That's what I'm going to be telling my two beautiful models tomorrow afternoon when we go on location to shoot the cover of The Heart's Journey Home! It's not really that big 'a deal - the "location" is a little country road just down from the photographer's house. It won't take that long and it shouldn't be that hard, but this is all just so unbelievable to me! I mean, we're shooting the cover to my book! How did I even get to this point? I just have to shake my head and thank the Lord for this opportunity and pray that I glorify His name the very best that I can 'cause that is what this is all about, what EVERYTHING is all about. Even still, I'm shaking my head. Unbelievable. You will definitely be updated and I will post the cover when it's ready, but that won't be for months. In the meantime, I hope to give you lots of other good reading material. (And I am vowing to myself right now that I will make a post at least every other night so be sure to type your email address in the little box in the left-hand corner so that you will be automatically notified when I make a new post. It's very easy and it only take a minute.)
If you live in my hometown of Monroeville, or any of the neighboring towns, hopefully you picked up some reading material earlier today - the Norwalk Reflector. Journalist Aaron Krause was kind enough to write an article on me and what I'm doing. It's too long for me to post the whole thing, but I'll share some tidbits:
Stephen’s future novel The Heart’s Journey Home is scheduled for publication in 2010. For the immediate future, the 31-year old Nashville, Tenn.-area resident is asking people to think about important individuals in their lives. She wants the names of those people, and requests an email in which you state how they profoundly influenced you. After the Sept. 7 contest deadline, Stephens will pick a male and female name “out of the hat." Stephens plans to write a paragraph about the lucky individuals in the acknowledgment section of The Heart’s Journey Home. In addition, the author and third grade teacher will create a minor character in her novel, based on the people picked. “I want to make people happy and I want to be a blessing to others,” she said. “That’s why I love teaching so much.”
More details regarding the contest that Aaron was talking about can be found in the last two posts. Believe me, you don't want to miss out on it. It will be a fun way for YOU to bless a loved one. So make sure you check it out.
What? More reading material? You want more?! Well . . . okay. You talked me into it. In the last entry you met Kate and Nathan. (Feel free to go back and review!) Today, I want you to meet Adam Sullivan. I'm not going to tell you too much about him, just that, as you will probably figure out, he has reached a very low point of his life. This is an unedited conversation between Adam and his mother:
“A penny for your thoughts,” a gentle voice offered from behind.
Adam didn’t have to look to know it was his mother. “Have you ever felt like you were living someone else’s life?”
“Hmm. I think so.”
“This isn’t exactly how I expected my life would go.”
“So, what are you going to do about it?”
“What do you mean? What can I do?”
“Let me put it to you this way: if you went out to ride Moses one day and he bucked you off, what would you do?”
“I’d get back on him, and let him know that he didn’t win.” It took only a moment for the dawning to occur. “But this is different. My divorce has only been final for a little over a year.”
Anna Sullivan put her hands on her hips. “True, but you were separated for almost a year before that.”
“I know you mean well, but dating again is out of the question.”
“Chloe needs to see you begin to pick up the pieces. She needs to know that life goes on.”
Adam crossed his arms. “There’s not much hope in my meeting someone new when I spend all of my time either here on the farm bailing hay or at school getting ready for the new football season. Practice starts in just a few weeks, and I really think that we have a chance at a state championship this year.”
Anna reached up and placed her hands on Adam’s shoulders. “You may not believe what I’m about to say after all you’ve been through, but, Son, I’m proud of you, of all of your accomplishments. Even though things haven’t turned out for you the way you’d hoped, God has a plan for your life. You have to believe that.”
Adam resisted arguing with his mother, but he couldn’t meet her gaze.
Anna sighed. “Just promise me that you won’t let an opportunity pass you by.”
“I promise.”
Since I just gave you a snipit, there are probably some things you are unclear about . . . just in case you needed a reason to read the book when it comes out! Bottom line is this: the three characters you've met in this "online interactive journal", like many of you who are reading this, are all on a journey . . . and so are their hearts.
Until next time . . .
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