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Waiting
Friday, June 12, 2020 by Cindy Sproles

 

The phrase I remember most as a child was, “Wait!” I don’t like to think that I’m impatient, but when that word is thrown continously at you, a body has to wonder.

It was always, things like wait on me or wait in the car or wait a minute. Even hurry and wait. Wait is a repetitive word in my life. 

It hasn’t changed in my adulthood either. I still find myself waiting, waiting, waiting. 

I’m not an author who can crank out a book every six months. Stories just don’t gel in my head that quickly which sorta goes against my impatience. When I normally am tapping my foot anticipating the next thing to come along, my stories tell me to wait.

Just when I think I have chapter one nailed down, my head goes into overload, insisting...not yet. So I rewrite. Then rewrite again. I change character’s names, rethink the the place. Toy with the personalities. Remake, redo, rewrite the entire thing. I can’t move ahead until the first chapter holds the best possible beginning.

Twenty months ago, my agent submitted What Momma Left Behind to Revell Publishing. I was finished but still not convinced things were right. Then a contract arrived and I just sat at my desk and sobbed. A contract. God has blessed me again. Along with that contract came the reassurance that my waiting and reworking paid off. The story was a success with the publisher.

I sat at the beach staring out at the waves when my phone dinged and it was the publisher. Attached is the prelimary book cover. We’d like your thoughts.

Reality hit as I looked into the the mist on the mountains and a woman on the book who my entire family insisted reminded them of me. The waiting was well worth the effort.

It’s not enough to slave over a writing a novel but the real work begins after the book hits the shelves. Sales. Every author’s nightmare. Insecurity. Loss of self-confidence. . .doubt. All of it crashes in. The what-ifs hit. As I watch reader’s excitment build my own desire to do all I can to make the book a success kicks in. Have I marketed enough? Are there enough interviews, press releases. . .sales. I have no way of knowing. Which draws me back around to WAIT. 

The story of my life – wait. I’ve tried to come up with a good acronym for the word but nothing seems to come to mind. It simply remains WAIT. 

As What Momma Left Behind releases I can see how waiting was my friend. I can also see the ulcer it causes but in the end I’ve come to accept that in my waiting, God is working. Refining. Growing me. And at the same time, He prepares me for His perfect timing. 

Twenty months of waiting. Trust me. It’s a good story. And if you are interested, look deep into the mist of the mountains. I guarantee you’ll find me sitting. Waiting. Wondering. I hope you’ll invest in me and chose to read What Momma Left Behind.

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Comments

Penny McGinnis From Ohio At 6/13/2020 9:06:53 AM

Thank you for sharing, Cindy. I needed this one!

Cindy Huff From Aurora.IL At 6/13/2020 5:56:04 AM

I loved What Momma Left Behind. The story was well-worth the 20 months involved. I thought it was interestng that the cover did remind me of you.

Mountain Breeze Writer


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