A
native of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, author Pamela S. Meyers lives in suburban
Chicago, an hour's drive away from her hometown which she visits often to dig
into its historical legacy. Her novels include Thyme for Love, and Love
Will Find a Way, contemporary romantic mysteries and her 1933
historical romance, Love Finds You in Lake Geneva,Wisconsin, released in
April, 2013. She can often be found speaking at events around Lake Geneva or
nosing in microfilms and historical records about Wisconsin and other Midwestern
spots for new story ideas.
Pam Meyers here with my May post. I am pleased to turn this month's post over to my critique partner, Susan Lawrence who is celebrating the release of her debut novel, Atonement for Emily Adams, published by Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas. In her article, she shares the process that led to her decision to designate the proceeds from her book to a very worthy cause.
Fiction with a Purpose
by
Susan Lawrence
I sat at the dinner table of my
friend, Bert, with tears rolling down my cheeks. Bert’s son and daughter-in-law
are missionaries in Swaziland, Africa, and they were sharing stories of babies
and children they met while ministering there. The AIDs epidemic has devastated
this area leaving thousands of orphans with no one to care for them.
When Marcia shared how handicapped babies were wrapped in a
blanket, turned to face the wall, and left to die in the hospital, my heart
broke. I have a thirty-three year old son who was born with mild cerebral
palsy. The thought of someone leaving him to die filled me with righteous
anger.
Marcia’s husband, Scott, laid out their vision for building
a village of homes for these abandoned babies, to be staffed and directed by
Swaziland people. The orphans would be raised in a Christian home-like
atmosphere. They’d formed a corporation, Pour International, using Isaiah 44:3 for
their theme verse: For I will pour water
on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground: I will pour out my Spirit
on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. The land for the first
home had already been purchased. They only needed funds to build it.
But what could I do? I am a retired elementary teacher,
working hard at making my way in the Christian fiction world. At that time, I
had only two out-of-print devotionals to my credit, and I had far more out-go
than income with my current projects, including a novel I was shopping to
publishers.
I continued work on my novel, Atonement for Emily Adams. I found a home for it at Lighthouse
Publishing of the Carolinas, and began the arduous task of editing and
polishing. As the release date drew nearer, I began to realize my dream of a
published novel was actually going to become a reality. People would buy my
book and I would receive royalties.
And I thought again about the babies in Swaziland. I said
nothing to my husband, Gary, just prayed and thought about what I was being led
to do.
A few weeks later, Gary called me into the family room where
he was sitting in his recliner, one of his favorite “thinking spots.”
“I had an idea,” he said. “Why don’t we take the proceeds of
your novel and donate them to Pour International?”
How like our God to give the same idea to
both of us! And so began our fiction with
a purpose campaign. In all our marketing efforts, we partner with Pour
International. I promise readers, a great
read for a great cause.
Publishing and marketing in today’s market can be a
monumental task. But we are confident that our hard work will sell enough copies
of Atonement for Emily Adams to build
a baby home. And we plan to be in Swaziland when that first nail is driven.
To read more about Atonement
for Emily Adams click on the link.
Susan Lawrence, a graduate of
Kansas State Teacher’s College, taught special needs children for thirty-three
years before retiring to devote more time to writing, speaking, and
storytelling. She has published two family devotion books, contributed to three
anthologies, and has written articles for various Christian publications. Susan
lives with her husband, Gary, and their yellow Lab, Annie. She is the mother of
three and grandmother of seven beautiful and brilliant grandchildren. Contact
Susan at: srlauthor@mchsi.com.
Susan, I love how God works, confirming His leading by speaking to more than one heart. I'm convinced that as we honor Him and turn over our publishing careers to Him that He will direct our paths and bring about the success He desires. And even if we give all that we earn away, we can't out-give Him, can we?
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