col. Smith, aka Mr. Peppard, so do I!

Four months into the five year journey of writing Harvest of Lies, I suffered a concussion from a fall on the ice while skating. This set me back quite a while, probably 2 years, with an inability to concentrate and focus for any length of time. Loud noise made me dizzy and headaches were constant, always worse when I pushed myself or stayed too long at the computer. All too often, I failed to listen to my husband who continually reminded me to take breaks. But any writer will tell you it’s just not that easy to do. When the spirit moves, you move with it! I shamefully admit that I often ignored him, raising my hand as if so say, “Talk to the hand, the ears aren’t listening.”

To push myself further, every summer I gave myself an ultimatum: either make some progress or call it a day! Not wanting to be a quitter—but much more important, believing God had given me something to say—I chipped away, a chapter here, a chapter there, and bent the ear of my dear friend, Kathy, who herself was in the throws of writing her first novel.

Ah, the life of someone who loves to write despite the pain and frustration that comes with it!

But back to my opening comment…

I felt great joy last December in being able to say “The End!” “Fini!” “Done!” Little did I know what 2016 would bring!

Having given myself a deadline to enter Word Alive Press’s annual contest, I spent  the next five months editing it again and again and again—with the assistance of some wonderfully talented  friends.  After submitting my manuscript in May, I believed that all that needed to be done had been done! A phone call in July changed all that. Word Alive Press had selected Harvest of Lies as the fiction winner for 2016. (Thank you to all those who felt my book worthy of such an honour!) And a whirlwind of even more editing began, albeit very exciting.

Having been scrupulously edited (Thank you, Evan!), polished and refined (Thank you, Sylvia and my unknown typesetter!), Harvest of Liesgoes to press, if not this week, next, hopefully in time for Christmas!

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4 (ESV)