Into the Fire

This is what I ask myself at my lowest point in the writing process: "Am I a fraud for calling myself an author?" 

Well, technically, I am not a fraud for calling myself an author. I've written 11 novels, 9 of which have been published in one format or another (soft covers or ebooks or both). I'm working on number 12 at present. 

Am I a fraud for thinking I write good love stories/romances? I suppose that's subjective depending on who you ask. Having chosen the most prolific genre in the world to write novels with the numbers of published fare ranking in the zillions, it doesn't really make me a fraud for writing them – it just doesn't add up to being a "recognized" author in the genre for me.

Bottom line: writing love stories/romances is what I'm supposed to write. I write what I love to read – and can find very few "real" authors in the Christian Fiction market who write them the way I like. I don't and won't label my stories "clean fiction", the now trendy term for classifying most romances and romantic suspense in the Christian market. Why won't I? Because it implies that without that label the romance is going to be dirty. Granted, if you read secular/general market romances, chances are you will have clips of written porn which muddies up the story and generally speaking is so unnecessary. But I cannot recall ever reading a Christian romance novel that wasn't "clean" without that inference and label. 

So. I eventually conclude I'm not a fraud. But successful by any accepted standard? Not really.

Father, thank you for every story, every character, and all the words and ideas. Apart from you, I can do nothing. Period. "End of story." In the Name of Jesus, Amen.