Year of 5,000 Books

Last year I had intended to stay away from the MJAA Conference because I was not volunteering my time and having attended this weekend event for year’s and recently become involved in Congregation Ben David in Orange, CA, I wanted to use my time and efforts there. However, when I heard that my friend Marlayne would be selling her novel "The Victor" during the conference, I offered to help her.

I was glad I did because while at the conference I reconnected with people who live in other place - some as far away as Israel, and others as local as the next city. One of my local friends that I had not seen in a while, Olivier Melnick, who is a published author and had encouraged me in my writing had a table there, saw me, and said, “You’ll be here next year!”

His words were almost palatable yet seemed unattainable. I grabbed hold of them as if I were drowning and needed someone to pull me into a boat. As dramatic as this sounds that is how I felt. For having completed the rough draft of Casa de Naomi – The House of Blessing in 2008, I was still looking for a publisher. I know that sounds odd because I had already contacted Tate and knew they wanted my manuscript. Yet my husband Ron insisted I search for a more known publisher so I put their offer aside and did what he asked.

I remember nodding my agreement to Oliver as I greeted another woman I knew who dropped by Marlayne’s table.

Now, a year later, what Olivier said is a reality! I have a table and am pre-selling Casa de Naomi - The House of Blessing - Book One - Yearning. What happened during the year that transpired from Olivier’s statement to today, is a journey I would have forgone were it not for my husbands wishes. In the year between that conference and this one, I visited critique groups, had a well-known Christian author befriend and help me understand how critical point of view is, discovered that less is more, and edited the novel. When I thought I was done, I read about writing and reviewed the manuscript with what writers call the "third eye," which means I read the book as if I were the reader and asked myself if I had shared too much or if important information was missing.

I can now say with confidence that the novel I would have sold before would have been a poor version of the one Tate Publishing will release this fall. However, my confidence is not in myself but in the Lord and the Ruach Ha Kodesh who showed me - a sometimes very willful wife - that submitting to my husband has rewards beyond my understanding.

If you are like me and find yourself sometimes running ahead of your husband who provides your spiritual covering I hope you will remember my story which is based upon choosing to live as we are directed in Colossians 3:18 where it says, “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.”