Sins of Our Fathers | Author Blog

Howdy.

Well, last Friday it came in the mail.

A rejection letter from Thomas Nelson, Inc. on my proposal for my novel, Sins of Our Fathers.

It’s still sinking in. I will admit that in the past couple of weeks I had placed a fair amount of hope in the Lord that this would be the place and that I would be able to sell it and make some much needed cash going into the new year.

But as several have said to me, “It wasn’t the Lord’s will.” I have to admit to needing some extra faith in that department. The temptation to give in to self pity and woe-is-me-ism is pretty high. But none-the-less I will trust in God’s Word with the knowledge that He is faithful in all things. And that is a fact I am willing to testify anywhere on. So often we let the current circumstances blind or cloud our vision to the evidences of Jesus’ grace, mercy, and miracles in our lives. It’s an exercise of faith and will to remember those things when life around us is not so good. But in doing so, we find our relationship strong and more secure with Jesus. So that’s where I am working at standing.

What’s next?

Well, a friend of mine out in CA wants me to send her the book proposal. She knows someone in the publishing biz and is going to put it in their hands.

So we will see what develops from that. It is a slow and often agonizing process. But that seems like a good step to take.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I am a very patient man.

As you know I’ve submitted my book proposal to Thomas Nelson, Inc. and am waiting to hear back from them on a yea or a nay. I’m finding myself not so patient in this instance. Which is weird for me. I think it’s because I long for something to happen. I fully expect that the acquisition editor will take her time in getting back to me for the soul reason that I am dead certain that she is swamped with work. All editors are. There is a ton of stuff they must work through, and I sympathize and am amazed at what they are able to accomplish.

So I think my impatience isn’t really with not hearing from the publisher so much as it is with a desire for something to happen. Several years ago I felt on the cusp of something, like the Lord was about to move in my life and things were going to change. So I think that’s from where the impatience is stemming.

Perhaps something has changed, but I can’t see it because my focus is wrong. Something for me to think about.

I’ve been trying to work on several different writing projects from writing a sermon, to working on poetry, to thinking about a non-fiction weight-loss book, to thinking about which novel idea to start next. I’m having a hard time settling into a routine. Part of that is the season. There’s just so much going on in my church. Part of it’s because I’ve gotten out of habits necessary to writing. Saying, “No,” to myself and to others is a very important part of scheduling that I need to re-establish.

Well, I think I will quit waiting on hearing anything on my proposal and get on with those things within my grasp. After all, those are the things the Lord gives me today. I need to let Him dwell on what might be and give my hands to what is today.