Despite the fact I was an avid reader growing up, I never wanted to be a writer. The Lord used my husband to challenge me to write.

In 2004, we were anchored off Lopez Island in the Northwest corner of Washington State. I had told my husband a story as we ate dinner on the back deck of our boat. He looked at me and said, "You need to write a book." The gentle yet intense tone of his voice made me take the notion seriously. I started praying about what to write as I did the dishes in the galley.

For many years the lack of good moral entertainment in literature and in film has bothered me. With the boat gently rocking, the idea of showing a young man learning to walk with the Lord came to mind. He would be a modern day Daniel or David, a hero. The Puget Sound waters and the San Juan Islands of Washington State would be the geographical setting  in the late 1960's. After finishing the dishes, I wrote an outline for the book. By the time I went to bed, I had four chapters written with ideas for a series popping into mind. And so, "Leave It With Him" was born.

At first, publishing "Leave It With Him" was not even considered. As encouragement from my family and readers grew, my husband and I began to research publishing. This was in 2005 and the publishing industry had already begun the big change attributed to the Internet. We met authors who had waited six, seven, and in one case, fourteen years to have their work traditionally published. My husband believed that I had a strong message in my writing and should not wait, so we explored self-publishing.

Being an interior designer, not a writer, I faced a major learning curve. The Lord kept answering my prayers and leading me down the right path.  After a year of hashing through the book with a personal editor, my husband and I signed with a reputable Christian self-publishing company. Although they produced a wonderful product, it was an expensive way to go.

With my second book, we went with a secular well-known company, at about half the cost. The finished product was just as professional as the first book.  

Some bookstores will not take self-published work. Today, most bookstores are struggling to exist. My books are with Barnes and Noble, Christian book.com, and Amazon. Soon they will be available as e-books.  

My weekly blog, which began with the publishing of my first book, has grown to 800 - 1,000 hits a week.   Overall, self-publishing has been a good experience.

Pray a lot. I occasionally wonder if writing is something my Lord really wants me to do. He gives me a YES by having some reader convey how my writing has helped them or a non-Christian lets me know they enjoyed the book, especially the spiritual part. Continually ask for the Lord's direction.

Shop around for a self-publisher and be prepared to market your writing.  Find a personal editor and purchase several edits from the self-publishing company. I found those edits invaluable. Join a critique group.

And again, PRAY.