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| R.J. Larson |
Does it ever feel like that no matter how hard you try to
make progress in your writing life, you’re stuck waiting for doors to open? It
can be frustrating at times. But we serve a God who sees the bigger picture and
has a plan for us. Today, author R.J. Larson
shares how God blessed her perseverance and faithfulness. ~ Dawn
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When I first resolved to write a novel for publication, I
had no clue that my road to Published Author status would become an
eighteen-year trek. Yep. Eighteen years. Granted, life itself often slowed my
writing progress. During those eighteen years, I raised two boys, worked almost
full-time, and—of course—paused quite often to spend time with my dear husband
and my busy family and friends. And,
sometimes, rejections from industry pros would temporarily halt me in my
creative tracks and make me question my sanity.
Why write full length novels if I must ultimately face
defeat, with my manuscripts gathering dust in drawers and languishing in neglected
computer files?
For love.
Love for the craft and for my gracious Creator, who wired me
with such enthusiasm for the written word. Through my writing, I was able to
study my faith’s history and fully articulate and realize the Lord’s role in my
life. For every setback I suffered, I would experience more-than-equal joy to
counterbalance my discouragement. A devotional would be accepted for
publication. An editor would say, “Well done!” An author-friend would read my
scribbles and say, “Wow…keep going!” Or, quite simply, I would be unable to
resist my love for words and for my Creator.
I. Must. Write!
Professional connections were also vital to my arduous trek.
After I’d been writing for sixteen years, my editor-husband came home from work
and told me that one of my first devotional editors was now working with him,
and she was now an agent and wanted to know if I was still writing. For my
husband’s sake, I didn’t squeal like a kid and jump up and down. Nope. I
remained composed, kissed him, and accepted my former editor’s new email
address.
I combed through my submission and later that week, I sent
off my then-current manuscript—The
Heavens Before—a retelling of the Genesis Flood through the eyes of one of
Noah’s daughters-in-law, the wife of Shem.
Upshot? My former editor became my agent. Five months later,
Moody Publishers offered me a contract for The
Heavens Before, and then requested two sequels! All three books were
translated into Dutch, and The Heavens
Before was also translated into Thai and Ukrainian.
However, my author-trek continued. I took a four-year hiatus
from writing to home-school Younger son through high-school. (Algebra and Trig,
anyone? Anyone?) Following those four years, I felt as if my career had halted,
and I’d been returned to my starting point, yet I persevered. I was working on
a historical book, when I woke up one morning reeling from a bad dream, which
forced me to email my current agent: “I need to write fantasy!”
Seven months later, I signed with Bethany House as R. J. Larson,
and wrote the Books of the Infinite series, which concludes this month with the
publication of King!
And…my author-trek continues. My advice?
Keep hiking, everyone. Let love of the craft and your
Creator goad you onward!
King
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| King |
Akabe of Siphra is certain his people are insane.
Why have they made him a king?
What, in the name of peacetime boredom do kings do?
Frustrated by a lengthy silence from his Creator, the
Infinite, Akabe decides to prove himself as king by undertaking a monumental
task, his own lifelong dream: Rebuild
the Infinites temple in Siphra.
But Akabes impulsive decision sweeps him into a lethal storm
of controversy. The Infinites enemies join forces in Siphra, and beyond,
conspiring to destroy the emerging temple--and to kill their king, and his
mysterious new queen.
R. J. Larson is the
author of numerous devotionals and is suspected of eating chocolate and potato
chips for lunch while writing. She lives in Colorado with her husband and their
two sons. The Books of the Infinite series marks her debut in the fantasy genre.
