Friday, April 20, 2018

That Pesky Little Voice in My Head by Laurie Lucking

Laurie Lucking

What have you experienced on the road to publication? What have you learned? Have you heard God’s voice along the way? Author Laurie Lucking shares her personal journey. ~ Dawn

That Pesky Little 
Voice in My Head

I’ve always been a reader, but for most of my life, I was convinced I wasn’t a writer. Stories flitted through my daydreams all the time, but in school, creative writing never felt like a good fit. So I let my stories live on in my head and pursued other interests.

After college, I went to law school and worked at a large law firm for several years. But when my husband and I had our first son, I decided to become a stay-at-home mom. I loved the time with my baby, but restlessness plagued me.

One beautiful day that fall, I pushed his stroller down a path, brainstorming about what I could take on as a creative outlet. The thought “You could write a book” spoke clearly into my mind, but I immediately dismissed it. I was bad at creative writing. But the thought wouldn’t go away, and eventually I decided to give it a try, certain I’d quit within a week.

Instead, I fell in love. Without the parameters of an assignment, I could take my time and write whatever I wanted. My head became so filled with my story, I couldn’t type fast enough when I found opportunities to sit at my computer. As months passed, the scenes formed into a complete manuscript.

Then I got another mental nudge. What if you published it? I began to cautiously look into the publication process, and soon I was hooked again, this time by the idea of my own words turning into one of the adored books that lined my shelves. I edited my story to the best of my ability, drafted a query letter, and began submitting to agents.

That’s when the rejections started pouring in. I kept trying, but eventually it became clear this manuscript was not destined for publication. The failure hit me hard, bringing back all my initial doubts about writing. Fortunately, a new story was floating around in my mind, begging to be written. So I tried again.

This time, I was in a writing group, had a set of fabulous critique partners, and had attended several conferences. My manuscript went through multiple revisions as I learned more about the craft and implemented feedback. In July, 2016, I met the editor of Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing at a conference, and in early 2017, I squealed and sobbed when she offered me a contract. My debut YA fantasy novel, Common, released this past February.

I now have no doubt that the little voice in my head came from God. Not necessarily because the world needs my books, but because I needed to take this journey. Through it, I have learned so much about patience, humility, perseverance, and surrendering my ambitions to God. I’ve grown in ways I never could’ve imagined and found a new closeness with my Creator by embarking on my own creative process.  I look forward with excitement (and a bit of trepidation!) to what He has in store for me and my books next!






Only one person knows of the plot against the royal family and cares enough to try to stop it—the servant girl they banished.

Leah spends her days scrubbing floors, polishing silver, and meekly curtsying to nobility. Nothing distinguishes her from the other commoners serving at the palace, except her red hair.

And her secret friendship with Rafe, the Crown Prince of Imperia.

But Leah’s safe, ordinary world begins to splinter. Rafe’s parents announce his betrothal to a foreign princess, and she unearths a plot to overthrow the royal family. When she reports it without proof, her life shatters completely when the queen banishes her for treason.

Harbored by an unusual group of nuns, Leah must secure Rafe’s safety before it’s too late. But her quest reveals a villain far more sinister than an ambitious nobleman with his eye on the throne.

Can a common maidservant summon the courage to fight for her dearest friend?




An avid reader practically since birth, Laurie Lucking discovered her passion for writing after leaving her career as an attorney to become a stay-at-home mom. When she gets a break from playing superheroes and driving windup cars, she writes young adult fantasy with a strong thread of romance. Her debut novel, Common, released in February from Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing, and her short story, “Threshold,” was published in a Fellowship of Fantasy anthology titled Mythical Doorways. Laurie is the Secretary of her local ACFW chapter and a co-founder of Lands Uncharted, a blog for fans of clean young adult speculative fiction. A Midwestern girl through and through, she currently lives in Minnesota with her husband and two young sons. Find out more by visiting www.laurielucking.com.


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