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| Marianne Evans |
We’re
going through an exercise at my 9 to 5 workplace that’s transforming our
company from being paper-driven to being more streamlined, and paperless. It’s
amazing how much stuff built, then tagged along with me over the seventeen-year
span of my career.
It
occurs to me. Maybe ‘weight lifting’ opportunities like this are a way for God to
speak to me not just about the material objects I’ve accumulated, but about the
way ‘weight lifting’ can also have a profound impact on me as a writer.
This
summer has been one unlike any I’ve ever experienced. It featured deep sorrow
and heartache when we suddenly and unexpectedly lost a precious family member,
my brother-in-law, John. It featured the joy of renewal when my sister, Mary
and I, went to Italy afterward. Mary was his wife, and together we laughed and
cried and bonded over…writing! God has called her to create a book describing her
journey through grief and into an even deeper faith in Christ and she’s using a
teaching grant she won to accomplish that goal. I’m honored she asked for my
input and guidance.
The
following month I attended Romance Writers of America’s national conference in
Orlando, Florida. I received enthusiastic responses from an editor and agent on
my book pitch. Great news, yes, but terrifying as well. A one-month deadline
had to be strictly enforced. Praise to God alone, I made it.
In
the meantime…
I
took the trip of a lifetime with my daughter to London and Paris (like I said,
a summer unlike any other). We prowled the city streets, savored every sight,
every shared moment, and I came away invigorated to create.
But
where was the time, the energy to do so? I felt weighted down, and overwhelmed,
by everything I’d experienced over the past several months and unsure how to
center myself and focus.
I
prayed—hard—because I was on overload. That's when change happened. Once I went
still, and lifted away everything that was holding me back from my writing, I
could laser-focus, and sink back into my stories. The result? The words are
pouring out of me—again, praise to God alone. Trimming my life to two goals
lifted the stress away. I had to say ‘no’ a few times, but with purpose and
commitment to what I long to accomplish as an author. There’s no guilt in that.
Nothing for which to apologize. The process is ongoing, however, and something
to which I dedicate myself each time I sit down to write.
How
about you? Are you facing a similar challenge? What discipline are you using to
overcome? What things—be they material or psychological—are you moving past so
that you can share your stories with the world? I’m eager to hear, and am
praying for blessings on your journey, friends!
~~~~~
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| The Fairytale by Marianne Evans |
Fresh into a promising career in commercial real estate brokerage, Patrick Sawyer returns to the picturesque isle of Remeth intending to reconnect with his collegiate study abroad friends and figure out ‘what’s next’ in his life. Since his father’s passing, the world he knows leaves him uninspired. He volunteers at Dupont during his visit, and becomes enchanted by Amy.
But Amelia is trapped within a silken web. When she reveals who she is, Patrick pulls back. He’s not interested in royalty—at all—but how can she ever break free? How can she find a way to service and God’s plan for her life? Most of all, how can she reconcile the call she feels toward a remarkable man who may be ‘common,’ yet is ‘uncommon’ when it comes to matters of the heart?
~~~~~
Marianne Evans is an award-winning author of Christian romance and
fiction. Her hope is to spread the faith-affirming message of God’s love
through the stories He prompts her to create. Readers laude her work as “Riveting,”
“Realistic and true to heart,” “Compelling.” Her Christian fiction debut,
Devotion, earned the Bookseller’s Best Award as well as the Heart of Excellence
Award. Her follow-up novel, Forgiveness, earned Christian Small Publisher Book
of the Year honors as did her book Hearts Communion. She is also a two-time
recipient of the Selah Award for her books Then & Now and Finding Home. Marianne is a lifelong resident of Michigan and an active
member of Romance Writers of America, most notably the Greater Detroit Chapter
where she served two terms as President. You can connect with Marianne at www.marianneevans.com.
