Welcome to another Fortifying Friday, the day we devote to featuring guest authors, their journeys to publication, and encouraging words for writers. Author Cathy Liggett is here today to share a part of her journey. I was blessed by her unique story, and I’m confident you will be too. Enjoy! All in God's Good Timing
by Cathy Liggett
Oh, the joy of reading! We all love how books take us on journeys. But writing a book? Why do I whine and want to give up when writing a book becomes too difficult a journey for me?
Since publishing Beaded Hope, though, I’m Really (with a capital R) prayerfully striving to be better about that. Beaded Hope took me on a five-year emotional rollercoaster and a physical journey, too, traveling to a place I never wanted to go—South Africa. But far better, it took me on a spiritual journey where I learned so much about God I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world!
Besides writing, I work part-time registering people for outpatient testing. In autumn of 2005, I registered a woman wearing a red beaded pin on her jean jacket. So pretty, I had to ask about it. Introducing herself, Jennifer Davis told me the pin was handcrafted by a lady in South Africa and sold through Beaded Hope—a non-profit she’d founded to help African women feed their families by selling their beadwork in the U.S.
I bought a pin, but never expected to see Jennifer again. Looking back, however, I see that God had a different plan. It didn’t matter when Jennifer visited the clinic over the months, our paths continued to cross. Too coincidental to ignore, we met for tea and Jennifer shared her photo journals from earlier trips to South Africa. Though the faces in her photos were foreign to me, I was oddly touched. I wanted to write about these strangers, envisioning a romance sweeping two continents.
After various attempts, that romance turned into a women’s fiction featuring American and African women bonding through their struggles, dreams and faith. Atypically confident about my idea, I was sure it’d sell easily.
I was Devastated (with a capital D) when I saved up for my first ACFW conference (2007) and no one was interested. I came back home, perplexed and honestly miffed at God. I’d really felt like He’d guided me to write Beaded Hope. Why then the flat-out rejection?
But then in 2008, Jennifer called me out-of-the-blue. She was making plans to return to Mamelodi, and felt drawn to ask me to go.
South Africa?! Even the mere thought of going there seemed outlandish. However, my husband and I said…yes. After that, it seemed God was back in charge. I reserved our flights one morning and checks to cover the cost showed up out of nowhere that afternoon. I got home from Africa, made some queries, and in a few months I had an agent who sold the book on a partial.
The fact is, though I longed to sell the idea of this book years before, I believe God knew if I’d never had gone to Mamelodi and met the women there, my limited imagination—and Google – would’ve never been able to depict the joyful spirit and unwavering faith of those ladies.
The Beaded Hope journey continues with readers and the sweet ladies of South Africa. Through it all, I feel blessed to see firsthand how God pursues us to join in His works no matter how little our knowledge, no matter how imperfect our hearts, and how—yes!—His timing really is perfect and worth waiting for. It’s something I now try to remember not only in my writing journey…but in all of life too.
Besides writing, I work part-time registering people for outpatient testing. In autumn of 2005, I registered a woman wearing a red beaded pin on her jean jacket. So pretty, I had to ask about it. Introducing herself, Jennifer Davis told me the pin was handcrafted by a lady in South Africa and sold through Beaded Hope—a non-profit she’d founded to help African women feed their families by selling their beadwork in the U.S.
I bought a pin, but never expected to see Jennifer again. Looking back, however, I see that God had a different plan. It didn’t matter when Jennifer visited the clinic over the months, our paths continued to cross. Too coincidental to ignore, we met for tea and Jennifer shared her photo journals from earlier trips to South Africa. Though the faces in her photos were foreign to me, I was oddly touched. I wanted to write about these strangers, envisioning a romance sweeping two continents.
After various attempts, that romance turned into a women’s fiction featuring American and African women bonding through their struggles, dreams and faith. Atypically confident about my idea, I was sure it’d sell easily.
I was Devastated (with a capital D) when I saved up for my first ACFW conference (2007) and no one was interested. I came back home, perplexed and honestly miffed at God. I’d really felt like He’d guided me to write Beaded Hope. Why then the flat-out rejection?
But then in 2008, Jennifer called me out-of-the-blue. She was making plans to return to Mamelodi, and felt drawn to ask me to go.
South Africa?! Even the mere thought of going there seemed outlandish. However, my husband and I said…yes. After that, it seemed God was back in charge. I reserved our flights one morning and checks to cover the cost showed up out of nowhere that afternoon. I got home from Africa, made some queries, and in a few months I had an agent who sold the book on a partial.
The fact is, though I longed to sell the idea of this book years before, I believe God knew if I’d never had gone to Mamelodi and met the women there, my limited imagination—and Google – would’ve never been able to depict the joyful spirit and unwavering faith of those ladies.
The Beaded Hope journey continues with readers and the sweet ladies of South Africa. Through it all, I feel blessed to see firsthand how God pursues us to join in His works no matter how little our knowledge, no matter how imperfect our hearts, and how—yes!—His timing really is perfect and worth waiting for. It’s something I now try to remember not only in my writing journey…but in all of life too.
CATHY LIGGETT has many years of experience in advertising copywriting and gift product development. But these days, working on a novel in the upstairs cubby of her Loveland, Ohio, is truly what she loves to do best. Cathy is the author of several contemporary romances, a nonfiction book, and her latest release is the women's fiction novel BEADED HOPE. Nominated for “Best Inspirational Novel of the Year” by Romantic Times Reviews, BEADED HOPE also received a certificate of distinction from the Ohioana Library Association. She is a member of ACFW and RWA – both the national organizations and local chapters. Cathy and her husband Mark have two grown children who drop in often, keeping life interesting. Their new pup, Chaz, keeps their house hopping too.
You can visit Cathy at http://www.cathyliggett.com/ Or to learn more about the Beaded Hope organization and see some lovely beadwork from the ladies of South Africa, please visit http://www.beadedhope.org/.
Twenty percent of the author’s proceeds from the sale of Beaded Hope go to support the Beaded Hope non-profit.
Twenty percent of the author’s proceeds from the sale of Beaded Hope go to support the Beaded Hope non-profit.
