Major Gains
"Minor" disappointments
This was a good year, folks.
The new novel needs polishing, but it's finished. The Song of the Desert Willow exists. Yay!
I gained about 7,000 fans/followers. Praise God! If you've never seen my Twitter account and/or Facebook author page, I encourage you to stop by. We have fun. Too much fun sometimes.
Good news about endorsements: I have two lovely ones on my proposal now. I've always dreaded asking for it, but after reading agent Dan Balow's blog post about how even Jesus used endorsements (see it here), I worked up the courage to ask three people.
The two who'd already read my first manuscript were happy to do it. The one who'd never read me (but who's helped me in a million other ways) said I should ask people who write like I do--same themes, genre, etc. Good advice. Working on it.
Here's what I've got so far:
Editor Jeff Gerke: "Patricia’s writing is delightful. She’s teachable, creative, and hard-working, and in my opinion, she’s ready for publication."
Christy finalist and Carol Award winner Nadine Brandes, author of the Out of Time Series: "For 329 pages, I was a world-traveling ballerina. This book was not only a captivating story, but an impacting journey. I am changed. Bravo, Ms. Beal."
Major gains. I'm so thankful for these kind words. They mean the world to me.
In 2015 I was a semifinalist in Genesis and a finalist in First Impressions (first contest nods ever). Not winning hurt (a lot!), but I’m thankful for how far I made it. I learned important truths about my first manuscript–truths I was able to use to my advantage in editor pitches in Dallas. The result? Three houses have a partial and one has the full.
Maybe 2016 will be THE year?
God, help me remember I'm not supposed to carry my burdens. The small disappointments make my heart so heavy sometimes. That's not right. You've given me a million reasons to rejoice. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Travel light, friends!