Fabulous Friday Feature-Kristy Cambron

Today we welcome author:

Kristy Cambron

One commenter will win a copy of
Kristy's book:

 A Sparrow in Terezin

Scroll down to see how.

Mary here. I'm so glad you joined us today. Like many other authors, Kristy has had an incredibly busy schedule, yet she has been able to make time to visit with us. I'm so happy!! You will be too, when you see what she wrote after I asked: Tell us how God has led you on your writing journey. You're gonna love this:

"I Love You." --Dad

I didn’t have a thimble full of confidence left in me.

After several dismal (I call them crash-and-burn experiences) showings in unpublished writing contests and enough rejection emails to wallpaper our dining room, I had just enough oomph left to click ‘Send’ one more time. But this time, I wouldn’t tell anyone about it. Not my closest friends. Not my co-workers or my supportive parents. Not even my husband.

Mary: Not even your husband?

I’d made a deal with God. He and I were on this writing journey together, so there was nothing hidden between the two of us. But that didn’t mean I wanted to embrace repeated failures in front of everyone around me. It was humbling. And the kind of kick-in-the-gut to your pride that you just don’t relish sharing with the whole world. So, I decided late one night while the whole house was asleep, I’d submit. I’d click ‘Send’ and forget about the contest thereafter. And when we crashed-and-burned again, at least I could save face. I could pretend it didn’t hurt because no one would know. And if I could do that, I knew I’d still be able to put one foot in front of the other and keep the journey (or, the dream) alive.

Ask any writer and we’ll pretty much tell you—rejection stings.

Mary: That's so very true, Kristy

On the hinges of every contest entry, there’s a twinge of hope that flutters in our heart. Every submission to a publishing house carries its own wave of the “What if?” and “Is this finally my Yes?” along with it. And we read online reviews and feedback on our work with eyes peeking out from behind one hand and a pint of Ben & Jerry’s in the other.

No one likes brokenness. And that’s what failure is— a form of something that’s been broken. Whether it be our plan. Our dream. Our timing, even. When an outcome doesn’t measure up to a standard we’ve set for ourselves, something fractures. And sometimes even the last shred of confidence we have is gone.

On my journey to publication, I remember one thing very clearly: 

I needed God to carry me through the times of failure.

We had a new baby in the house. I was working long hours at my corporate day job while trying to be a wife, and mom to three young boys. I’d stay up all night on the weekends, hyped-up on caffeine just so I could write and keep my publishing dream alive. And my dad was sick. (We didn’t know how bad until later.) So with all of that swirling, a few failures is all it would take for me to lose heart.

I had no idea how I was going to make it. And with every poor contest showing and each rejection, I felt that dream slipping away.

But here’s the bright spot. Here’s the shiny penny in the bottom of the jar! I learned more about who I was to my heavenly Father during those times of failure than I’d ever known before. It was like receiving a message straight from His heart to mine.

Nowadays we receive sweet messages by text message. You know the kind— they come through when you’re having a particularly rough day. Someone says they’re praying for you. Maybe they drop a few smiley face emoticons in for good measure. Or maybe they just say a simple, “I love you.” And that’s it. That tiny measure of “I’m still here, and I’m still in your corner” that we get from someone we love just can’t have a price put on it. And He longs to be that in every step of our journey.

If you’re a writer, keep going. Look up the graciousness of our Savior in Acts 9 every time you get tripped up. You’ll see that it’s all about timing, and that it’s not really failure at all. It’s about Him and what’s He’s crafting in your life! Your talents will be used. You might have to grow and build your faith muscles and endure through hundreds of text messages from your loved ones, but I guarantee— when the ‘Yes’ does finally come, it will be all the sweeter for the waiting.

The failures mean little when compared to the realization of a dream.

Oh yeah — remember the contest I entered? I did forget about it. And I didn’t remember until I received word that I’d actually won. And the judge for that contest? She’s now my editor and dear friend. That season came to an end with the start of something new: a contract with my new publishing home and a dream made real. And surprise, surprise… I remembered the “I love you” moments from my heavenly Father along the way more than I did anything else. 

So, how have you seen glimpses of God's presence on a tough journey in your life?

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Kristy Cambron fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. Her debut novel, THE BUTTERFLY AND THE VIOLIN, was named to Library Journal Reviews' Best Books of 2014 and was nominated for RT Reviewers' Choice Awards Best Inspirational Novel of 2014. She’s an Art/Design Manager and co-founder of TheGROVEstory.com storytelling ministry. She holds a degree in Art History from Indiana University, and has nearly 15 years of experience in communications for a Fortune-100 Company. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good Christian fiction read.

You can learn more about Kristy Cambron at:

Facebook: Kristy Cambron | Twitter: @KCambronAuthor  | 

Instagram: kristycambron 

Pinterest: KCambronAuthor | Web:  KristyCambron.com | TheGROVEstory.com  

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Bound together across time, two women will discover a powerful connection through one survivor’s story of hope in the darkest days of a war-torn world.

Present Day—With the grand opening of her new art gallery and a fairy–tale wedding just around the corner, Sera James feels like she’s stumbled into a charmed life—until a brutal legal battle against fiancé William Hanover threatens to destroy their future before it even begins.

Now, after an eleventh-hour wedding ceremony and a callous arrest, William faces a decade in prison for a crime he never committed, and Sera must battle the scathing accusations that threaten her family and any hope for a future with the man she loves.

1942—Kája Makovsky narrowly escaped Nazi-occupied Prague in 1939 and was forced to leave behind her half-Jewish family. Now a reporter for The Daily Telegraph in England, Kája discovers the terror has followed her across the Channel in the shadowy form of the London Blitz. When she learns Jews are being exterminated by the thousands on the continent, she has no choice but to return to her mother city, risking her life to smuggle her family to freedom and peace.

Connecting across a century through one little girl, a Holocaust survivor with a foot in each world, these two women will discover a kinship that springs even in the darkest of times. In this tale of hope and survival, Sera and Kája must cling to the faith that sustains them and fight to protect all they hold dear–even if it means placing their own futures on the line

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Enter the contest to win a copy of 

Kristy's book:

A Sparrow in Terezin
here is how:

leave a comment (and email address)

AND become a follower of this blog

AND/OR sign up to receive posts by email
AND/OR sign up to receive my quarterly newsletter

if you aren't already

US only

The winner will be announced on my Facebook page

Thank you, Kristy, for joining us this weekend!

We enjoy chatting with you and are looking forward to reading your comments and questions. Or at least your hi, hello, or hey.

Thanks for stopping by!

Don't forget to comment!

Oh, and remember Kristy's question-
How have you seen glimpses of God's presence on a tough journey in your life?