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.
Wonky is Hard
Cindy Sproles
4/25/2021
Present Yourself Approved and Professional
Cindy Sproles
1/28/2021
Integrity - An Authors Valued Trait
Cindy Sproles
1/8/2021
Homonyms – Did You Sea/See Them Their/There?
Cindy Sproles
1/8/2021
Writer Self-Care - Welcome 2021
Cindy Sproles
1/4/2021
Hope in a New Year
Cindy Sproles
1/1/2021
Silent Night
Cindy Sproles
12/25/2020
One More Christmas Thought - Taken from ChristianDevotions.US blog
Cindy Sproles
12/25/2020
A Christmas Saga - Joy in the Season
Cindy Sproles
12/24/2020
When Writing Grows Hard
Cindy Sproles
12/22/2020
Permission to Quit - No Way
Cindy Sproles
12/18/2020
The Power of the Pen
Cindy Sproles
12/15/2020
The Good, The Bad, and the Memoir
Cindy Sproles
12/11/2020
The Immeasurable Power in You
Cindy Sproles
12/8/2020
Scratch It Till It Bleeds
Cindy Sproles
12/5/2020
Closing Up Shop - Renting or Selling Our Parent's Home
Cindy Sproles
9/5/2020
Humility in Writing
Cindy Sproles
7/7/2020
Let it Percolate
Cindy Sproles
7/3/2020
Mentoring - A Wise Choice
Cindy Sproles
6/29/2020
Divorce My Words?
Cindy Sproles
6/23/2020
Icy Self-Talk Will Freeze Your Writing
Cindy Sproles
6/19/2020
The Power in You
Cindy Sproles
6/16/2020
Waiting
Cindy Sproles
6/12/2020
Who Really Sells Your Books
Cindy Sproles
6/9/2020
Social Media When You Aren't Social Media Minded
Cindy Sproles
4/20/2020
What Really Is Important
Cindy Sproles
4/12/2020
In the Midst of Chaos
Cindy Sproles
3/17/2020
The Heart of God
Cindy Sproles
2/14/2020
Writing in a Pickle
Cindy Sproles
1/30/2020
The Adult Day Care Alternative
Cindy Sproles
1/23/2020
Social Media Blitz
Cindy Sproles
1/19/2020
The Joys of Aging
Cindy Sproles
12/30/2019
The Reality of Who We Are?
Cindy Sproles
12/22/2019
Publishing Trends
Cindy Sproles
11/30/2019
Be Thankful ANYWAY
Cindy Sproles
11/28/2019
Writing Your Mission Statement
Cindy Sproles
11/19/2019
Perseverance to Write
Cindy
11/16/2019
Common Sense Tips for When You Write
Cindy Sproles
11/9/2019
The Battle is Fought
Cindy
10/15/2019
Twelve Tidbits of Wisdom from Top Christian Writers
Cindy Sproles
10/5/2019
Pray with Fire
Cindy Sproles
10/3/2019
The Easy In
Cindy Sproles
9/24/2019
The Art of Self-Editing
Cindy Sproles
9/10/2019
Questions, Questions
Cindy Sproles
9/6/2019
15-Minute Appointments - Important Networking
Cindy Sproles
9/3/2019
Don't Close Your Eyes - Bob Hostetler
Cindy Sproles
2/5/2019
Love Your Faculty
Cindy Sproles
10/17/2018
Forging Ahead after Rejection
Cindy Sproles
7/17/2018
cindysproles.com Privacy Policy
Cindy Sproles
6/4/2018
Closing Up Shop - Guiding Seniors to Letting Go
Cindy Sproles
4/9/2018
Publishing Naysayers
Cindy Sproles
3/16/2018
In Prayer - I Write
Cindy Sproles
3/3/2018
Keep Them Reading
Cindy Sproles
1/12/2018
Encouraged - Even When . . .
