The premise of the novel is based on Genesis 50:20.
My chosen genre to write was Historical Romance, and I had
written one and started another when I attended the ACFW September 2011
Conference in St. Louis Mo.
Sorry – got a bit ahead of myself there. I actually got a
nudge from the Lord in August 2011. Standing in my kitchen, hand-washing some
dishes, I overheard a local TV newscast. I didn’t stop what I was doing, but I
did ask my husband to turn the television up some.
A young woman had been abducted, and they could find no
trace of her. Taken from her home, her family pleaded with the public for help
in finding her.
My heart was wrenched as all kinds of ‘what-ifs’ went
through my mind. In fact, that news story would not leave my mind or
heart, and I felt led to pray earnestly for her and the family.
I went to that writer’s conference, pitched the first
Historical Romance I’d written to agents and publishing acquisition editors.
Two rejected it outright, saying it wasn’t historical enough, but one agent,
went through the one-sheet (or sales-sheet as some refer to it) and told me
what she especially liked. She suggested I come home and make a contemporary
story out of it.
I did, but in doing so, much of the conflict and tension no
longer were strong enough, due to the fact technology had advanced well beyond
the story.
In the meantime, I heard more about the missing woman. She
had a fiancé they were looking at as a person of interest, and other things
that had come to the surface, but no sight of her. I kept praying for them all.
God nudged me… a bit at a time… reminding me of those
“what-ifs”, and I thought He was just telling me to keep praying. WRONG!
His nudges got stronger toward putting her story to the page.
I argued… I DO NOT RECOMMEND THAT… He won!
Change in genre writing was a MUST. He asked me to write
about a young woman who’d been abducted, and to use each of those “What-ifs”
I’d been mulling after each time I prayed for her and her loved ones.
What if she were still alive… it’d been weeks… what if she
were found alive, but close to death… what if she had been a victim of rape
and/or beatings… what if she became pregnant with a rapists’ child… and what if
her fiancé abandoned her at her weakest moments?
We found out later, the woman in the newscast had, indeed, been found, but she hadn’t survived the elements where
she’d been left.
Meant For Her, though based on that first news story
I heard in August, has a decided turn from the actual events, but with each
sentence, paragraph, chapter I wrote, the sense I was writing in obedience got
stronger and stronger.
God gave me ideas I knew I’d never have come up with, and He
brought all the right people to me when I needed to do research on
several of the topics addressed in the novel.
The actual writing of the 100,000+ word novel took me six
weeks. In the writing, God moved me to bring in subplots I was totally
unprepared for. In doing so, He gave me two more books.
Considering I hadn’t intended to write Contemporary… certainly
hadn’t intended to write Women’s Fiction… I find the choice of title for
the entire series ironic, to say the least, and it didn’t occur to me until the
writing of this post just how ironic.
Had it all truly
been ~ MEANT FOR HER?
Kidnapped,
raped, brutally beaten, and left for dead, Candi Reynolds becomes a prisoner of
fear. Faced also with the impact of the unexpected break-up with her fiancé,
and an unwanted pregnancy resulting from the attacks, she believes God has
forsaken her. Choosing to move back to the Michigan horse farm, owned by her
older brother, Dr. Cam Reynolds, Candi essentially goes into seclusion.
Dr. Patrick
(Mack) MacKevon, long-time friend of Cam’s, watches from the sidelines at the
farm, w here his horses are stabled, while Candi struggles to regain a sense of
normalcy. His own big-brother tendencies develop into a much deeper emotion
over the months he prays for her.
Is it possible
for Candi to put all of the pain and trauma behind her and renew her former
relationship with the Lord? Will she allow her heart to open enough to discover
authentic love, while making decisions of victory on her personal journey to
joy?
MEANT FOR HER PURCHASING INFORMATION:
~ ABOUT THE
AUTHOR ~
Joy Avery Melville’s
heart’s desire is to be the author God has called her to be by sharing Him with
readers in such a way they long to have a deeply committed personal
relationship with Jesus Christ as Lord.
Fully intending to write
Historical Romance—had in fact— she had no plans to deviate from that. God had something
else in mind for that ‘call’ He’d made on her life back in 1967. A mere eighth
grader at the time, she had no clue about the topics she’d be drawn to write
about.
Surrendering to the genre
God placed on her heart has given Joy new insight into the hearts and lives of
those who too often hurt in silence.
The settings of Joy’s
books are near where she lives in Schoolcraft, Michigan with her husband of
nearly 46 years and their one-yr-old Yorkie pup, Is-A-Bella Bindi,
(Is-a-beautiful little girl) who thinks she’s a much larger breed with tomboy
tendencies.
Joy loves to hear from
readers and will respond!
CONNECTIONS:
9 comments:
Thank you, Laura for this beautiful presentation of my book. I look forward to interacting with readers.
BLESSINGS,
Thanks for giving Joy a spot on your blog.
Wow, it's amazing to see how God inspires His children to bring His will to pass. Meant for Her sounds like a intriguing story that will touch readers as well as needing a box of tissues. Thank you for sharing, Joy. Blessings on your writing. marilynridgway78[at]gmail[dot]com
Awesome interview, I love when Author honor God through their books. rose blackard at gmail.com
Adding to my list of books to read! The story of your decision to change your book on the advice of another is encouraging! Yesterday is history — you've changed times, but are still historical fiction.
God has used numerous people and has nudged me as a person and as an author to change course in many areas.
Meant For her, Marilyn, Judy, and Anonymous, is just ONE of those areas I had to obey and TRUST Him for the outcome. I give Him all the praise for how He's handled Meant For Her in my life already.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS - and - Heidi - I AM GRATEFUL Laura has hosted me on her blog as well!
Blessings,
Purchasing links are now available in both formats -
EBOOK/KINDLE:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y8RJFJ1
PAPERBACK:
https://www.amazon.com/Meant-Her-Intended-Avery-Melville/dp/1691723665
It can be uncomfortable when we get a God whisper, but what a great result with this book! Thank you for sharing your story, and the young lady's. I would really like to read it!
Janice
pjrcmoore@windstream.net
Janice;
Oh, yes, it can be mighty uncomfortable, but as you've stated also, it can result in GREAT THINGS.
I pray you get the opportunity to read Meant For Her, those who have are stating very positive results.
BLESSINGS,
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