The Best Laid Plans by Merrillee Whren

When I signed up for this date several months ago, I was sure I would have the fifth book in my Front Porch Promises series, A Baby to Call Ours, finished and for sale. I don't even have it ready for presale. Three reasons. First, I found out in February that my computer hard drive was failing, and I had to have it replaced. Thankfully, I do have everything backed up in the cloud, but even with that, it takes a week to get the new hard drive installed. Then it takes another week or more to reload the software and all the files on the new hard drive. Secondly, we had unexpected grandparents' duty. We watched our grandchildren for a week, and that included two cross-country flights from Arizona to New Jersey and back. That meant three weeks of my writing time disrupted. Finally, I have no cover for the book. Here are the covers of the current books in the series.

As you can see all the covers have front porches. I want a cover with a front porch with a baby crib or carriage on it. I have been unable to find a photo that works. The first, second, and fourth books have covers made from stock photos. The third book is a photo I took of my friend's front porch with the three chairs on it. The child's chair was borrowed from one of her friends. I would take another photo myself, but I don't have a crib or cradle or a front porch. While the book is being edited, I'll keep looking for that perfect photo to use for the cover. 

All of this reminds me of the verse in Proverbs. "The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps." Proverbs 16:9 (NRSV) I am trusting that this book will come out at just the right time. Not my plan, but God's. 

Have you ever made plans and found that God had something else in mind for you?

PS  If you come across a photo with a front porch and a crib or cradle on it, please send me a message. You can contact me through my website. Click here to find the contact page. 

Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of America. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of forty-plus years, and has two grown daughters. Connect with her on her Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.