Writing through Despair

January 1, 2013March 24, 2016 / Dora Hiers / 13 Comments

2007. Not a good year.

We’d just moved to North Carolina from Florida. My husband spent long hours working at his new job, and as a writer who rarely left the house, I hadn’t developed a support system of friends yet. Lonely? You bet.

Uprooting our youngest son mid-year in 10th grade wasn’t ideal, so we arranged for him to stay and finish the school year. He spent the following summer in NC, but he missed his friends and decided to move back. Without telling us. Yeah. We were devastated.

That alone was tough, but on top of that, our oldest son, a Marine, faced another deployment. This time, though, suffering severe emotional and psychological trauma, he made a choice that altered his life forever.

My writing suffered. How could I create a romance when I stared down a deep black hole that threatened to swallow me whole? What about you? Are you drowning in despair? Here are some reminders that I needed:

Remember His promises. “Be strong and courageous…for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deut 31:6 NIV) This is one of my favorites.

Realize you don’t control others. You can only control your actions and reactions. Let everything else go.

Recognize that you may need counseling. Although I might have been lonely, I wasn’t alone. God heard my cry, and He answered with a sweet husband who recognized that I needed help. My husband procured a Christian counselor for our family, and after a few sessions and much prayer, God broke the chains of despair.

Reminisce on God’s faithfulness. I’m no stranger to pain or suffering. As a child, I suffered third degree burns, which entailed numerous surgeries. I married as a teen, and when the marriage failed, I was left with trust issues and a precious 11-month-old to raise by myself (until I met my true soul mate six years later). God faithfully carried me through these tough times, so I trust Him to continue to do so.

Refocus and appreciate. Stop focusing inward. I began volunteering at a therapeutic horse ranch serving the special needs community. My issues seemed insignificant in comparison. And I learned to appreciate the perks of empty nesting. 🙂

Know God’s heart for you, and trust the road He has you on, even when you can’t see where it leads. 2007 was a tough year, but this is the journey God’s traveled with me since then:

A healthy relationship with our now college-age son

Additions to our family

My first writing contract and several more since then.

An encouraging, supportive group of writer friends

2013. It’s going to be a great year.

It’s a new day. A fresh slate for the year.

Are you staring into the deep pit of despair?

Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning. Ps 30:5b NKJV

ACFW December 2012 New Releases

December 4, 2012 / Dora Hiers

Be still my heart! Check out all the new romances!

A Wedding Date in Hot Springs, Arkansas by Annalisa Daughety — Violet and Jackson both need dates to special events, so they hire a matchmaker to find somebody. Horrified when they meet—they already know and dislike each other from college—but with no other recourse, they agree to “pretend.” After a planned kiss with unexpected chemistry, will this sham arrangement turn into love?. (Contemporary Romance from Barbour Publishing).

The Fairest Beauty by Melanie Dickerson — In this retelling of the Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs fairy tale, Sophie has little choice but to trust her betrothed’s brother, Gabe, to help her escape the evil Duchess Ermengard. (Historical from Zondervan).

A Christmas Homecoming by MaryAnn Diorio — When Sonia Pettit’s teenage daughter suddenly disappears for seven long years, Sonia faces losing her mind, her husband, and her son as she struggles to forgive her wayward daughter and trust God for her return. (Contemporary from Harbourlight Books (Pelican).

A Promise to Protect by Liz Johnson — Navy SEAL Matt Waterstone knows about keeping people safe. When his best friend’s sister is attacked, Matt promises no harm will come to Ashley Sawyer-not on his watch. But Matt’s not the only protective one. Ashley will do anything to safeguard the residents of the battered women’s shelter she runs. She’s sure she can handle the threats she gets in return. What she can’t handle is the way Matt scales the walls around her heart. Yet when she falls prey to a crime web far more sinister than she’d realized, trusting Matt could be the only way to survive… (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired Suspense).

Sagebrush Knights by Erica Vetsch — Evelyn, Jane, Gwendolyn, and Emeline Gerhard arrive in Wyoming Territory in search of husbands. But when the men awaiting them are not the knights-in-shining-armor they hoped for, it will take a hearty dose of faith to see them through. Will love prevail or bring a not so happy ending? (Romantic Suspense from Barbour Publishing).

Counterfeit Cowboy by Lacy Williams — A con man with a conscience meets and falls in love with a girl way out of his league. (Historical Romance from Love Inspired).

More details for each books can be found at ACFW’s Fiction Finder website.

Who said research was boring?

October 13, 2012March 24, 2016 / Dora Hiers / 2 Comments

My current wip, Rori’s Healing, features llamas, and I thought it might be fun and informative to get some hands-on experience. So Hubby and I loaded Little Man into the car and took a ride to Four Ladies & Me llama farm where owner Michael West was kind enough to show us around their family’s lovely farm. He probably felt like he answered a gazillion questions. He would be right.

The beautiful animals were curious from the moment we drove up. Llamas tend to be social, and you can’t have just one.

I am so glad we visited. Michael shattered some misconceptions I had from earlier research. Like llamas hum when they’re happy. Not. We heard them hum, but it wasn’t because they were content. He’d called them over, and they came running, expecting food. When he didn’t deliver, they hummed, much like a cow’s moo but softer. Aren’t they handsome fellas?

I came prepared with an extra set of clothes for everybody because my research also revealed that llamas spit. Some do, but mostly at other llamas. They usually only spit at people if they were raised with extensive human handling, like in a petting zoo. These guys behaved themselves, but I did witness an alpaca spitting at a llama.

Llama mamas aren’t typically protective or nurturing, but Peaches here hardly let us get close to her two-day-old baby, which is called a cria. What a doll, right?