Tammy Barley's Success Story

This Fortifying Friday, please welcome new author Tammy Barley as she shares her fascinating story of God's calling in her life to become a writer.

God Called Me to Write. Literally.

God said, “You’re supposed to be a writer.” I actually heard His voice beside me.

I was alone, puttering around our backyard pool in Arizona, and watching the night sky. Since I had recently graduated high school and had searched for years for direction but still had none, I turned to God for the answer. In my thoughts I asked him, “What am I supposed to do with my life?” He answered, out loud . . . a voice beside me in the dark. Isn’t that where he always is? Right beside us, guiding us, even when we can’t see the way.

Let me tell you—when God literally speaks to you, you listen. (Can anyone identify?) =) And yes, as you can tell by my question and his answer, God truly has a sense of humor. And a twisted one at that. I took a mandatory typing class four years prior, and hated it so much that I read romance novels instead of practice. While I got lost in fabulous stories and other students banged away at the keys, I used to swear to myself that no matter what I did with my life, I’d never type. So now I laugh about that. And use the backspace key a lot.

So God told me to become a writer, and I went to college, took every writing class—prose, poetry, journalism, fiction writing: the novel, nonverbal communication, and others. Then I took theatre and acting classes to learn how to get into and develop character. All the while I read Writer’s Digest magazines cover to cover, and studied the techniques of bestselling authors with pen and highlighters in hand. If you want to learn how the best of the best craft technique, there’s no better way.

Now, twenty years later, my historical romance novel, Love’s Rescue, book one of my new series, The Sierra Chronicles, has gone into its second printing only five weeks after its release, and has been as high as #11 on ChristianBooks.com’s historical fiction bestseller list. Love’s Rescue won the Golden Rose Contest, 2^nd place, inspirational category, and is currently being considered for translation and distribution in Europe. I have an upcoming interview on the radio show Aging Outside the Box, this Thanksgiving night 6-7 p.m. Central, so God is doing great things.

Besides writing my novels, I professionally ghostwrite and edit. My clients' books have won multiple writing awards, series publishing contracts, five-star reviews, been listed as recommended reading at Focus on the Family, and a few books have received national media attention. (To see whom, visit http://www.tammybarley.com/MyClientsBooks.html.)

When God said “You’re supposed to be a writer,” he already had a plan worked out, just as he has for you. Self-doubt and fear do not come from him. So dare to be bold as lions as your careers surge forward and you touch lives for his kingdom. God is right beside, guiding you, even when you can’t see the way.

Tammy Barley loves her home in dairy cow country in northern Illinois, and is proud mom of three eighth graders whom she home schools and who constantly make her laugh. To introduce readers to The Sierra Chronicles, Tammy Barley is sponsoring a phenomenal contest: Read Love’s Rescue for a chance to win a one-week western guest ranch resort vacation for two to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado! For details, including date of drawing and to enter, visit http://www.tammybarley.com/Bookshelf.html. To read a blurb about Love’s Rescue, and to find a copy, visit http://www.tammybarley.com/Bookshelf.html (the link to ChristianBook.com offers a great price—only $4.99 through December 31^st).