By Ada Brownell
How old are you when you’re “washed
up” as a writer—meaning you’re not producing anything better than smelly
seaweed?
When I retired as a daily newspaper
reporter, I was excited to get back into free lance writing full time. But big
problems set me out in deep water. All the Christian editors I knew retired or
moved on. Then I’d had hand surgery and using a computer was difficult.
I began thinking I was too old to
“walk on water” with Jesus and spread the Good News of the Gospel anymore. I
ventured out of the boat a few times and couldn’t seem to get my head above the
waves. Why didn’t I know how to swim anymore among publications that needed
good inspiring copy? I’d been writing for these publications since age 15.
I spent a year or more trying to
produce curriculum. I’d written a little curriculum in the past by assignment,
but stupidly tried to market “special projects” curriculum, disregarding Christian
publishers’ practice of planning curriculum two or more years ahead with set
themes.
I nearly retired my computer after
I worked so diligently on the curriculum project and had to give up. It was
disappointing because I enlisted my talented daughter-in-law, Michelle, to
design a scrapbook project as part of the curriculum to inspire teens to keep a
spiritual diary of their “Dynamite Decisions” – the curriculum theme.
Then I started writing Christian
news on assignment, but soon knew that didn’t satisfy my calling to spread the
gospel. Yet, I had wet my toes in the publishing waters again without going
under.
The breakthrough came when I began
praying the Prayer of Jabez from 1 Chronicles 4:10 NKJ. I memorized the
scripture: “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that
your hand will be with me, and that you would keep me from evil, that I may not
cause pain!”
I discovered creating a blog is no big deal,
so created one—my own little publication. Soon I had guest writers.
Then more assignments came from
Christian editors and I had articles published. Opportunities for personal
ministry also popped up around me.
I had a book for which I once had a
publisher and his publishing company went bankrupt. After years of giving up on
it, I marketed the book, Swallowed by
Life: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal, to traditional
publishers and discovered I needed to be a pastor or a doctor with a huge
following for this type of book. My qualifications as a Christian writer and
teacher who spent a number of years as a medical writer for a newspaper didn’t
carry much weight.
But after praying for my territory
to be enlarged, I believed in the book once again and discovered Indie
publishing. I knew about vanity publishing and thought it an embarrassing
exercise in futility, but in this day of e-publishing, many well-known authors
are going to Indie publishing because of the benefits.
So Swallowed by Life saw the light of day and my territory enlarged.
It hit Amazon best seller status once. Next, I took my out-of –print book, Confessions of a Pentecostal, published
by the Assemblies of God and made it available for Kindle. Then my first novel,
Joe the Dreamer: The Castle and the
Catapult was completed; a little later, Imagine
the Future You, a Bible study that included much of my curriculum, and Facts, Faith and Propaganda, which draws
heavily on my experiences as a news reporter and Bible teacher.
A new small publisher, Elk Lake, which is part
of Book Fun Magazine, published my
historical romance The Lady Fugitive, and
wonderful readers of that book have
created 48 reviews, most five stars, and wait expectantly for the sequel I’m
working on, The Peach Blossom Rancher.
I’ve continued to sell to Christian
publications and then the door opened to write op-ed newspaper articles.
I’ve had birthdays, added numerous wrinkles,
had cataract surgery, knee replacements, but kept exercising spiritually,
physically and emotionally. I’ve done blog and speaking tours.
Perhaps “washed up” means “refreshed
and polished.” After all, sometimes good things come in with the tide—like the
time when we were nearly broke, enjoying a vacation in the ocean because it was
free and a $20 bill floated almost into my hand.
Even adults search for sea shells
and beautiful things that wash up on the beach. When I was on the coast a few
days ago a couple was out with a metal detector.
I’m glad I didn’t “give up” on my
calling.
©Ada Brownell
THE LADY FUGITIVE
By Ada Brownell
Have a new Kindle or want to fill one
up with squeaky clean Christian fiction? Get this historical romance you’ll
read again and again because of the #suspense, interesting likeable characters,
#humor, and #history.
Will Jenny avoid the bounty hunters?
Can she forgive the person who turns her in?
The most common remarks among readers
of The Lady Fugitive “I couldn’t put
it down;” “I love the characters;” “Sorry when it was over.” “I was hooked from
the opening page.”
Available in paper and for Kindle.
The Lady Fugitive 2015 Laurel
Award runner-up.
See all Ada Brownell's books on her Amazon page https://www.amazon.com/author/adabrownell
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