I Wish I'd Known That! by Christine Johnson

You’ve been there. That Monday morning quarterback feeling. Hindsight is bliss. If only I’d known…

• If only I’d known that grizzly bears find hiking trails just as convenient as hikers do.
• If only I’d known that the incoming tide brings in the big critters (as in Sharks) to feed.
• If only I’d known that publication means hard-and-fast deadlines and spending as much time on non-writing activities as on writing.

The first two turned out all right. It’s never fun to come face-to-face with a grizzly, but luckily he preferred berries to hikers that day. The last one I thought I knew, but it was more like the “yeah, I know, mom” sort of knowing that doesn’t really have a clue. When seasoned authors told me to enjoy my time before getting published, I more or less gave them that “oh sure, easy for you to say” look. After all, they were published! The be all and end all of my 15-year quest. They must be exaggerating. Yep, those sage souls are laughing their socks off right now.

The heroes and heroines of our books often have an “if only I’d known that” moment. For Jen Fox in my current Love Inspired Historical release, Love by Design, a career choice doesn’t turn out quite the way she expected.

The heroine in my June release with Revell, Love’s Rescue, might have wished she’d known a little more about ships than she thought she did.

Your turn! What do you wish you’d known earlier?  

Christine Johnson

Love by Design – LIH, May 2015

Love’s Rescue – Revell, June 2015

http://christineelizabethjohnson.com

http://www.facebook.com/ChristineJohnsonAuthor

http://www.twitter.com/ChristineJWrite

Ask Elnora--about who we are????Lenora Worth

Hello, people. That song by WHO is playing in my brain. "Who are you?" Elnora loves surprises. The good kind, mostly. I love getting presents. For a long time (actually most of my life) I (and probably everyone who knew me) thought Elnora was a bit self-absorbed and frivolous. But then in church I learned all about love language and the gifts of the spirit. And suddenly I understood what I was all about. It's not all about me-Elnora--but what I love most in life is quality time with those I love. So yes, this means I like to get my people together in one place for fun and conversation and cheesecake and ice cream. I love the surprise of havimg people I care about e-mailing me, or texting me, or writing me letters or coming to visit me.

I love to share my adventures with my people--so even when it seems it is all about me--which usually my adventures are, of course--it's more about the fun of sharing the adventure with someone else. You know, "Let me tell you what happened to me the other day!" And then I'm off and running.

I think this is why I became a writer. I love to tell stories. I love the surprises that pop up in my stories even when I'm writing them. I love that quality time I get to spend each day with words, with creating words and making them into a story that people actually read. Being a writer means I get to spend quality time with every person who picks up one of my books.

So it's not all about me--but it sure is all about being surrounded by people who appreciate me for who I am. Quality time--it's a love language and gift I can live with. And discovering this has changed the way I think about life. (The picture above was taken by my daughter. A lovely surprise that I enjoyed seeing.)

So let's discuss surprises and quality time and ... the things that shape us as humans. What's that all about, anyway???