The Long Haul by Robin Lee Hatcher

When I began writing my first novel in March 1981, I wasn't thinking about a writing career or what might come next. To be honest, I wasn't even thinking about the possibility of it being published. I simply had a story in my head and heart that would not let go of me, and finally I sat down with legal pad and pen and I began writing.

I finished that book in 1981, and I sold it to a small New York publisher in 1982. It was released in 1984. Who I Am with You, a Legacy of Faith novel, came out last week. It's my 79th release.

Many years. Many books.

So how does a writer stay in it for the long haul? For me, the key has been to always write the story that has captured my imagination. Many times through the years I've heard someone ask a writer (including me), "Have you written the book of your heart?" My response to that question is, "Every book is a book of my heart. Otherwise, how could I stand to be immersed in it for days, weeks, and months at a time?"

A writer should also be open to new possibilities in their writing. My first books were historical sagas. Those soon morphed into historical romances. As a history buff and a diehard romantic, I never thought I would write anything other than historical romances. But the day came when an idea for a contemporary women's fiction would not let go of my heart.

It was scary to move out of my comfort zone, but there was no denying that this novel had to be a contemporary and had to have God at the very center of it. That book became The Forgiving Hour, my 31st release. In the years since, I've written many more contemporary and historical novels. My new series, Legacy of Faith, is a blend of both—time-slip novels.

