Book Review - Just As I Am by Virginia Smith

A delightful read with a profound message.

Virginia Smith has created a memorable character in Mayla Strong. Not because Mayla sports a myriad of hair colors or has jewelry in unordinary places, but because she’s a new Christian trying to be a REAL Christian.

With each struggle Mayla encounters, she turns to God for guidance and finds that He leads her into areas that cause her to grow in her Christian walk. She is a beaming example to those around her.

With a fresh voice and an unforgettable character, Smith tells a story that will have you laughing one minute and in tears the next. With real topics that face today’s young people, we are reminded not to judge by appearances.

Recommend Just As I Am to all ages, but especially to teenagers.

Check out my website’s featured author link to see an interview with Virginia Smith.
www.marianmerritt.com

Happy reading…

Trusting God – His words, not mine

This summer I’ve committed to complete the manuscript I started almost three years ago.

It’s been an amazing journey so far…

I look back and see how much I’ve changed through writing this story. At first I thought I had squandered away valuable time by going back and re-writing the first part of this manuscript. You see, I started writing before I knew a thing about writing. As I learned things, I entered into the editing black hole and stayed there for many months. Every writing book says get the first draft completed then go back and edit. I couldn’t do that…couldn’t move forward knowing how horrible those beginning chapters were. God knew I needed that time to grow. Not just as a writer, but as a Christian. Although far from being an excellent writer or Christian, I have learned much about the craft, but more importantly, I’ve learned much about myself and my God.

Through writing, I’ve learned to rely on God more than ever before. Everything I’d done before came easy. Not so with writing.

It’s hard.

The hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Some days I press on simply as an act of obedience to the One who has called me to do this. I have found that I need to pray before I sit to write. I pray for His words to flow through my fingers and heart. On those days, the words fly. I can’t type fast enough. And while I type, my heart expands because, with gentleness, I’m shown humility. I needed to be at this place in my life to finish this book.

Because it is Him and not me.

How does time fly?

Wow, where did April and May go? The school year is finally over and we're off to a busy summer.

I'm busy working on my self-inflicted deadlines. Promised myself to have my Women's Fiction finished by mid-July. And that's one promise I plan to keep. Unless of course, God has other plans. Which sometimes He does...but until He tells me otherwise, I've planned the next two months of writing time.

Finally have my website up and running, there are still a few "kinks" I need to iron out, but it's a go. Check it out at www.marianmerritt.com. Let me know what you think.

God bless...