In high school I had an English teacher named Mrs. Baxter. She was the teacher everyone dreaded because she was so tough. More than once, she praised my essays only to give me a B+. I believe I only received a full A two or three times in her class. My brother had her his senior year (I graduated the year before). He said that having her after I did was a nightmare because she always wanted him to ask me for help. We had a good laugh over that, but deep down it fed something in me, a desire to write.

I loved Mrs. Baxter’s class. She ended up being my favorite teacher. She would not settle for mediocrity from her students. They were going to learn in her class and come out better for it. I learned so much in her class about essay structure and effective communication, but the most impactful thing I learned was an interest in writing.

Now, I have to confess that I was not at all diligent to put time into my essays. Though we were given plenty of time to complete our essays, I usually wrote the entire thing – rough draft and all – in the periods before her class on the day they were due! However, there were some topics she assigned that were important to me, and I remember pouring over them, taking them seriously and not waiting until the last minute. These I still remember.

The one I remember best was a persuasive speech we had to write. I chose the topic of abortion from a pro-life perspective. I had no idea how many in my class were pro-life, but I knew of at least a few that were for the right to choose. The speech was in favor of life. I had to stand up and read it to the whole class. I remember hearing clapping and receiving a rare A on my paper. Writing was a powerful tool. Good job helping us to see that, Mrs. Baxter.

The passion for reading came in my early 20s – I began to love the Bible and Christian books that encouraged young mothers, and I got into reading Christian historical novels. I learned to love biographies when I homeschooled my boys. Reading to them through the years of their early homeschooling is a memory that I cherish.

The love of reading has just settled deeper inside my heart. I am giddy when I have a stack of books on the nightstand next to my bed waiting for me. I have read many books that are difficult by way of telling a tragic story or telling an historical account I can barely wrap my mind around. I love to read true things, even if they’re hard. What I don’t love to read are books that have a lot of garbage in them for the sake of being salacious or for sheer shock and awe. I love a book that I can trust – one where the author wants to tell a story with authenticity and respect for the people in that story ( true or fictional, mystery or love story, suspense or sorrow).

You may have guessed what I am leading up to with all this talk of reading and writing.

In February of 2020 I set out to write a novel. I had begun to write a prayer book for parents a couple years before that but felt unqualified to finish. Maybe someday. I never dreamed I would attempt to write a novel. I have always been in awe of people who could do that, and though I planned to write, I always figured it would be non-fiction. But…I have just published my first novel on Amazon! It is in ebook and print formatting. I plan to release it on a couple more platforms as well. It took me almost three years, but I finished!

The part I am so nervous about is promoting my book! That will be a challenge for me. I still haven’t ever put my blog on Facebook! As much as I want my blog to grow, I have never taken the steps recommended to get more followers because I feel uncomfortable to promote my work.

I plan to move outside my comfort zone little by little and learn how to advertise my book in ways that make sense. My first advertisement for my new book is right now on this blog:

Mothers and Fathers, a novel by Debi Spurlock

Book description:

Whitney Sutter hasn’t always known the joy of a happy family. Her husband Jake has given her hope after years of disappointment. She is thankful for the life she and Jake have made together with their young daughter and certain that God had nothing to do with her good fortune. He has been gone from her view since she was a little girl. This belief is confirmed when an unfathomable tragedy shakes her and little Mae’s world.

Whitney’s mother won’t be the mother she needs in this dark time, and she has missed her father since she was eight years old. Now, her own daughter will grow up without a father. Desperate to find solid ground, Whitney foolishly lets her guard down and allows her daughter to form an unlikely bond with Kira Mandrell. Against her better judgement, this new relationship with Kira is providing a salve for their grief. 

Kira Mandrell finally gets the phone call she’s been waiting years to receive. Her joy is short-lived. She has no idea how her life is about to change. She struggles with the choices of her past, but she experiences God’s grace in a surprising way before everything becomes unraveled. She struggles to hold on to hope that her heart can handle whatever the future holds. 

Kyle’s friendship with Kira and Jamie Mandrell has been invaluable on his journey to rebuild his life. They love him as a son. He longs to be a husband and father someday, and he has met the woman with whom he wants to spend the rest of his life. Not a day goes by that he isn’t aware of God’s grace. He won’t let the memories that haunt him ruin the gifts he’s been given. His future is bright. 

I put a link to Amazon at the end of this post.

So, there it is – my big announcement! My heart is pounding! Thank you for supporting my blog these past almost five years. I respond to each comment left, but I know it only shows up here on the blog itself and not back in your emails. I’m working on trying to fix that. This site will stay the same as always, only now it will include “author” stuff from time to time. I still need to see how to merge both together. Thank you, again.