Fabulous Friday Feature-Kelly Irvin

Today I welcome someone who has stumbled over bumps in the road 
and through it all became a great author. 
One whom I count a wonderful friend: Kelly Irvin. 

Enter to win an autographed copy of
Kelly Irvin's book: 

In one of the up-coming book publication notices, I read Kelly was about to have a new release. Always excited to make a new friend, and hopeful she would have time in her schedule to chat. I'm not sure if she really had time in her busy schedule, but she made time to meet me. How sweet! She graciously chatted, and we became friends right away. I am truly the blessed one.

During the conversation I asked her how God led her on her writing journey. This is her awesome answer:

Walking With God on my Path to Publication

I’ve written fiction most of my life, but as a teen-ager I decided to become a newspaper journalist because I came from a working class family and I had a good understanding of how important it was to be able to support myself.

I pursued a degree in journalism, worked as a reporter, and eventually made the move to public relations. I found the love of my life, we married, and had two children together. All the while, I kept yearning to write the stories banging around in my head, trying to get out. Ten years ago I celebrated my forty-fifth birthday and it hit me: time is running out. It’s now or never.

Way to go, Kelly. What an inspiration!

In a serendipitous (read God-thing) moment I ran across a book from Dee Henderson’s O’Malley series in the public library and checked it out. Until that time I didn’t know inspirational fiction existed. I thought I can do this. I want to do this. So I did.

Sometimes ignorance truly is bliss. I had no idea how hard it was to get published—secular or inspirational. I blithely wrote a romantic suspense novel, then another, and another. I attended workshops, joined ACFW, joined a critique group, pitched editors at conferences, and submitted proposals. Time passed. Rejections piled up. One editor for a major Christian publishing house wrote: “We only publish extraordinary writing. Yours does not rise to that level.” I cried buckets, but I kept writing.

Oh how sad, Kelly. Yet I think most of us have heard the same words. So what happened?

Kelly and her daughter, Erin, making cookies, YUM!

After three years I signed with The Seymour Literary Agency. I kept writing. I kept receiving rejections. I battled fatigue as I worked full time in public relations and raised my middle-school age children and tried to find time for my husband. I wanted to give up. Without the support of my family and my local chapter of ACFW, I would have given up.

After more rejections in the inspirational arena than I care to remember, I considered switching to secular fiction. I could write “edgier” romantic suspense with more grit, more graphic violence, more “romance.” One Sunday I sat in the pew at my church and I prayed. I asked God to give me a sign. I told him I was tired and I couldn’t go on. I couldn’t be PR professional, mother, wife, and novelist. I asked Him to tell me if I should try to sell the secular novel I’d written. Should I switch to mainstream fiction or give up altogether? I needed a sign.

Three days later I got the call from my agent Mary Sue Seymour saying Five Star Gale wanted to publish my inspirational romantic suspense novel, A Deadly Wilderness. Five Star is a mainstream publishing house that publishes library quality hardbacks with libraries as their niche market. They include inspirational fiction in their line. My book would be in libraries across the county.

Kelly, what an honor!

This was especially gratifying for me because as a kid I practically lived in my hometown’s only library. I couldn’t afford to buy books. The library opened up the entire world for me. The circle had been completed. After seven years of rejections, my first inspirational novel was published in 2010. I had my answer. God didn’t plop a contract with a major inspirational publishing house in my lap, but He did answer my prayer.

I kept going. Five Star published a second romantic suspense novel, No Child of Mine. When Mary Sue suggested I step outside my comfort zone and try writing an Amish romance, I did it. Before I finished writing To Love and to Cherish, Kim Moore from Harvest House offered me a contract for it.

The rest, as they say, is history. I’ve contracted with Harvest House for a total of six Amish romances, including the Bliss Creek Amish series, which includes my latest release, Love’s Journey Home, and my upcoming series, New Hope Amish. The response from readers has been overwhelming. I’m constantly reminded of God’s grace and his blessings. It’s been ten years since I started this writing journey and He has blessed me every step of the way. He’s taught me to never give up on my dreams and to first seek his will for my writing.

After all, it belongs to Him.

Kelly Irvin is the author of the Bliss Creek Amish series, which includes To Love and To Cherish,  A Heart Made New, and Love’s Journey Home, which released February 1. 2013. She recently signed with Harvest House Publishing for a three-book spin-off series entitled the New Hope Amish.

Kelly has also penned two romantic suspense novels, A Deadly Wilderness and No Child of Mine, published by Five Star Gale in 2010 and 2011.

The Kansas native is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Sisters in Crime. A graduate of the University of Kansas School of Journalism, Kelly has been writing nonfiction professionally for thirty years, including ten years as a newspaper reporter. For more than nineteen years, she has worked in public relations for the San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department. Kelly has been married to photographer Tim Irvin for twenty-four years, and they have two young adult children. In her spare time, she likes to write short stories and read books by her favorite authors.

To enter the contest for an autographed copy of Kelly Irvin's book, leave a comment and become a follower of this site if you aren't already. Include email address in your comment. U.S. residents only. Winner announced on my facebook page.

Thank you, Kelly Invin for Joining us This Weekend!

Reader, Kelly has shared how God has walked with her through hoards of rejections. Even with a late start, and many of us can Amen to a late start, God answered her prayer and showed her the time would be valuable. Is there something you feel it's too late to start doing? What is hidden your heart that you would really like to do? Hopefully Kelly has inspired you to step out and give it a go. :)