Guest post from Kelly Martin, B90 Group 24 mentor and YA novelist
I never thought I could read the Bible in 90 days. To be honest, I never really thought about reading it in cover to cover in any certain length of time. I read what I was supposed to for church and what-not. I even had a blog that was solely for biblical encouragement, but I felt like a fraud—because I’d never read the entire bible.
In June of 2011, I stumbled up on a website (you guessed it, this one) that introduced me to the scary, awesome, wonderful, crazy thing called “B90.” I thought, “Why not?”
And that why not is why I’m here today—a soon-to-be published author.
I started the program in July with the help of Amy and my awesome mentor, Lynn (I was in group 40). My sister also did the program with me which helped so much. You should see the texts we sent each other like “Did you know that was in the Bible!?” and “Whoa! Did you read that?”
It was a great experience. I’m not saying it was easy. I know the B90 program is in full swing right now (I mentored a group on my blog in January, and this fall I’m a mentor to another lovely group! We will read until our eyes are sore! Come on, Group 24!). Right now, you are probably wondering what in the world you got yourself into. I know I did. There were some days when I couldn’t stand the thought of reading another law, another proverb, another verse. Some days, I was tired.
I know you are too.
But let me tell you something that you might not know… an unintended side-effect of the B90 program is that it motivates you to set a goal and achieve it!
I finished the B90 program in 78 days. I have my “I Did It” shirt (and get asked about it on several occasions). Then came November, and I had all this time to use since I wasn’t doing B90 any more. So I joined something called National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo). Basically, you write 1,667 words a night (hopefully more) and at the end of the month you have a 50,000 word novel.
I thought, “Why not?”
Thanks to the discipline I learned from B90 (and I can’t leave God out of this. I have a husband, a full-time out-of-the-house job, and three kids under seven. If God didn’t want this to happen, it wouldn’t have. He kept my fingers moving and the ideas flowing.)
I finished my 50,000 words before Thanksgiving and started editing. Friends, it wasn’t great. I edited it about 15 more times and got it up to 63,000 words.
After that, I decided to send queries to agents and publishers. On July 2nd, the most wonderful email came into my inbox. It was from Astraea Press— and they loved my book. That day, I had another contract offer from a different publisher. I was on cloud nine, scared out of my mind, and couldn’t believe it was happening. I ended up signing the contract with AP! *Happy Dance*
My first novel (which came about because I learned how to focus and not give up due to the B90 program) called CROSSING THE DEEP will be released tomorrow, October 9th! It is a young adult/Christian/Inspirational novel for teens (and parents) who love clean fiction. Believe me, clean doesn’t equal dull.
Here is the back cover blurb of Crossing the Deep:
Sixteen year old Rachel Harker expects the church sponsored hiking trip in the Smoky Mountains to be short and painless. Four days later, injured and scared, Rachel prays to just make it home alive.
Asher Jenkins, fellow hiker and handsome skeptic who is only on the hike so he doesn’t have to go home and face his abusive ‘uncle’, finds Rachel in the woods and tries to get her back to Deep Creek Trail. A small hole hidden under the fall leaves causes her ankle to twist and forces Asher to leave her to get help. As night falls, he comes back, unable to find the right trail.
As hours stretch into days, an unexpected rainstorm bears down the mountain, flooding Deep Creek and cutting off their way home. Rachel puts all of her faith in God to save them. Asher thinks believing in God is a waste of time and does what he can to prove to Rachel that He doesn’t exist.
With their food gone and the temperature dropping, time is running out. Will Rachel be able to do what needs to be done to get home? And can Asher find faith when he needs it the most?
****
Folks, I’m here to tell you to not give up on any dream you may have. If God wants it to happen, it will.
And don’t give up on the Bible in 90 Days program. It truly changed my life.
~Kelly Martin– mommy, wife, teacher, writer, B90 mentor, sleep-deprived
CROSSING THE DEEP will be available tomorrow, October 9th, in electronic version from www.astraeapress.com, www.amazon.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com.
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