Diagnostic Review

When I saw the diagnostic review was completed by my publisher, I took a deep breath before opening the attachment.  I had no idea what to expect!  I was ready for anything, including being told to just forget the whole idea of being a novelist.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I begin to read the editor's comments, part of which is shown below:

The Omega Watchers is a work of true fiction that is one hundred percent original and fictional  and is truly refreshing. The author has done an excellent job of taking her ideas and
forming them into a story with all of the elements that make up a great piece of
fiction.  She has a tremendous amount of dialogue, which is huge in a story like
this one, because it allows the reader to be “shown” instead of “told” by the
author. This book is well written and free of any major errors or problems.

There were some areas that did need editing and that is my current focus.  Plus, I decided to make a major change in the story which will add to the biblical timing of the events.  I had been considering this for some time and by one last editing, I can  make those changes that will add an additional prophetic teaching to the manuscript.  One I plan to build on in the sequel.

I hope to have all edits completed by the first of October.  The publisher is currently working on the book cover and when I submit the final changes The Omega Watchers will be typeset for print and there will be no changes...no turning back.

We are looking towards a December release and I am planning to begin the sequel in January.  I've already started notes and the outline.  I have in my mind the plot and ending for the sequel.  When I started my current novel I had no idea (at all!) what I would write about or what would happen in the next chapter.   I didn't know until the very end how it would end.

Hopefully, the sequel won't take two years.  Judging from what's prophetically going on in the world, we may not even be here in two years!

The First Step in Publishing

I am waiting now as a professional editor is doing a diagnostic analysis of my novel.  This will determine weak and strong areas, suggestions on rewrites, etc. After the review I will do work on any suggested changes and deletions.  Then move to the book layout and actual printing!

It's hard to explain the mixed emotions that are spinning in my mind.  I wake up in the middle of the night thinking "should I have written this different" or "should I have added that"...I guess you never reach a point you feel like it is exactly the way it should be.

The only thing I know for sure is that much prayer and research went into the overall effort and I know that I could not have written at all without divine guidance.  There were times I would write something that I thought would be fictional and then in research find out that it wasn't.  An example is "Summerland".  I was trying to describe a "fictional" place that the New Age Religion believes exists after death while waiting to be reincarnated and discovered there is such a place they "believe" exists.  Instances like this happened numerous times to the point it got eerie.

Then I realized a few chapters in!  The book was only to be fiction as far as the characters and plot. Everything else was to be based on fact...the facts of what is "believed" by paranormal teachings and the opposing biblical facts.   And my efforts became to expose the counterfeit paranormal beliefs from the Living Truth through fictional characters living out the deceptions that have come upon the earth.

When I started the novel I had no idea where it would lead, where the plot would go or what would happen...until the end.  At the beginning of each chapter I had no inkling as to what I would write until the words begin to flow onto the pages.  It was like I was both writing and reading a book at the same time, not knowing what would happen next.

I honestly did not have any idea how it would end until I wrote the last chapter struggling with Gabriella's destiny.  Will she accept the spiritual truth of God's Word or be caught in the great deception???  The ending surprised even me!

I Signed with a Publisher!

I can't believe it's been almost six months since I posted on this blog.  It took much longer than I expected to do the final edits and cuts from the book before submitting it to a publisher.  I discovered the book was too long and unless part of it was cut it would have sold for more than most people will pay for a novel.  So my personal editors read through it 'again' and we looked for places that "words" could be deleted without compromising the story or prophetic content.  Finally, we came to a final manuscript that will be about 350 pages.

Then there was the time of much prayer and research as to how to publish and with whom.  On September 2 I signed with Xulon Press, a Christian Publishing Company.  Currently the manuscript is being read by a professional editor for content evaluation and to determine if there are weak areas and changes that need to be made before designing it for printing.  It's so hard to turn my first "book baby" over to someone to tell me all the things that could be improved,  but on the other hand I want to know how to make it the best it can be.  And to know how to proceed with the sequel which I plan to start this winter.

After the cover is designed I will start a FB page showing the progress of the book until it is released before Christmas in both printed and electronic form.  And I will continue the journey of updates on how "The Omega Watchers" is being marketed.

I have gone out on a prophetic limb with the writing of this book bringing in paranormal subjects that are not comfortable for some people (i.e. extraterrestrial life, spirit guides, ghosts, time travel, etc).  But I truly believe these are deceptions being used by demonic spirits led by Satan himself in these final days and are seducing, especially our young people, into believing a lie:

I Timothy 4:1  The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.

Thank you to all of my friends and family that have supported and encouraged me through this new journey.  Please pray with me that lives will be changed and readers see clearly the trap that is being laid by the enemy of our soul in the final days of "time".  There will soon be a day when "time will be no more".  (Rev. 10:6)