August is generally considered the last month of summer. We still have 31 days to enjoy the warmer weather. This month will be filled with things that are not writing-involved. Out-patient surgical appointments. I’m sure some of you have had to deal with those detours in life.

Life is interruptions. We seem to happily be going on our way, making plans, when God says “You-turn.”

Of course, we don’t like you-turns. I don’t like when my GPS announces them. Perhaps you dig in your heels and want to do it your way. I know, I have. God knows what he’s doing, “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.” Jer 29:11. (NIV)

My writing journey has been one of waiting, waiting, and waiting. I tried a few years ago to contact literary agents to see if they would hawk my book to a publishing company, had one of the best writing mentors out there, supportive writers in my ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) group and even family support. I’ve tried again this year approaching agents with the best-advised query letters and proposals I could come up with. It’s easy to blame life’s interruptions for my lack of getting published, but I may have been searching in the wrong direction and didn’t heed a “you-turn.”

For those of you nonwriters, literary agents received hundreds of requests from wanna-be authors on a daily basis. Only about two a year get published. Probably doesn’t seem that way to a reader as bookstores and Amazon have plenty, but to a writer, it’s quite the long road.

I’m hoping by next month to make more progress on publishing my first book. At least that’s my goal for now.

In the meantime, I am working on my second book in the romance series about the cowboys from New Mexico.

For August, however, I’m expecting to see a few you-turns, but I’ll keep plugging. Sometimes that’s all we can do with God’s help. He’s the one whose voice should be our GPS every single day.

Have a wonderful summer-filled August.