Monday, April 20, 2015

The Stories In Their Faces by Marianne Evans

Marianne Evans
The Easter season has inspired me to consider the way my writing has evolved over the years. At the intersection of the pew and the main aisle of my church, I found a purpose. I found the means by which to fulfill a call on my heart that existed long before I was fully able to acknowledge it, or put God’s plan into motion.

Ever since middle school I considered myself a writer. I’ve always gravitated toward words, scenes and images that would bring emotions to life. Furthermore, I fell in love with the idea of…love.

My first publications were secular. I wrote for Kensington Publishing; after that I was contracted by The Wild Rose Press for a book titled With This Kiss. When I worked my way through edits on that story, something struck me, something  some might refer to as a ‘game changer.’

The end of that secular romance was decidedly Christian, and left me thinking about the fact that, for the longest time, I had wanted to write Christian fiction and romance, but didn’t feel worthy, or like I had a suitable story to tell.

God made use of that yearning. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, He was leading me straight to where I am now. The craving to write never left me, even through the fits and starts of contracts/no contracts – raising kids/maintaining a corporate job to help raise and college-fund said kids…

I went to church one fateful Good Friday—a service at which I’m always emotional and overwhelmed by Christ’s love and sacrifice—and noticed so many different things. Ushers readily helping the disabled, people gathered to honor the season, our friends and family giving us hugs, kisses and well-wishes as we served at Mass and joined our long-time worship community at the altar of God’s greatest gift.


During communion I found myself drawn once more to the people who filed forward. Most of them were strangers to me. That didn’t matter. I saw their faces. I saw individuals. I saw…stories. I saw them the way I hope and pray Jesus sees me while I live and love, struggle and savor, succeed and fail. I thought of them in a context of pure, unencumbered love, a people full of God’s hope and promise.

What greater gift could I have ever been given as a writer? From that moment on, I stormed the gates with my pen and my heart, and the gift of words He gave me from my youth. I determined from that point on to craft stories that I pray will do Him some form of humble praise and homage. As this season of rebirth and warm, sunny promise reminds me, this life, this journey is all about Him. It’s all about God’s kingdom being revealed and shared.

Where are you seeking renewal? Whatever your hope, always remember: You are cherished…you are loved. Alleluia!


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Seekingrenewal? Find it in the faces, and stories, of the people around you. 

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Marianne’s latest release, Date Night, is part of the new Pure Amore imprint at Pelican Book Group! Pure Amore is a ‘book of the month’ subscription service featuring Christian romances centered on the concept of pre-marital purity and abstinence that doesn’t surrender one moment of the thrill to be found when two people fall in love!
Check out Date Night and the other wonderful Pre Amore titles at:

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Marianne Evans is a multi-award-winning author of Christian romance and fiction with over twenty titles to her credit. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love through the stories He prompts her to create.

Readers laud her work as: ‘Riveting.’ ‘Realistic and true to heart.’ ‘Compelling.’ Devotion, earned the prestigious Bookseller’s Best Award from Greater Detroit RWA as well the Heart of Excellence Award from Ancient City Romance Authors. She also earned wins for Best Romance from the Christian Small Publisher's Association and the Selah award for Best Novella.

Happily married and the mother of two, Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan who is active in a number of a number of Romance Writers of America chapters, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter where she served two terms as President.

Connect with Marianne: Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon ~ Pinterest