There she is--Bianca Marshal. The heroine of my first novel. This photograph hangs above my office desk and it always will. It changed my life, and I'm going to tell you how.
The moment I saw her, she called to me. It was a lazy afternoon in Pensacola, Florida. A friend and I stumbled into an antique photography shop. We started browsing, and I came upon Bianca's picture. The world stopped and God seemed to say, "Pay attention. She's important." I stood before the photograph rack, tilted my head, and just stared. There was definitely something different about her, and the more I looked, the more I wanted to know. First, I thought she was beautiful, but not what some might say a raving beauty. I saw her strength. And I saw her pain. Something had happened to her. Something devastating. But she'd pushed through. She'd survived. These things were lingering about her eyes, although perhaps she tried to hide them just before the camera flashed.
I wish I knew who the woman in the photograph was in real life. Unfortunately, like so many people from history, her name and story have been lost forever. The shop owner who sold me the photograph knew nothing about her. Just a random portrait, a woman in a pretty hat. The friend who was with me bought the photograph and gave it to me as a gift. It's one of the best gifts I've ever received.
Walking out of the shop, I held the photograph close. It felt like an adventure. I really didn't know how much of one was about to begin.
When I started
The Covered Deep, it was a much different story. I was just starting out as a writer and I had a lot to learn. Now, eight drafts later, I'll tell you a little bit about Bianca's story.
Bianca Marshal is an
incurably romantic bookworm who’s holding out for the perfect husband. She
doesn’t want much, just that he be (1) a true believer in Jesus Christ (2)
devastatingly handsome with a slightly wild look in his eyes (3) brilliant and
humorous like Mark Twain (4) a foreigner, possibly a disgruntled duke (5) able
to quote Bible verses AND Shakespeare (6) a more than capable kisser, and (7)
adore her completely.
Finding a man that
meets the requirements of “the list” in the foothills of the
Appalachians—Portsmouth, Ohio—has proven impossible. Bianca’s mama insists that
there’s no such thing as a perfect true love, and that Bianca’s ideal man is
pure fiction. On the eve of her twenty-fifth birthday, Bianca discovers a
devastating statistic. Her chance of marrying is now only eighteen percent. But
the “S” word—spinsterhood—is not
something she’s willing to accept. She’s going to prove the statistics and her
mama wrong. Bianca wins an essay contest that propels her into a whirlwind
search for the perfect romantic hero. Via the opulence of London and the
mysteries of Palestine, Bianca’s true love will be revealed, but not without a
price that might be too heavy to pay.
If you'd like to know a little more about Bianca, or what happens in the book. You can peruse
The Covered Deep Pinterest Board. I'm rather fond of the hero. ;-) Sir Adrian has a warm place in my heart as well, mystery man that he is. And Madeline . . . well, is there any help for her? Oh, and let's not forget Joshua Udolphus Tabor. The man does have his peculiarities . . . And that pain I was talking about earlier, it does happen. As I was writing, it was one of the things in the book that surprised me the most--one of those things writers talk about when they say something just showed up on the page.
The Covered Deep is currently being shopped by my agent,
Rachelle Gardner of
Books & Such Literary Agency. I'm hoping to hear some exciting news soon.
Beginning Bianca's story has taken me places I never would have imagined. In 2003, I found myself in Asheville, NC, attending my first writers conference through the
Christian Writers Guild. I was amazed when I walked through the doors. I found my tribe--writers who thought just like me. I was hooked. After that, I took CWG's Apprenticeship Course. It taught me how to write, and be disciplined. I acquired my first writing staff job by having the knowledge they gave me. I went on to write fifty articles in different magazines and newspapers. In 2009, I decided to stop freelancing and focus on being a novelist. That's what I've been doing ever since. Conferences, critique groups, contests--you name it. I love the writing world.
Bianca's photograph started a work in me. I've been changed, and I'd like to think for the better. Something else I didn't expect when I walked out of that shop all those years ago--all the writing friends I've made a long the way. We don't just talk about writing, although that's super-fun. These people are my best friends. I can go to them with life stuff. We cry together, laugh, and pull each other off the ledge from time to time. They are gifts, and I like to think that God knew that back when I was standing in that photography shop. When my hand touched the picture, maybe He smiled and saw all the friendships coming down the way.
Ralph Waldo Emerson was right when he said, "Life is a journey, not a destination." God sure does a lot of amazing things along the way.
What about you? Have you ever had a lightning moment--an encounter with an object that changed your life forever?
Waiting is hard for writers. But, if you could change it, would you wish the waiting away? How have you been changed by the years of waiting for a contract?
