We’re so thrilled to introduce Mollie Campbell to the Love Inspired Historical Team!
I’ve read inspirational romance for almost as long as I can remember. But write it? I never thought I could do that! After earning a Bachelor’s degree in management and working for several years, I married a great guy and we had two babies. Every time I found myself at a point of change in life, I always wondered if I could write a book. And I always quit before getting very far.
I’ll never forget the night I decided to try it for real. After babysitting in our home for over a year, I found myself at another career turn. One January evening, I was out running an errand by myself. With two young kids, how often does that happen? I do my best thinking when I’m driving and this time, an entire story formed in my mind.
I could see the widowed heroine, Coralee, standing in the apothecary shop she’d inherited from her father, wondering how she was
going to save the failing business. And then there was Jake, her childhood sweetheart, the man she thought she’d marry until he broke her heart by leaving. She was fighting for her livelihood and her father’s legacy, he was fighting to keep his dream alive. And orphaned twins would bring them together.
It was pretty clear that I would never find a better time to try. I was already at home with my kids and they had just grown old enough to entertain themselves some of the time. My oldest would be starting school in a few months and I would have extra time to work on writing. As soon as I got home, I sat down to research.
I devoured everything I could learn about writing inspirational romance. But I was mostly writing on instinct and I had no idea if that would be enough. I hadn’t gotten very far into the story when Love Inspired Historical announced their Manuscript Matchmakers contest. There was a chance to get feedback from editors on my idea, one little piece at a time? The opportunity was too great for a brand-new writer to pass up.
“Surely there was no way I would get ‘the call’ for my first full manuscript!”
To my surprise, I met every deadline and advanced through all the stages. I couldn’t believe it. But surely there was no way I would get “the call” for my first full manuscript! I was hoping for excellent feedback and the chance to fix issues and submit the book again. But I still memorized the area code for New York, just in case.
When my phone rang on a Wednesday in August, the kids were playing with Play-Doh. If you know toddlers, you know that’s not a safe activity to leave unsupervised for even a minute! Thankfully, my husband had just come home from work to have lunch. I looked at the number and thought (or maybe shouted) “It can’t be!”
Sure enough, it was editor Shana Asaro with the best possible news. And I got to share the excitement with four other new authors who also got calls that day! I received a contract and made it through rounds of editing that made my little story better than I could have imagined. It’s been a wonderful, stretching process. Best of all, I get to share Jake, Coralee, and the twins with the world!
To learn more about Mollie, visit molliecampbell.com
or say hello on Twitter @MollieACampbell
And don’t miss Taking on Twins, available June 2017 from Love Inspired Historical!
8 replies on “Getting the Call: Meet Mollie Campbell!”
Congratulations. What an inspiring call story. Love your cover, btw. Praying for continued success, Mollie!
Thank you, Tina!
Congrats on getting the call, Mollie. (love your name!) Such a neat story. What a wonderful surprise! Nice cover too. 🙂
Thank you, Chrissie! Glad you like the cover!
Congrats, Mollie! Love the Call story. 🙂
Thanks, Marna!
What an inspiring story! Congratulations on your achievement! Read http://bigessaywriter.com/blog/netflix-punisher-season-one-is-coming-are-you-ready to relax a bit.
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Comments ( 7 )
I spent the entire shutdown working. Had no time to wind down. I didn’t see my son much when school shutdown. My one co worker was told to stay home for 3 weeks so I picked up her hours. This year has been really crappy.
Ugh, Janell. Here’s hoping the rest of your summer is better.
Thanks for the info, Carol! Everyone is different in how they deal with the shutdown! I stay at home all the time since I don’t work so I haven’t been too effected but my shopping and errands sure have been effected!
Valri, I’ve been doing most of my shopping online. My local Target is still low on some items – mostly cleaning supplies. Grocery store is pretty much back to normal. Most of the dining in our town is outdoor. I can’t imagine have school-age kids!
Wow–getting your creative process on track must have been daunting–especially with “extra-large dog” glad to have you home. You don’t like coffee–I love coffee and have enjoyed my fortifying 2 cups in the morning even more than usual! How as COVID affected your story lines and characterizations? Best Wishes for all releases!
Interesting question, Virginia. You’ll have to tell me if the tone of my “COVID” books changed any! LOL
Life has changed so much! My dad passed Feb 2. The assisted living facility my folks were at went into hardcore lockdown the beginning of March. Mom couldn’t leave her apartment for 4 months! She was on the third floor, Will be 89 in two months & doesn’t use the phone. My husband and I remodeled the lower level completely and moved her in with us July 1. What a life change and difficult transition for the 3 of us! But we’re working thru it!