Fabulous Friday Feature-Missy Tippens

Today I welcome author Missy Tippens 

Enter to win an autographed copy of Missy's latest book, Georgia Sweethearts.  

(see end of post) 

I met Missy through ACFW and through my friends at the Writer's Alley. She is one of the Seekerville writers with a  a gift for writing Christian Fiction romance. I finished my copy this week. 

AND Missy received THE call from the RITA awards. Oh, slap my mouth, I need to let her tell the story.  

I asked Missy to share her writing journey with us. Here is what she wrote:

My Long Writing Journey

I’d like to thank Mary for having me here to talk about my writing journey. This journey has been a long one, one that started with a love of reading and, oddly enough, three weeks on bed rest. 

I’ve always been a big reader. But in 1994, while pregnant with my second child, I had some complications that led to me being put on bed rest. Since my oldest was four at the time, I had my hands full and hadn’t read much in previous years. So rather than let frustration drive me crazy, I decided to try to enjoy the time off my feet. A friend brought me a bag of novels, and I dove in. By the time I had my son three weeks later, I had decided I wanted to try my hand at writing a book. 

Over the next several years, I moved, bought a computer, wrote, joined writing organizations, took online writing classes, had another baby, moved again, got invited to join a local critique group, and entered my first writing contest. The first contest results were devastating (tied for 35^th place out of 36 entries!).  

When I reviewed the judge's feedback, I decided I must not be able to write. I wondered if I should quit. But after spending some time with my critique group, I braved entering another contest.  Yet I’d begun to wonder if God was telling me I was heading the wrong direction. I had three young children who needed me.

Mary Vee here. Yes this was taken this week. 
Yes that is ice behind me. I finished my copy
 of Missy's book and enjoyed it.:)

I feared I was spending too much of our family income on my writing expenses. Feared I was spending too much precious time on writing. And I’m talking a large chunk of time—writing well into the night after my husband and kids went to bed. I finally made the decision to quit…and then received a call. I was a finalist in the second contest I entered.

I took that as encouragement from God. I wasn’t supposed to give up.

But still, anytime I submitted my work, I received rejections. In the beginning, they were painful form letters (Dear Author, we’re sorry to inform you we can’t publish your book). Eventually, I began to get personalized rejections with a little feedback. Each positive comment was a morsel of hope that kept me going, offering the encouragement I needed at that moment.

As time went on, though, and I got more contest feedback, some of which was crushing, I once again got discouraged. The financial pinch of conferences and meetings became difficult to justify. It had been over ten years since I got that first computer! How long was too long? At what point should I throw in the towel?

One day, I received particularly painful feedback from a published author who’d read my work in a contest. Honestly, the most painful part of the critique was that I knew she was exactly right. I had failed on that story. And I couldn’t take the disappointment anymore. I prayed and cried and poured out my heart to God. I made the decision that it was time to give up my dream.

And wouldn’t you know, about thirty minutes later, I got a call that my manuscript was a finalist in another contest? I’ve always pictured God sighing and wondering when I would ever learn to trust Him.
I knew right then (as I sobbed my gratitude to the contest coordinator on the phone!) that God must want me to hang in there no matter what. I needed to trust His plan.
Two years later (yes, two more years passed!), I sold a short story to BellBooks for Blessings of Mossy Creek, and I was so thrilled for the opportunity to see my name on a book (even if it was on the back cover). :)

Nominated for RT
 Reviewer's Choice Award and
Romance Writers of America's
RITA Award.

Then a year later, on January 30^th 2007, I got The Call. The call I’d hoped for since 1994. Love Inspired wanted to buy my novel. Once I dove into working on everything that goes along with the production of a book with Love Inspired, I realized there was no way I would have been able to handle the rigorous schedule when my kids were young. God knew that, of course, and was looking out for me the whole time. 

This writing journey can be long and twisted and filled with potholes. But isn’t it nice that God knows exactly where we’re heading? We can rest in Him knowing He wants the very best for us.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Missy Tippens is a pastor’s wife and mom of three and lives near Atlanta. Her novels have been nominated for the American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year (now called the Carol Award), the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the Bookseller's Best Award and The Beacon. A House Full of Hope has been nominated for an RT Reviewer’s Choice Award as well as Romance Writers of America’s RITA Award. Missy’s next from Love Inspired is titled Georgia Sweethearts and is available now. 

Visit her at  www.missytippens.com

To enter the contest for an autographed copy of Missy Tippen'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, Missy for Joining us This Weekend!

Reader: Have you had a situation where you felt discouraged but realized, later, that God had been there with you all along?