MY SEVENTH BOOK IS A CHRISTIAN ROMANCE NOVEL!

 

       One day as I was talking with my son Jim about the novel he was writing, I remembered that I also had a novel in progress, one I had started 24 years ago! It was September 1997 when I sat down at the computer and began to create a story about Jeff, a college sophomore at Mississippi State University. At the time my husband was pastor of a church in Columbus, about a 20-minute drive from Starkville where the University was. God had called me two years before to be a "Mizpah" for Israel (a watchman and a witness), and I pursued that call by forming an Israel prayer group, disseminating various ministry newsletters from Israel, and teaching an Israel Awareness class. At the time I had been with Curtis and other church members in 1994 to tour Israel. After that, I began a study of modern Hebrew. Then in 1996, only one year before I started the novel, I had designed a mission tour to Jerusalem for some of our church members along with Curtis.

       I was eager to teach the Church about its Jewish roots, using the Bible and historical sources. But it occurred to me that I could grab their attention and stir their emotions through a Christian novel. I wrote a few chapters, but then other duties as a pastor's wife, mother, church secretary, and church pianist and worship leader drew me away from writing. The pages of my novel were stored in a file folder in my desk. 

       Curtis and I made two moves before I looked in that file folder again to resume writing. It was in 2002 after we had retired and moved back to Curtis' childhood home in Petrey, Alabama, that I reached for the novel-in-progress and began to move the story forward. I did a lot of research to make the story match events of history in 1997. Eventually, after reaching Chapter 19, I got bogged down, and back to the file drawer in my desk went my creative work.

       It was while I was talking to Jim that day in April 2021, that I had the idea of reading the chapters of my dormant novel to see if the story was any good. I read it, and got excited. Could I finish it, and would it be worthy of publication? It had been 19 years since I last tried and got all the way through Chapter 19. I sat down at the typewriter on April 17, 2021, and in 34 days I had completed the first draft! It was 44 chapters long, plus an Epilogue. Writing it was more fun than I ever had writing my other six books! I had no doubt that the Holy Spirit had inspired me to write it. The narrative flowed from my fingertips on the typewriter! And there were numerous "God-incidences" along the way when I would flag in zeal. The Lord affirmed me and empowered me to keep writing. He wants this book to reach all kinds of people, especially Jewish people. He can use this story to transform lives! I praise Him and worship Him for giving me this joyful task!

       I am breathless with anticipation to see if my readers really like this book the way I do! You can read the book description and order from my publisher, Energion Publications, here. Amazon has all formats for sale here. Also, Barnes and Noble carries the book.

       You can connect with the author, Nancy Petrey, on Facebook and on her FB Mizpah Tikvah Ministries page. Shalom!