Please welcome this weeks guest June Foster for The Journey. She answers the question: How have you seen God work in your writing journey?

I retired from teaching elementary school in El Paso, Texas. A few years later my husband and I bought an RV and began traveling across the United States, loving every minute of our freedom. I can’t describe all the exciting places we visited. Some mornings we’d even wake up and ask ourselves where we wanted to travel today. After a few years, something happened that I would never have guessed in a hundred years.

Though I have a minor in English from college, I never wrote fiction of any genre. The only kind of writing I did was associated with my job. One day I became aware of a story lurking in my mind. It wasn’t something I’d seen on TV or read. This was quite unusual for me because I never consider myself a creative person, much less a storyteller.

I tried to ignore the characters in my head, though I could “see” them and the settings where they seemed to act out a story. Quite often they wanted me to notice them—especially when I found myself relaxing at the end of the day or sitting still in a doctor’s office.

Once I was visiting my daughter. She’s a great listener, and I happened to tell her about the story. A college age Christian girl is riding her bike to class one day and accidentally runs over another  student, a good-looking guy who’s on his way to class. My daughter peered at me with her green eyes and said, “Mom, why don’t you write it.”

Somehow, I knew at that moment what I was supposed to do. Her words were the spark or impetus the Lord used to nudge me and let me know I was to start writing inspirational romance. Funny thing, though. The story dwelled in my heart, but I had no idea how to write it.

I began by jumping in headfirst. I pounded the keys of my Toshiba laptop as we sailed down the interstates. I joined ACFW and the Scribes critique groups, then began to read every “how to” book I could get my hands on.

My story began to take shape. It was about a girl who began to fall in love with the clean-cut, young college man with high moral standards—the same guy she knocked down with her bike. She believed him to be a Christian just as she was. But when she discovers he belongs to a cult that mirrors Christianity, she’s devastated. And to make matters worse, she’s in love with him.

I probably wrote this book at least five times as I began learning about POV, showing vs. telling, and characters’ internal thoughts and all the other elements of the craft of writing. Eventually I changed the characters to be in their late twenties, but with the same basic story.

I started writing other stories, as well. Within eighteen months, the Lord opened doors. I had a contract for a three book series with Desert Breeze Publishing. I believe God put me on the “fast track” to publication because I’m a lot older than most people who start writing fiction.

Now I have four books published and a contract for a fifth. Dwelling in my heart and on my computer are two more inspirational romances I hope see publication in the near future. So far my experience has humbled me. When our amazing God wants something done, it will be accomplished.

Today I’m still praying for publication of For All Eternity, the first story the Lord put in my heart.

June’s latest book is called “As We Forgive”. It is book 2 in her Bellewood Series.

A little about the book:

Tim Garrett saw Jess Colton back to health in Give Us This Day but can’t control his own life. He wants nothing more than to serve God as a pastoral counselor, but first must prove to the staff and elders at Bellewood Fellowship he can handle the job he was hired to do — work with the senior high youth.

Roxanne Ratner’s father abandoned her when she was ten, and now she doesn’t trust men. They’ll only hurt her like her parent did. She fills the empty place in her heart with shopping for designer clothes. Though the perky young hairstylist falls in love with the Tim, she must keep her distance from the handsome pastor.

Despite Tim’s efforts to prove himself on the job, everything works against him bringing him closer to dismissal. Tim has one last chance at Camp Solid Rock. When Tim learns a frightening secret from his youthful adversary, can he make a difference? Can Roxanne risk giving her heart to Tim?

Here are a couple of links to where you can buy her book:

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Bellewood-Book-Two-Forgive

Barnes and Noble: www.barnesandnoble.com/bellewood-book-two-june-foster