Debut Author Spotlight ... Julie Jarnagin

LEARNING TO LET GO

by Julie Jarnagin

I had strived for publication for years before I felt God calling me to stop writing and give my dreams to him. Stop writing? I couldn't fathom how I would let it go. After a few tears and a lot of questions about why God would ask me to let it go, I submitted to Him.

I was especially worried that my friends and family who had supported me on my journey would think I had given up. My need for approval was one reason my writing dream had become toxic. It was more about proving to everyone that I could do it than following God’s will for my life.

I had a single submission out to an editor, but I didn't give it much thought. I had truly handed it over to God, and He taught me so many lessons during that time.

About a year after I had surrendered my writing to God, I opened my inbox and there it was - an email from the editor with Barbour / Heartsong Presents asking if Canyon Walls was still available because she wanted to publish my book.

God had reopened the door for me to start writing again, and this time, I had a whole new outlook. Sometimes we cling to our dreams when we need to be clinging to the one who created them - God. Psalm 37:4 says, "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

My writing journey taught me I had to put my life and my dreams in His hands, and I had to do that through actions, not through words or empty prayers. I'm so thankful for the journey.

CANYON WALLS
by Julie Jarnagin

Barbour / Heartsong Presents, April 2011
170 pages

Sunset Camp changed Cassie Langley’s life as a teen. A decade later she is the new director attempting to prevent the struggling Christian camp from closing. She is determined to show her overbearing mom, perfect sister, and nosey small-town residents she can do it on her own.

Charming Will Overman volunteers as a camp counselor, attracting Cassie’s attention–and her suspicions. Is he there to help the kids or scout out the camp as a possible development site for his family’s real estate business? With the camp in serious financial trouble, Cassie must fight her feelings for Will to protect the camp.

Julie Jarnagin grew up in a rural community where her family farmed and raised cattle, inspiring her to set much of her fiction in small towns. She earned a B.A. in Journalism/Professional Writing from the University of Oklahoma and is a member of America Christian Fiction Writers. Her articles have appeared in local and national publications. Through her writing, she hopes to share stories that reflect God’s love. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband and young son.
http://www.juliejarnagin.com/