I first met Cynthia..wait, I can't tell you, she is grabbing the keyboard away from me. It was a funny moment, one I will let her tell. Since that moment we have encouraged each other in writing and our personal lives. I am thankful for Cynthia, you'll see why in her words:
Survival
I initially met Mary Vee at the 2011 American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) conference in St. Louis
Mary and I couldn’t help but notice each other; you might say we had a “meeting of the minds.” The very last night of conference, right before the awards gala began, our eyes fell upon each other in a mutual “I can’t believe it” moment. Yep. That’s right. We’d unknowingly committed the social faux pas that’s driven many women to the brink of horror: we were both dressed alike! We’d chosen the same lovely white and black sequined jackets and color-coordinating black attire to accompany them. Some gals might have stalked away unhinged, but blessedly, we saw the humor in the situation and laughed. I think I made some off-the-cuff remark like “You have great taste. Dillards, right?”
Thus, a friendship was born. Thanks, “twin,” for inviting me to guest post today!
My writing journey began when I was a small child. I loved Dick and Jane and the many worlds they visited. At recess, while other kids swarmed the teeter-totters and merry-go-rounds, I’d grab my Big Chief tablet and pencil and head for the nearest shade tree. I’d write tales of my own, convinced that I’d eventually be an author, too.
Little did I realize that it would be decades before God would open doors down the publication path.
After graduation from college, I worked for a time in a helping profession. It was an intense time of seasoning and preparation for future stories to come.
When I eventually married, and my husband and I began a family, my writing dream was shelved temporarily as I focused on home front adjustments.
I always kept a notebook handy for ideas, and as anyone who has children knows, there’s always great story fodder when you have little ones. Each day melds into the next, and rarely is there a dull moment, especially when the iron catches fire or your toddler gets his head stuck in the spokes of the coffee table.
On our son’s first day of Kindergarten, I gathered my idea notebooks and began crafting stories once again.
I met with some measure of success, penning short stories and poems in a locally owned (now defunct) regional magazine. Over the next several years, I took writing classes and joined local groups and national organizations to further my craft. I was getting back into my writing groove when, in March 2003, our family faced every parent’s worst nightmare: our son almost died.
For the next four years we lived in and out of hospitals, clinics, and emergency rooms. Our son endured myriad I.V. treatments, blood transfusions, multiple medications, and surgeries.
Needless to say, when your child is ill, everything else takes a back seat. Including writing. (Though, I must add, I still wrote to a degree. Sometimes, it was just a glimmer of a thought on a cafeteria napkin, but it was a way of keeping my sanity and connecting me to a world other than illness.)
Ultimately, our son was healed. Not in the way we’d prayed, dreamed, or hoped, but in God’s own way and through His provision.
I began writing full-time again, and despite many stops and starts along the way, I’m now at a point where I can look back and think, “Wow…if I made it through that, I can certainly make it through anything!”
I think we must continue our march forward and not worry about our own designated agenda. God’s timing is perfect. Age and life moments are all just relative because the One who’s in control has a plan. And His perfect plan usurps anything else we might possibly envision. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Here’s to much success on your whatever your journey is!
*Clink* (That’s the sound of my Starbucks mug to yours.)
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What’s the biggest obstacle you've faced during your journey?
What has God taught you?
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Author Bio:
Cynthia Herron lives in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks with her family and pens heartfelt, homespun, contemporary Christian romance novels. She has a degree in psychology, a background in social work, and she is a member of ACFW and RWA. Cynthia is represented by Mary G. Keeley of the Books and Such Literary Agency. She has a fondness for gingerbread men, miniature teapots, and all things apple.
She’d love to connect with you here:
Thank you Cynthia for joining me today! The Starbucks was good, too.
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