Ten Years!

This spring marks the 10-year anniversary of my first published book Falling for Texas releasing. (Which just happens to be on sale for 1.99 along with numerous other ebooks of mine!). I still remember how long the edits took me and how nervous I was about that book releasing. Funny – it hasn’t really gotten easier to release a book. I still wonder if a book is going to be accepted or if it will sell or what I’m going to write next. When I was little I used to think that when I became an adult I would have life far more figured out than I do. And when I first started writing, I didn’t know that publishing would be a journey full of highs and lows. And that at times I would not know what was happening next. But the one thing I have learned over the last decade is that God knows.

This month is also the ten year anniversary of Kara’s passing. I’ve been thinking of her so much lately. I have a dear friend who recently lost a dear friend, and observing her grief brought me right back to those days and weeks after losing Kara. Time changes things. In the beginning everything felt so raw. But over the years, grief is still there but it’s…different somehow.

I often wonder what Kara would do or say about a situation. I think about how she changed my life teaching me how to sit with someone in their pain. How to be okay when I can’t fix something for a friend. Before Kara, I just wanted to avoid people’s pain. It was so overwhelming to me. And it still is in some ways. But I now spend my time praying for miracles knowing that when I can’t fix something, the Holy Spirit is still at work.

Photo courtesy of Good Photo.

God brought us Kara to teach us. And just make life better and funnier. I miss her sense of humor! And everyday and in everything that I do, I see the signs of God with us. I spend a lot of time in prayer out of desperation for God’s guidance and wisdom and healing for so many. Suffering is such a hard thing to understand. I felt that when Kara was passing and she went through periods of so much pain. I see it now in a child fighting cancer. Or a mom grieving the loss of her child. And I still don’t understand it. That is one thing I have not figured out over the last decade. Sometimes I whisper to myself, we were not meant for this. God created us perfect without pain and suffering. And he had to pivot when we changed the plan in the garden of Eden.

I’ve been a Christian my whole life. And I recently read a statistic that said long term Christians are worse at sharing the gospel. And I can kind of understand that statistic. Because I never want to intrude on someone’s life. I want to be kind and loving but not pushy. But as I sit here drinking my morning coffee looking at the beautiful mountains, I know that nothing else matters as much as my relationship with Jesus. And him coming to this fallen world to save us. I can have a million anxieties beyond that. But when it all boils down, I know that’s what matters the most.

I’ve written two books now where the characters aren’t discussing their faith openly on the page. But man, oh man, do I see and feel God when I’m writing their stories. I see Him in the story lines of forgiveness and mercy and grace and love. And I hope readers do too. <3 Because for me, he’s part of every page. And he’ll be part of everything I do and write going forward.

I know this is a bit of rambling about many things over the last ten years. Thanks for letting me process, and thanks for being here for a decade! This March, I hope you’ll join me in doing something for someone around you in honor of Kara. She would have loved that. <3

To celebrate ten years of being published, I’m doing a book giveaway! Here are the details: Winners choice as to which book they would like out of the options featured in the photos below. There will be five winners – one book each. US shipping only. To enter, leave a comment with which book you would like the chance to win. Giveaway closes 3/31/25 at midnight MST.

Top line is the cover, bottom line is the back cover and shows which books you would be receiving.