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Hello everyone. I’m new to Anna’s beautiful blog, and excited to share my story with you so that… in case you’re wondering… it’s never too late to make a change.
I’m about to celebrate a milestone birthday in late April. It doesn’t matter which one, other than to say, I saw the Beatles live on their first North American tour. That should get you close enough. I’ve lived a long and mostly successful life. I retired from a career in healthcare and was blessed with two wonderful sons. Most would consider that to be all they needed.
Yet, my marriage was failing. We’d grown ambivalent toward one another. I realized I needed more, so I began to write. Little things at first… a journal page, some very bad poetry. Then, one day, I was blessed with what I called ‘fate’. A co-worker was an avid reader of romance novels. She offered to loan me one to read during lunch. I thanked her but refused, claiming “anyone could write one of those”. Bless her heart, she dared me to try.
With my husband gone away on one of his frequent sports trips, I had nothing better to do on my weekend, so I sat at my typewriter (remember… I’m old) and wrote two chapters. When I plopped them down on my coworker’s desk the next Monday, she accused me of copying them from a book. So, on our hour-long break, I wrote a third. She told me how impressed she was and asked if she could take the pages home to read again. Little did I know, she was about to do something crazy.
She sent my chapters to Harlequin. Three months later, she burst into the office waving a letter above her head. Sent to me, at her address, she admitted what she’d done. I should also admit that, by the time her subterfuge was uncovered, I’d fallen in love with both reading and writing romance. Or, at least, attempting to write romance.
The letter was a request for the complete manuscript and we both sat there in total shock. Long story, somewhat short, the book didn’t sell, but it did spur me to begin another, and then another, as well as to join a local writer’s group and attend their conference. The next year, I joined a national group, and traveled to Chicago.
My new-found joy was short lived, as it spelled the end to my marriage. My husband couldn’t wrap his head around my having a life outside of him, my job, and our sons, no matter how many hobbies he had, and how many trips he made. So, after twenty-four years of marriage, I found myself single and alone.
It took a while, but I eventually shook off enough self pity to leave my apartment. On my first outing for groceries, I ran into my second brush with what I called ‘fate’. I couldn’t master the trick of shopping for one. I found myself standing in the meat section, my cart loaded with food for a family. It hit me, and I began to cry. I total stranger came up to me and said, “Here, let me help you”. Without even asking, she steered me around the store, putting back the five-pound bag of baking apples in favor of four or five more expensive fruits. We put back the two eight-packs of pork chops, in favor of one butterfly loin chop and a strip steak. Once we’d reached the last aisle, she turned to walk away. I asked her, “How did you know?” She just smiled and said, “I was once in your shoes, but God showed me the way.”
Could what I’d mistaken for fate really be a call to faith?
That Sunday I walked back into church for the first time in years. I found great comfort in the fellowship of others, and in the words of the young minister’s sermons. Returning to church, after so many years, wasn’t the instant fix I’d hoped it would be. However, it did teach me to guide my own destiny. The next summer, I sold my first book to Kensington, and then a second to their sweet romance line, Precious Gems.
I’d love to say that by finding my faith again everything worked out perfectly, but I’d be lying. I’ve stumbled, had my ups and downs. I even tried my hand at spicier books. However, it wasn’t the creative rush I thought I wanted, and not the satisfaction I’d received from combining my faith and my love for writing. Happily, I returned to the sweet side.
Now that I’m getting older, my health sometimes becomes an issue and messes with my schedule. Yet, everyday, I thank the Almighty for what I’ve been given. First and foremost, those two wonderful sons have blessed me with five grandchildren who own my heart. Second, even though the body sometimes falters, the mind is still sharp enough to continue writing and sharing my faith to entertain.
I’d love to get to know all of you better and invite you to follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/nancy.fraser.908/. You can also find all my sweet romances, both historical and contemporary at https://www.amazon.com/stores/Nancy-Fraser/author/B09FTH655Z. Both my website and newsletter are undergoing a redesign, but I’ll be sure to post the updates to my Facebook page for you to see.
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Here’s a sneak peek at my latest release, Adam’s Heartbreak, a western historical romance with religious undertones:
Adam Miller is a haunted man. He holds himself responsible for the death of a half dozen men working on the railroad line he designed. Following the incident, he lost both his job and the woman he planned to marry. Rather than look for another job as an engineer, he turns to ranching.
Milly Parker arrives in Perces at the request of her maternal grandfather. Will returning to the small town where she lost her parents bring back the worst of her memories? And what do she and the handsome rancher have in common?
Despite both their best intentions, they seem to be drawn to one another. Could fate reveal an unknown truth, and faith give them both a chance at happiness?
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You can find Adam and Milly’s story on my Amazon page listed above or, more directly, here: https://www.amazon.com/Adams-Heartbreak-Winning-Devotion-Book-ebook/dp/B0CKFN81GR
Wishing you a blessed day,
Nancy