I’m
so proud today to be hosting my longtime friend and newly published author,
Anna Lee Huber. Her first novel, The
Anatomist’s Wife, releases tomorrow. (Tomorrow. I
can’t believe I just wrote that. I always
told her I’d be able to say, I knew you
when...) Even back in our elementary
days in a small-town school, Anna had a special something—dramatic flair,
creative talent, artistic gusto. She was
my introduction to the Nancy Drew mystery series, as well as to Janet Jackson a
la Rhythm Nation when she
choreographed some of us to “Black Cat.”
We imaginary-double-dated the New Kids on the Block together (which
worked out just fine as she was a Jordan girl and I had a thing for Joe). We were cast-mates in various plays and
musicals, choir/show choir buddies, and fellow rah-rahs. We’ve been in a writing group together for the
past four years, and her critiques, encouragement, and support have been
invaluable. Anna sees the best in
people, and she believes there is room for everyone at the writing table. She is the kind of friend anyone would be
lucky to have in her corner (or underneath her when she falls out of a full extension),
and her current success is hard-won and well-deserved. It is my pleasure to introduce her to you
here today. May her words inspire you
and fill you with hope in whatever God has called you to do.
Dear 22-year-old Me,
So, here you are, a college graduate. You’ve just achieved what’s supposed to be
one of the most important things you’ll ever do in your life, the culmination
of years of hard work, of fears and frustrations, of desperate prayers—asking
God whether you’ve chosen the right career, the correct path. You should be happy. You should be excited.
And, yet, you still have doubts. They keep you up at night. They eat away at you little by little.
You chose to major in music, but what was once your
sanctuary, the gift you were most certain of, you no longer feel confident of,
you no longer feel joy in. But who are
you without your music, without your voice?
You feel lost in a world where you once felt so sure.
I’m sorry to say things will not get easier for you in the
next year. Or even in the year after
that. You will be a sliver away from
landing a job at a record company, a position that you hope might transition
into a career. But you won’t get
it. You will decide to take a year off
before settling on graduate school, hoping your love of music, your desire to
perform will return. They won’t. You will toy with the idea of switching
majors or attending Law School. You
won’t do those either. You will fear
that you’re wasting your life, your time, your talents.
But through all this, through all the tears and nights of
endless worry, God will still be working in you. You will find your way again. You will find your voice. It just won’t be in the manner you
expected.
You will begin to read for pleasure again, and that will
remind you of how much you liked to write.
And innocent, unsuspecting little you will decide to pick up the pen
again, just for fun.
You will find your joy.
It will burst upon you like a bright new sun. And, suddenly, you will know. You will understand what you are meant to
do. What God has been shaping and
molding you to become. Your voice will
sing again—across the page.
Now that doesn’t mean everything will be easy from there on
out. There are still many hurdles to
overcome, many more tears and sleepless nights.
It will be seven more agonizing years before you receive your first
publishing contract. And another year
and a half before your first novel will actually be published. You will wonder whether you will ever be good
enough. Whether it will ever be possible
to make a living from this thing you love.
You will feel the weight of this undertaking you have made, and you will
seriously consider giving up more than once.
But the journey, the struggle will be well worth it. The pain and rejection will make you
stronger. The hours of sacrificed free
time will make you more determined. The
roller coaster of emotions will make you a better, more empathetic writer.
And you will not be alone.
The amazing man you married five months ago (the smartest decision you
ever made, by the way, marrying him) will support and encourage you all the
way. He will pick you up and carry you
on the days when you feel anything but capable.
Your family, though they won’t always understand this choice you’ve
made, will believe in you even when you don’t believe in yourself. And the never-ending enthusiasm of your
closest friends will bear you up when all else seems lost.
And when you achieve your dream, when you finally hold those
words you bled and sweat and cried over, printed in a beautiful book in your
hands, you will feel elation and joy and pride.
It will be a gem of a moment, a treasure to be wrapped and stored in a
corner of your mind to be brought out on rainy days.
I’m sorry to say, the doubts and anxieties and fears will
not suddenly vanish because you are published.
You will still agonize over its imperfections. You will still fear that you are a fraud,
that you cannot write, and that someday soon, someone is going to realize
it. You will still worry that you aren’t
worthy of any of it.
But you will also understand that your words will never be
perfect, and that’s okay, because we, as humans, are imperfect. That you will
never stop fearing you’re a fraud, and that’s okay, because it keeps you honest
and humble. That you will never be
worthy, and that’s okay, because God doesn’t need us to be worthy. He just needs us to believe.
So don’t give up on yourself. Keep your faith and hope and enthusiasm, even
when a doubting Thomas tells you your optimism is foolish. Appreciate your husband more. He is the rock that will get you through all
of this. Learn not to be so darn
independent—it’s okay to ask for help.
And try to be a little easier on yourself. It’s good to expect the best from yourself,
but sometimes we’re just not capable of it.
Our failures and vulnerabilities make us human, not weak.
Someday you will look back on this time and marvel at how
far you’ve come. You will meet a
23-year-old in a similar situation and be able to relate—recalling the
emptiness and heartbreak of those years—and give thanks and praise to God for
bringing you through that and beyond.
You will be amazed by all the blessings God has bestowed upon you, and
you will wonder how you could have ever doubted for one moment that he had a
plan. You will know you are everything
you were meant to be, and this it is only the beginning.
Someday…
It will be here sooner than you think.
Love,
Me
About Anna:
Anna
Lee Huber was born and raised in a small town in Ohio. She is a graduate of Lipscomb University in
Nashville, TN, where she majored in Music and minored in Psychology. THE ANATOMIST'S WIFE, the first book in the
Lady Darby historical mystery series, has been hailed as “…a riveting debut…”
and will be released by Berkley Publishing on November 6th,
2012. She currently lives in Indiana
with her husband and troublemaking tabby cat.
When not hard at work on her next novel, she enjoys reading, singing,
travel, and spending time with her family. Visit her website at www.annaleehuber.com.
About The Anatomist's Wife:
Scotland, 1830. Following the death of her husband, Lady Darby
has taken refuge at her sister's estate, finding solace in her passion for
painting. But when her hosts throw a house party for the cream of London
society, Kiera is unable to hide from the ire of those who believe her to be as
unnatural as her husband, an anatomist who used her artistic talents to suit
his own macabre purposes. Kiera wants to put her past aside, but when one of
the house guests is murdered, her brother-in-law asks her to utilize her
knowledge of human anatomy to aid the insufferable Sebastian Gage-a fellow
guest with some experience as an inquiry agent. While Gage is clearly more
competent than she first assumed, Kiera isn't about to let her guard down as
accusations and rumors swirl. When Kiera and Gage's search leads them to even
more gruesome discoveries, a series of disturbing notes urges Lady Darby to
give up the inquiry. But Kiera is determined to both protect her family and
prove her innocence, even as she risks becoming the next victim...
Facebook: AuthorAnnaLeeHuber
Twitter: AnnaLeeHuber
The
Anatomist’s Wife releases tomorrow! Snag
a copy at your nearest bookstore (and dig in to a great read while you wait in
line at the polls) or order it online at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
Want
to win a copy? Because Anna is awesome, she is giving away
one copy of the book to one reader (US resident). Just leave a comment telling us what you wish
you could tell your younger self. Contest closes at 11:59 EST on 11/8/12.
