Sarah's Writing Diary
Hello and welcome to this new part of Little Sparrow Loved! Once a month I want to just touch base, and let you all in on my writing progress! I know there are quite a few of you who love that I write Inspirational fiction and have sent me messages about it, so here I am to give you insight into my stories, and a little bit of behind the scenes of my daily life!
So, if you have seen my Author Sarah Tomlinson facebook page, then you would know that Where She Was Loved is now available on Preorder!!!! This beautiful book has been a labor of love for me, and has taken many years to get it to the point it is now.
I originally wrote this story as Autumn's Dance a few years back. It was a sweet short story, but I always felt like there was more to it, that I had the back stories that needed to come to life also. So, because I was writing other books at the time, under another pen name, I put it to one side. But when something feels unfinished it niggles at you until you finally get back to it.
Another issue I had with my writing was that I love to push boundaries. My books no matter how many times I try to rewrite them wind up somewhere in between the Christian and the secular. I used to feel frustrated as on either side I always found the ones who were happy to send me an email telling me it wasn't christian enough, and on the other end I would get people telling me it was too preachy. Basically I got to the point where I had to no longer worry. These are the stories God had given me, they reflect the real world and the struggles we face as humans. Yes, I needed to let God work and reach both sides of the camp.
Now to the book itself, Where She Was Loved had me in tears on many occasions. This story went straight to my heart because of the topics I cover. Abuse is hard to put into words, and often scenes of violence need to be written in order for the reader to get a clear understanding of what is going on. It's raw, it's real and yes, it affects the writer also!
Talking to survivors as I wrote this book, broke my heart. They came from all walks of life, and yet they all spoke about the one thing that kept them in the situation. The fear of never being good enough for anything or anyone else.And the hope that the person would one day change. With this book I wanted to honour their strength!
Another thing I wanted to touch on was the struggle we have as humans. Wanting to follow God, but being tempted by the flesh. When you are young, it's a hard thing to fight against. Emotions run high, thoughts can be confusing. And then there is my wonderful God! He is woven through out the entire story, but subtly. The more I tried to put Him in the more He removed Himself just a little, and I felt He wanted me to be gentle to the ones who wold read this to not make it too confronting too fast. All in all, this book holds a huge piece of my heart, and I pray it touches yours also.
Aside from finishing off this book, my life has been busy! God has me working hard with all the ideas he has brought to my mind. One thing He prompted me to do, for Little Sparrow Loved is Prayer Journals! I have been writing my prayers down for a very long time, and yet when I speak to many women, they tell me that they do not, and that's okay. But what I like to stress to them is intentional prayer. To keep a track and then trust that God will answer in His way and timing, but the can always look back and see how He answered it!
So, until next month, I pray that God blesses you and leads you down the path He has set out for you! Be sure to check out my new book Where She was Loved and preorder for just $2.99 USD before it goes up to $5.99USD . Help me share the word about it, and of course if you haven't signed up to Little Sparrow Loved Newsletter, then please do so! Receive all my blog posts, book, news, giveaways and soon to come podcast announcements!
Love Sarah Tomlinson
#inspirationalfiction #christianromance #prayerjournals
