Please welcome author and blogger Allison Nance as she shares her path to publishing.

I never set out to write a novel.

Have you spoken with a professional about how you’re feeling?

You should journal about your experience.

Give yourself grace.

These platitudes–albeit spoken with kindness–put the onus for recovery squarely on my
shoulders. Shoulders which remained tense from panic attacks and sagged with depression. Arms
rendered incapable of carrying my child or embracing my husband after bearing the weight of
spiritual warfare.

Completely at a loss as to how to process the mental and physical fallout of an illness which
necessitated a very quick, very unexpected move back to America from the mission field my
family had prepared for five years to live long term, I struggled to find a healthy path forward.

The Lord prompted me to write through the words of a dear friend. After Bible study, she
stopped me and said, “Allison, I’m praying for you. God’s still writing your story, and I can’t
wait to see what it is.”

My friend was praying for me. God still had a plan for me. There was absolutely no pressure on
me to do anything except trust, and tell my story.

Several afternoons later, I sat down at my dining room table, iPad and keyboard at the ready and
started typing. I wrote while feeling anxious and uncertain. I captured the moment-by-moment
battle with fear and hope raging in my mind. But, I gave the woman in this story a different
name, a different history. The Lord helped me unearth the beauty of storytelling as I wrote my
first novel. Although the narrative originates with me, it doesn’t end with me. Characters and
prose outlive the author, gaining new life as they find a home with each reader. Truth is shared
thanks to a fictional world.

With much patience and prayer, my debut novel now has a home, and will be published by
Hidden Shelf Publishing House in early 2025. I can’t wait for you to read my story, but more
than that, I can’t wait for you to see yourself in the pages, and to know that you are seen by a
loving God. Until then, here’s some back cover copy to whet your appetite:

Aimee Rojas is a tenacious single mother at the height of her career in sales—until an
unexpected diagnosis brings life to a grinding halt. Retreating to Galveston Island on the coast of
Texas, Aimee is immediately surrounded with supportive family and friends. However, she soon

realizes accepting help from those closest to her comes with its own nuanced complexities.

Aimee's beloved cousin reappears in her life, complete with his spiraling opioid addiction, and
her handsome co-worker continues to keep her mind racing in spite of her hiatus from the job.

The brightest spark of joy in Aimee's life is her daughter Anna, who quickly befriends the family
next door. As Aimee grapples with the physical and mental effects of her illness, she has no idea
her healing will involve the love of a man whose past is just as complicated as her own, and the
uncovering of a lie which might not only end her career, but her life.

About Allison

Allison writes captivating, character-driven stories which she hopes causes her readers to reflect
on the often harsh intersection of faith and reality, and how the tension between the two plays out
practically in the ordinary—and extraordinary—events of their own lives. Subscribe to Allison’s
newsletter to receive Sunshine Roads, a free short story.



If she’s not slinging artisan-roasted coffee for Victory Point Roastery, writing, or hanging out
with her family, she’s probably baking. You can find her at www.allisonrnance.com