Kara Isaac
A commenter will win a copy of
Kara's book:
Close to You
Kara's book:
Close to You
Scroll down to see how.
US AND International Readers Are Invited to Enter!!
US AND International Readers Are Invited to Enter!!
Mary here. I'm so happy to welcome Kara to Let's Talk. I asked Kara: how has God led you on your writing journey? Here is what she said:
Ten Years After
This week my debut novel, Close To You, released. Ten years after I first started writing
with a dream of publication.
I remember at the first writersā conference I ever went to
in 2009, sitting at a meal and listening to an author share how it had been a
decade from when she started writing her first book published and
thinking I could not do this for that
long. Yet here I am. And the truth is, if it wasnāt for Godās leading
and provision I probably would have given up the dream a long time ago.
For nine years, whenever
I was ready to give up, God provided just enough to keep me putting the next
sentence on the page, to put myself out there and risk more rejection in a
contest, or a submission to a literary agent or editor.
Sometimes it was small things like that one judge who saw
potential in my entry for a writing contest, even though the other two gave it basement low scores or
a critique partner having just the right thing to say in the right moment.
Other times it was bigger things: contest finals, encouragement from a literary agent
or editor, or seeing my work pass from straight up rejection at a publishing
house to getting past the first hurdle.
As time passed, life changed and I had more commitments ā a
husband, a mortgage, and then a family. Maybe I was wasting my time and my
familyās resources on a crazy dream that wasnāt in His plan for me.
I started praying Gideon testing-type prayers. Especially in
2012, after our first child was born, I prayed God,
if you want me to keep writing, let me semi-final in the Genesis. If not,
please prepare my heart to let it go.
Two years and two
manuscripts later I was offered that elusive book contract. It was a tough road of
great encouragement and yet rejection, after rejection. Looking back, I can see
how God had his hand in all of them setting me up with the perfect publishing house (for
me!) at the perfect time.
Itās been ten years from the time I first started writing to
holding my debut novel in my hands. I wouldnāt want it any other way.
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Kara Isaac lives in Wellington, New Zealand. Her debut romantic comedy, Close To You, is just released from Howard Books. When she's not working her day job as a public servant, chasing around a ninja preschooler and his feisty toddler sister, she spends her time writing horribly bad first drafts and wishing you could get Double Stuf Oreos in New Zealand.
Kara loves to connect with readers.
You can find her at her:
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CLOSE TO YOU
Allison
Shire (yes, like where the Hobbits live) is a disgraced academic who is done
with love. Her belief in āhappily ever afterā ends the day she discovers her
husband is still married to a wife she knows nothing about. She finds a
use for her English degree by guiding tours through famous sites featured
in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies.
Jackson
Gregory is on the cusp of making it big. Then suddenly his girlfriend leaves himāfor his biggest business competitorāand takes his most guarded commercial
secrets with her. To make matters worse, the Iowa farm that has been in his
family for generations is facing foreclosure. Determined to save his parents
from financial ruin he accompanies his uncle to the
bottom of the world to spend three weeks pretending to be a die-hard Lord of
the Rings fan. The one thing
that stands between him and his goal is a know-it-all tour guide who pegs him as a fake the moment he walks off the plane.
When
Allison leads the group through the famous sites of the Tolkien movies, she and
Jackson start to see each other differently, and as they keep getting thrown
together on the tour, they find themselves drawn to each other. Neither
expects to fall in love again, but can they find a way beyond their regrets to
take a chance on the one thing theyāre not looking for?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Enter the contest to win Kara's book:
Close to You
US AND International readers invited to enter!!
Here is how:
1. Leave a comment (and email address)
2. AND sign up to receive my newsletter -in the right column
(subscribers to Mary Vee's newsletter will receive a special gift)
AND/OR sign up to receive posts by email if you aren't already
Thank you, Kara, for joining us this weekend!
We enjoy chatting with you, Reader, and look forward to reading your comments and questions. Or at least your hi, hello, or hey.
Thanks for stopping by!
Don't forget to comment!
Comments
mmbbg72493(at)gmail(dot)com
Great to see you this morning. Hopefully your season will be short, and just as fruitful as Kara's. :)
Lovely to see you here, Meghan :) It's so true, isn't it? Knowing that others have been through long waiting seasons and come out the other side often are an encouragement to us in ours :)
Was hoping you'd stop by and say hi to Kara and me. :)
Yes, God is so very faithful.
Congratulations on your success and I'm sure this is just the beginning because God is truly guiding you. Mary, thank you as again for another great author showcase and interview.
Blessings!
Connie
cps1950(at)gmail(dot)com