This summer, while I was mowing one acre of our lawn with one of those reel mowers (which gave me plenty of time for prayer) I asked the Lord what He wanted me to do with my writing. He showed me, like a movie, David selecting 5 smooth stones from the river. Well, all I can say was there was a long question and answer session over this, and since I had an acre to mow with a reel mower, it was a very long session.
I emerged from this prayer time sweaty, covered in grass clippings and filled with a mission. I felt called by God to have five polished books released before the end of the year.
And no, this was not the Texas sun going to my head. For a few days I thought that might be the case, it being July and all, but then He confirmed the word over and over to me. I needed to have five polished books released before the end of the year.
I only had one book of these five books out by this time, so I started praying, and I got working. I remember so many days on my knees confessing to Him, “I can’t do this, I can’t, but You can!”
By August I had two more books up on Kindle Direct Publishing and CreateSpace. The fourth looked like it’d be out by This the end of September (which is what happened). But what about that fifth book?
In the course of time I realized the fifth book wasn’t one that I had written, but it was my dad’s book, and I spent half of August and most of September polishing it to get it released on KDP.
Two weeks ago, I helped my dad format his book for CreateSpace, and actually had the privilege of clicking that button that approved the manuscript. As soon as I did that, an indescribable wave washed over me. God asked me to do something in my writing that would have been impossible by my natural means, something I was completely incapable of doing on my own, but through Him ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!! He did it through me and allowed me to feel success in simple obedience. This was a gift from Him, an expression of His grace and without a doubt I’m filled with a new sense of awe about Who He is.
There was one other gift God gave through this time. A tribe. Last year around this time I was invited to join a group called Grace & Faith Author Connection, aka GNFA. You know all about them, because, well, you’re here. What you may not know is that this group of authors helped to keep me sane, keep me focused, and keep me remembering that God asks the impossible from us so He can do it through us.
The one important bit of advice I can give to any author, but especially an indie author, is this: Get a tribe. Get people around you who know the journey and will love you through yours. Thank you for loving me through mine, GNFA!
God bless you!
Precarious Yates
Precarious Yates lives in Texas with husband, daughter, dogs, chickens, rabbit, lizard and by the time you read this some other exotic creature my husband or daughter has brought home. She had studied the plight of and worked toward the abolition of modern slavery for over a decade before sitting down to write Revelation Special Ops. She was further inspired by the work of her sister-in-law, Desirea Rodgers, who helped to found Love146, and organization that works to raise awareness about human trafficking and builds safe homes in vulnerable regions. Yates spent several years overseas as a missionary in Ireland, and also did missions work in India and the Philippines. Her passion for literature has become her means of further educating young adults of the realities of modern slavery, while producing hope through the power of Christ Jesus in us.
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