Steadfast - Guest Blogger, Ann Shorey

It's Wednesday, guest blogger day. And today my guest is Ann Shorey, a dear friend and writing comrade. I'm so glad she could join us. Ann has a special giveaway offer so make sure to read to the bottom of the page.

ANN SHOREY has been a full-time writer for over twenty years. Her writing has appeared in Chicken Soup for the Grandma’s Soul, and in the Adams Media Cup of Comfort series. She made her fiction debut with The Edge of Light, Book One in the At Home in Beldon Grove series for Revell. Her latest releases include Love’s Sweet Beginning, the third book in the Sisters at Heart series, and a novella in the Sincerely Yours collection, also from Revell. She’s tempted to thank Peet’s French roast coffee and Dove chocolates when she writes the acknowledgments for her books.
She may be contacted through her website, www.annshorey.com, or find her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AnnShorey.




Words of wisdom from Ann Shorey:


STEADFAST IN THE STORM

In February of 2012, I started writing Love’s Sweet Beginning, the final novel in my Sisters at Heart series for Revell. The deadline for the novel was the end of January, 2013. Eleven months is a long time, and I started off with a bang and moved right along into the story.
Then my mother-in-law died on February 29. My husband comes from a large family, and our home is the place where everyone congregated for the week or so before, during, and after the funeral. But by mid-March I was back to writing.
In April, hubby had rotator cuff surgery. He’s a real estate broker, which necessitates spending a lot of time behind the wheel of a car. Of course, he couldn’t drive with his arm tied to his torso during the recovery phase, so I drove him to and from work and to and from appointments—for six weeks.
By now I was beginning to worry about making the deadline, but figured I could redeem the lost time by writing for longer hours during the fall when hubby went hunting and I had the house to myself.
He did go hunting, but while he was gone I got the flu and was very sick for a couple of weeks. He came home, left again, and unbelievably I got sick again. By now we were into the holiday season and I was in full panic mode. When January rolled around, I was 30,000 words short of my contracted word count, with less than 30 days to finish the book.
I rose in the middle of the night so panicked my brain was numb. I laid the problem before the Lord, like Hezekiah did in 2 Kings19:14-15. As I prayed and listened, ideas came and I’d jot them on a yellow legal pad. After further prayer the next morning, I’d go to my computer and continue the story using the prompts the Lord had provided. Night after night this continued as the ending of the novel took shape. The book was completed and ready to be turned in exactly on time, without a day to spare.
My editor’s reaction? She said it was her favorite book in the series.
  The Lord’s presence with me during those days kept me centered on Him, rather than on my own inadequacy. It’s a lesson that has stayed with me. He’s never far when we call on Him—in fact, He’s right there. We just have to reach up. He’s waiting.
In the acknowledgements at the back of Love’s Sweet Beginning, you’ll find these lines: “Speaking of prayer, the Lord should be listed as co-author of this book. As the greatest creator of all, He is my guide. All glory goes to Him.”



Thank you Ann. I needed to hear this.

And here's the book Ann was working on when she 

panicked and sought God's help.

I love this book!

It isn’t Cassie Haddon’s fault that she has reached the age of twenty-five without possessing any useful skills. Until the war, she always had servants to wait on her. Since then, she and her widowed mother have moved from place to place, relying on family to care for them. Now she’s forced to find work to support them both. What isn’t in her plans is falling for Jacob West, a local restaurateur and grocer. She needs a job and he needs help.

Love’s Sweet Beginning is a tale of two people from very different backgrounds finding common ground and the hopes of a bright future together.

TODAY AS A SPECIAL TREAT, ANN IS OFFERING A 

FREE COPY OF LOVE'S SWEET BEGINNING. 

All you have to do for a chance to win is leave a comment along with an email address and you will be added to the drawing.

Grace and peace to you from God,

Bonnie