Cindy Sproles
1/2/2018
Christmas Tears
Cindy Sproles
12/18/2017
Holiday Elder Care - Be an Elder Elf
Cindy Sproles
11/12/2017
Grateful for a Dream I Didn't Know I Had
Cindy Sproles
11/9/2017
Keep Them Reading
Cindy Sproles
11/1/2017
Chicken Soup for the Soul - Writer Call Out
Cindy Sproles
10/27/2017
Five Ways to Assure Your Work will Find the Slush Pile
Cindy Sproles
10/24/2017
23rd Psalm Revisited
Cindy Sproles
10/21/2017
Contentment in Writing
Cindy Sproles
10/19/2017
5 Common Sense Tips to Better Writing
Cindy Sproles
10/10/2017
Overshadowed
Cindy Sproles
8/21/2017
Chicken Soup for the Soul Callout - Stories about Love
Cindy Sproles
8/21/2017
Five Keys to Overcoming Rejection
Cindy Sproles
8/12/2017
Writing Call Out - Chicken Soup for the Soul
Cindy Sproles
8/10/2017
When Words of Encouragement Wane
Cindy Sproles
6/28/2017
Writing Truth with Love
Cindy Sproles
1/13/2017
Oh To Be A Writer
Cindy Sproles
1/4/2017
Why Write?
Cindy Sproles
1/1/2017
Scammed
Cindy Sproles
6/21/2016
The Pain of Unsolicited
Cindy Sproles
3/9/2016
Not Alone: A Literary and Spiritual Companion for Those Confronted with Infertility and Miscarriage
Cindy Sproles
11/21/2015
Thankful Despite . . .
Cindy Sproles
11/20/2015
Stepping Up to Na-No-Wri-Mo
Cindy Sproles
11/16/2015
The Gift of No Gifts
Cindy Sproles
11/2/2015
Writers Be Encouraged
Cindy Sproles
10/15/2015
Keep ‘Em Reading – It’s the Writer’s Responsibility
Cindy Sproles
8/13/2015
Saying Goodbye
Cindy Sproles
7/17/2015
Overcoming the Fear of Writing Failure
Cindy Sproles
7/8/2015
Making the Move – Home to Assisted Living
Cindy Sproles
6/17/2015
I Kid You Not
Cindy Sproles
6/6/2015
Hearing the Call to Foster – Renee McCausey
Cindy Sproles
1/13/2015
Throw Out the Crutches
Cindy Sproles
1/10/2015
So You Were Asked to Be A Beta Reader?
Cindy Sproles
1/10/2015
REJECTIONS – Aaughhh!
Cindy Sproles
1/5/2015
The Bachelor – Stephanie Reed
Cindy Sproles
12/14/2014
The Making of a Servant
Cindy Sproles
11/30/2014
Miracle in a Dry Season Review – Yvonne Lehman
Cindy Sproles
8/27/2014
Write Anyway
Cindy Sproles
8/26/2014
World Blog Tour – Catching Up with Cindy Sproles
Cindy Sproles
7/22/2014
The Progression of Life
Cindy Sproles
7/17/2014
Instrumental Writing Helps – Aaron Gansky
Cindy Sproles
7/4/2014
The Question Saga
Cindy Sproles
6/29/2014
Defy the Night – REVIEW
Cindy Sproles
4/28/2014
When the Work is Hard to Do
Cindy Sproles
4/1/2014
My Heart Belongs to Him
Cindy Sproles
2/14/2014
Review of The Vicar’s Wife
Cindy Sproles
2/2/2014
The In on Self Publishing – Part 2
Cindy Sproles
12/29/2013
The In on Self Publishing – Part 1
Cindy Sproles
12/26/2013
In a Pickle
Cindy Sproles
10/1/2013
Bigger and Better
Cindy Sproles
9/27/2013
Putting SOCIAL back in Media
Cindy Sproles
8/10/2013
After the Conference Ends…
Cindy Sproles
8/8/2013
Here a Tweak, There a Tweak, Everywhere a Tweak, Tweak
Cindy Sproles
8/2/2013
Can You Hear Me Now?
Cindy Sproles
7/23/2013
Golden Years, Cherished Moments
Cindy Sproles
3/20/2013
Broken Heart Syndrome
Cindy Sproles
9/26/2012
What About Our Elders
Cindy Sproles
8/24/2012
A Minute – A Lifetime
Cindy Sproles
8/10/2012
Water, Water – Who’s Got the Water
Cindy Sproles
7/31/2012
