My Quarantine Story: Defiant

This was an all of a sudden, spur of the moment thing. Defiant had been ready to be published for months, but I kept putting it off for some reason. Time just seemed to keep getting away from me. But on Monday, I felt this burst of I need to do something with this story. I love that story and Castian and Shia too much not to share it. I didn't want them just sitting on my laptop gathering dust.

I wrote Defiant in the middle of April - right in the middle of the height of all this Covid stuff. It was when I was feeling frustrated and angry, discouraged and stuck in my writing and maybe even a little hopeless. I remember praying to God for some sort of story, some sort of reprieve from the dry desert of creativity in my head and heart. Then I opened up Pinterest and saw this guy:

and was inspired to write. That was my Castian. His name came to me just like that. I sat down and I just started writing. Castian and Shia taught me how to let my characters make mistakes and live with the consequences. They taught me to how to have hope even when you feel broken and how to be quietly defiant in a time where I felt like I couldn't use my voice and even if I did, I wouldn't be heard. Writing in the St. Croix Falls world was starting to feel stale and lifeless. I had to force myself to write any words in St. Croix Falls 3. Writing Defiant breathed new life into this series and reminded me why I love this world so much. 

Writing Defiant was one of those rare experiences where it feels like you're channeling the story instead of the other way around. I've had that happen a few times and every time I attribute that experience to God. I was reading through Flannery O'Connor's prayer journal (I absolutely loved it. It was an incredible experience getting to read her prayers and deep connection to God). She described so many times how it wasn't her writing those stories, it was God. He wrote the stories through her. She gave all the glory and all the praise, every idea and character and word she wrote to God. That's how I feel with almost all of my writing, but especially for the very special books like Defiant. A quote that will stick with me for a long time from O'Connor's prayer journal is when she said, “If I ever do get to be a fine writer, it will not be because I am a fine writer but because God has given me credit for a few of the others He kindly wrote for me.” He wrote those stories for her as if she had nothing to do with it at all. I love that and I aspire to give all the credit and every word I write over to God every time I sit down at my laptop to write out anything. 

Defiant wouldn't have happened without God. I'm thankful to Him for giving me Defiant, for giving me Shia and Castian in the time that I needed them most. God's timing is so perfect and he doesn't distinguish between little things and big things. His timing is perfect in the huge life changing moments and in the small, quiet moments of writing a book that you're heart needed at the right season in your life. 

I hope that Defiant gives you the same sense of hope and the empowering strength to be quietly defiant as it did for me. (And don't worry, Shia and Castian are very prominent characters throughout book 3 so this isn't the last you'll see of this duo)! 

For now though, I hope you enjoy Defiant! I'm also hoping that within the next few months (the next few months are going to be pretty busy for me) I'll be able to get out a physical copy. This is a book I want to hold in my hands. Plus that cover's just gorgeous. I must hold a hard copy of this book! 

Check out Defiant HERE on ebook and Kindle Unlimited!  

Have a great Monday everyone! :)