And the book is finished...

I just wrote the last line of the last book in my teen fiction series. God is so faithful! This book has probably been the hardest for me to write for a multitude of reasons. My father died right before Thanksgiving last year and for several months I did not feel like writing. At all. So I didn't. I took the time to grieve.

But I had a deadline to meet and I don't miss deadlines so at some point earlier this year I realized that I had to get back to the computer, no matter how I felt. I didn't feel ready but I had to do what I had to do. But looking back, I see God's mercy in the midst of the pressure. If I didn't have the deadline, who knows how long I would have lingered in my grief. How long would I have stayed away from writing completely? God used a deadline to lovingly bring me back to what He's given me to do. And I am grateful.

The other reason this book was so hard to write was because it was the last book in a series. It's the fifth book and all the time I was writing I wasn't sure how I was going to wrap it all up. How do you wrap up someone's life when they're only eighteen? I wanted to find a way to satisfy the readers yet let them know what is next for her. I hope I was able to do that. We'll see.

And lastly, God took me a new way with the writing of this book. With this being #5 I sort of have a routine of how I write a novel but I got halfway through this book and I ended up starting over. A little scary when I had the deadline, but the book is better for it. God always knows how to help us lean on Him harder.

So now it's time to edit! Have a wonderful Holy Week!