Finally, the way a novelist stays in it for the long haul is to remember to have a life. It's easy to stay in one's imaginary world. But if we are to have anything worthwhile to share with readers, we must be experiencing the world around us. So remember to turn off your computer, step away from your desk, and live. Your readers will thank you for it.

~~~~~~

Best-selling novelist Robin Lee Hatcher was first published in 1984. There are over five million

copies of her books in print. She is known for her heartwarming and emotionally charged stories of faith, courage, and love.

Robin is an ACFW Carol Award winner and an eight-time finalist and has won two RITA® Awards and been a finalist eleven times. Her numerous other awards include the Christy Award, the HOLT Medallion, the National Reader’s Choice Award, and the Faith, Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award. She is also the recipient of prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards from both American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America®.

His Grace is Sufficient by Robin Lee Hatcher

Robin Lee Hatcher

I have been writing novels for the past 34 years, and I have been writing as my full-time job for the past 25 years. During those years, both my personal and professional lives have experienced highs and lows, and I have continued to write through them all.

But in 2005, I began a journey through grief and loss unlike anything I’d experienced before. I was in a period of deep mourning for over a year. The Bible tells us that God collects our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8). The bottle with my name on it must be very large because I shed buckets of tears in those many months.

This was a wretched time for me as a writer as well. Trying to be creative was difficult and sometimes impossible. But even with an understanding publisher, deadlines still had to be met because the mortgage still had to be paid. So I wrote whether I felt like it or not, and I trusted God to take care of the words I put on paper.

While I couldn’t seem to focus on reading fiction during that time (a difficult confession for a novelist), God placed in my hands three stories of women who walked through dark times in their own lives and came out on the other side: When I Lay My Isaac Down by Carol Kent; Broken on the Back Row by Sandi Patty; and In Every Pew Sits a Broken Heart by Ruth Graham. These books touched my heart and were definitely part of the healing process.

In the fall of 2006, I attended a Women of Faith event. Two of the authors mentioned above—Carol Kent and Sandi Patty—were featured speakers. I cannot point to anything in particular that was said or that happened while I was there, but when I came home, the cloud had lifted. The deep mourning was over, and I began to mend, to find my way in the “new normal” of my life. I had personally experienced the truth of 2nd Corinthians 12:9 which says:

And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.

(NASB)

Not only is His grace sufficient, but nothing a child of God experiences is wasted in His economy. A number of years later, God took those darkest days of my life and called me to write a novel that would take all of the emotions I’d experienced and use them to encourage others. A Promise Kept became my work of praise and thanksgiving to a God who answers prayers in unexpected times and ways.

None of us can know what dark waters we may be called to pass through in our lives, but we can hold onto the promise that His grace is and will always be sufficient. Amen.

About the Author

Robin Lee Hatcher is the best-selling author of over seventy-five books. Her well-drawn characters and heartwarming stories of faith, courage, and love have earned her both critical acclaim and the devotion of readers. She has been honored with Lifetime Achievement Awards from both Romance Writers of American (2001) and American Christian Fiction Writers (2014).

Robin is a 2015 RITA® Award finalist for her novella, Love Letter to the Editor. This is her tenth RITA finalist nomination and two of her books have been RITA Award winners. In April 2015, A Promise Kept received the Reviewers' Choice Award for Best Inspirational Novel from RT Book Reviews. Her numerous other awards include the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, Romantic Times Career Achievement Awards for Americana Romance and for Inspirational Fiction, the Carol Award, and the 2011 Idahope Writer of the Year Award.

Robin enjoys being with her family, spending time in the beautiful Idaho outdoors, reading books that make her cry, and watching romantic movies. She and her husband make their home on the outskirts of Boise.

To learn more, visit her website at http://www.robinleehatcher.com

Whenever You Come Around

Whenever You Come Around
by Robin Lee Hatcher

 Charity Anderson turned her back on Kings Meadow years ago, with good reason, and has avoided visits to her hometown whenever possible. But with her house in Boise damaged by floodwaters and a book deadline bearing down, staying in her parents’ empty home seems her only option. However, being in Kings Meadow dredges up a painful secret, and old fears threaten to overwhelm her. Charity’s former high school classmate Buck Malone never left town, instead sacrificing his dreams to take care of his family. Now he enjoys an uncomplicated life as a wilderness guide and confirmed bachelor. The last thing on his mind is settling down. When Charity’s dog causes an accident that leaves Buck with a broken ankle and wrist at the start of prime tourist season, Charity has little choice but to render aid while he recuperates.  Soon Buck becomes the inspiration for Charity’s hero, both on the page and off. Can he also help her face and overcome her fears so they might find their own happily ever after?

"Hatcher hits the reader’s Achilles’ heel right in the gut with her plot twists, showing us God’s ability to offer grace and forgiveness ... You will be sharing this book with your friends." RT Book Reviews TOP PICK

The Power to Change Us by Robin Lee Hatcher

From a young age, I was a storyteller, a voracious reader, and a history buff. I am also a romantic and a follower of Jesus. Mix those traits together, and it should surprise no one that I write historical romances (as well as contemporary women's fiction) for readers of inspirational novels. And this month, November 2012, is the official release of my 66th book, Betrayal.

When I began writing my first novel in 1981, there was very little fiction published in the CBA (Christian Booksellers Association). Therefore, I wrote for the general romance market where I had 30 titles released. But after an unexpected change occurred in my own heart, I began writing stories about characters who sometimes wrestle with God and/or who are guided by their Christian faith. Only when I began writing these types of stories did I come into my own as a writer and find my true voice.

C.S. Lewis, author of the Chronicles of Narnia series and many other classics (both fiction and non-fiction), said, “We read to know we are not alone.” I believe he is correct. Every book we read is filtered through our own beliefs and our own life experiences. What one reader takes away from a novel will be somewhat different from the next reader. Readers love it best when their life experiences and beliefs are confirmed in the fiction they read.

But stories have the power to change us as well.

Recently, I received an email from a reader who had this to say: "My husband was verbally abusive for [#] years. When I read [Beyond the Shadows] in May, I did so with sobs. I didn't quite realize why I could identify with the main character, her husband being an alcoholic, mine just angry … [but] for the first time I could relate to someone … God has provided a miracle for us and I am now living with a changed man. The man I thought I married. I am so hopeful! Throughout this process many people have asked me what made me seek change, and I say, 'God sent me a [novel] that desperately made me want to get beyond the shadows of the emotional pain.' So, I want to say how grateful I am."

The above quoted reader discovered she wasn't alone in her pain. Characters in a novel gave her courage to make needed changes in her life. This kind of response encourages me as a writer and keeps me going when I'm struggling with plot or character or revisions or my own discouragement.

And of course, I have never lost my love of reading and writing romance. There is something satisfying about watching a man and a woman find each other, work through their problems, and then face the future together, bound by love and a commitment for the future. For them to do so against the backdrop of an historical time period appeals to me, both as a reader and as a writer.

My new release, Betrayal, is about two people who've been wounded by those they should have been able to trust the most. Here's the official blurb:

It’s the turn of the twentieth century and drifter Hugh Brennan is a man well acquainted with betrayal. Hugh finds himself drawn to the attractive widow, Julia, yet when he looks into her eyes, he recognizes the same hurt that haunts him. 

Julia Grace has little reason to trust men, but she’s going to have to trust someone if she’s to keep her ranch from the clutches of her dead husband’s half-brother. Is it possible God had a hand in bringing Hugh to her door? 

The latest historical romance from award-winning author Robin Lee Hatcher and the second book in the Where the Heart Lives series, Betrayal will take you to the high desert of western Wyoming, through the crags of the Rocky Mountains, and into the hearts of two seekers learning to trust God’s love no matter the circumstances.

I hope you'll discover that you, too, are not alone as you read Betrayal. And if so, I hope you'll write to me.

Robin Lee Hatcher is the best-selling author of over sixty-five books. Her well-drawn characters and heartwarming stories of faith, courage, and love have earned her both critical acclaim and the devotion of readers. Her numerous awards including the Christy Award for Excellence in Christian Fiction, the RITA Award for Best Inspirational Romance, Romantic Times Career Achievement Award, the Idahope Writer of the Year, and the RWA Lifetime Achievement Award. For contact information or to learn more about Robin and her books, please visit her website at: http://www.robinleehatcher.com.

RT Book Club says: "Hatcher is a consistent 'must read' author. Her books are always engaging, and Betrayal [a Top Pick for November] is no different. The characters are very real, their trials and tribulations are easy to relate to and the setting is well researched. You’ll feel a warm, satisfying glow after turning the final page of this touching novel."