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CWO – Back where I started

Captain’s Log, Supplemental

Blog book giveaway:
To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there.
My Thursday book giveaway is Dark Hour by Ginger Garrett.
My Monday book giveaway is The Guy I’m Not Dating by Trish Perry.
You can still enter both giveaways. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for the Dark Hour and post the title for another book I'm giving away.

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Check out Christian Women Online (click on the button above) to see what other women are blogging about this quote:

"Has someone seen the life I planned?
It seems it's been misplaced
I've looked in every corner
It's lost without a trace..."
~ Beth Moore~
From the poem: "The Life I Planned"


My life has changed SO much, yet it came back to my original life-dream, the one I put away so many years ago.

I wanted to be a writer. My mother, bless her heart, encouraged me to write, even though she knew the chances were slim and the pay was pathetic.

But being the practical child I was, I knew I couldn't live the bohemian artist's lifestyle and so I switched.

To physics.

Yes, hidden under the flowery stories about unicorns was a particle physicist. I was going to slam sub-particles together and make big explosions.

But in college, the math killed me. Or maybe it was because my teacher—a grad student—couldn't speak English very well.

So I switched to psychology. Why? Well, I'd been in counselors for many years in my childhood because of my brother's ADD, so why not?

Then I recommitted my life to God. (That was way cool.)

Then I started getting ambitious (as if being a physicist wasn't impossible enough). How about a medical missionary? I switched to pre-med.

I applied to medical schools. I got an interview, but no offers. Because of all those biology and chemistry classes, I got a job at a pharmaceutical company doing biology research.

Then I went to this small Asian church because of a friend of a friend, and instantly clicked with the junior high school girls I met. And instantly knew this was what God wanted for me—to work with youth.

He asked me to give up medical school. I struggled a bit, then said sure. (The next day, I got an invite to interview at one of the schools I had applied to. Talk about a knife in the gut as I tossed the paper in the trash.)

Fast-forward 7 years. I got laid off. God said, "Why don't you take up writing again?" Fun!

Captain Caffeine got laid off. I had to go back to work, but the burning was in me to write. I fasted and prayed, talked it over with Captain Caffeine (who got a job by then), and quit my job for 6 months.

God gave me a book contract right at the end of those six months.

Writer --> physicist --> psychologist --> doctor --> biologist --> writer

Makes perfect sense, huh? I couldn't have planned it better myself!

Get Colleen Coble's e-book! Best-selling romantic suspense author Colleen Coble wrote a trio of books for Steeple Hill Suspense, her Great Lakes Trilogy, under the pen name Colleen Rhoads. The first book, Windigo Twilight, is on sale this week at Fictionwise.com as an e-book!

http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook41339.htm?r=10a23

Normally, Steeple Hill books go out of print really fast, but this series has been so popular that it's still available.

TMI: (Camy's overshare section)

Writing: I wrote a review for Mary DeMuth's novel, Watching the Tree Limbs (below).

I am still in the midst of plotting. It's depressing because I think I have even less of a plot than I first thought.

Diet: Captain Caffeine fixed my exercise bike! I was on it for an hour on Sunday (boy does my butt hurt).
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Comments

  1. AmeMon Oct 23, 11:53:00 PM 2006

    I am in AWE ... you are an amazing and gifted woman. I am sure God has woven all those talents and abilities into your writing!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mary DeMuthTue Oct 24, 02:59:00 AM 2006

    Hey!

    I was a math major too, until I switched to the dark side...English)

    And at one time I wanted to be a doctor too.

    And I was a youth pastor and a young life leader.

    And my husband SHOULD be a barista (he's certainly a captain caffeine)

    No go on the physics, though.

    Darn.

    I thought we were twins for a second there.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Miriam PaulineTue Oct 24, 05:35:00 AM 2006

    Isn't it wonderful when we can look back and see a big picture of how it is woven all together. For me it was math major to social worker to SAHW to home educating mom. Who'd have thought it could all be His plan, but it is.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownTue Oct 24, 06:47:00 AM 2006

    Very cool, but an HOUR on the bike? Yikes, girl!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousTue Oct 24, 06:50:00 AM 2006

    I always say: "God has a sense of humor". His plans are pretty cool compare to ours.
    Thank you for sharing...

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousTue Oct 24, 06:50:00 AM 2006

    Great personal story, Camy. And I love the poem. Right now God seems to be leading me from writing fiction to nonfiction. I hope he leads me back again. :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. AmydeanneTue Oct 24, 07:23:00 AM 2006

    mom -> photographer -> daycare -> education -> business -> mom

    hehe I know that weird path. It's amazing how God does things!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Just NancyTue Oct 24, 08:19:00 AM 2006

    My husband was in physics, actually still is. Has a PhD and recently sent a book he and I wrote together to Wizards of the Coast.

    I never wanted to be in science but I did want to produce TV commercials and plan out advertising campaigns. Now I plan errand running for a 17 year old, a husband and a 4 year old, while wondering WHY I continue to sign up for NaNoWriMo, why the house never stays tidy, and why my books AREN'T selling like I want!!!

    I love it, and I wrote my own essay over at my place!

    ReplyDelete
  9. AnonymousTue Oct 24, 09:24:00 AM 2006

    Camy Tang you are always a delight to read!

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousTue Oct 24, 09:44:00 AM 2006

    i know how you feel about having your paths changed. i always thought that i was going to be a chemical engineer when i grew up, mainly b/c my dad was an engineer too. i went to college with that plan in mind. however it took realizing that i could not grasp advanced calculus even after taking the class 3 times. i decided to switch to something i should have originally done. now i'm majoring in history which i have enjoyed since i was little and loving it.

    oh and i saw on the FIRST blog that we're going to be promoting your book in sept/oct. woooo!!

    and thanks for keep writing about riding the bike. i need to start again. i've been slacking off due to lots of homework..and it's starting to show :(

    ReplyDelete
  11. UnknownTue Oct 24, 10:21:00 AM 2006

    Your blogs are always so much fun!

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousTue Oct 24, 10:44:00 AM 2006

    Interesting, Camy. Amazing how God takes us down all sorts of paths. I've been working up the courage to post my testimony on my blog. Maybe in a few days....

    ReplyDelete
  13. HeatherTue Oct 24, 11:54:00 AM 2006

    Lovely story. Definitely His style. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. AnonymousTue Oct 24, 01:56:00 PM 2006

    a) I loved reading about your personal journey.
    b) I was blog surfing today and noticed on another site you won a free book. And I thought, "Hm, isn't this the chick who posted this: My husband has threatened to chuck my books if I don't get rid of them, so every Monday and Thursday, I list either a new or gently used book to give away. on her blog? :)

    Stop the obsession, Camy!

    Sarah

    P.S. What am I saying? My husband consistently tells me I have too many books and I still buy them. :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousTue Oct 24, 06:38:00 PM 2006

    It is amazing to look at how we got to where we are. Never how we would have imagined it and rarely ever in a straight line but always with His will. Thanks for the great post!

    ReplyDelete
  16. GeekwifTue Oct 24, 06:53:00 PM 2006

    I've floundered a bit myself and still don't know where I'll end up when I grow up. (Isn't it funny how much longer growing up takes than we thought it would when we were kids.)

    None of my flounderings were so prestigious as "physicist" or "biologist" though. At the moment, I'd give my left foot for the chance to be a homemaker, writer, or a farmgirl – or some mix of the three.

    I'm glad you found your way back to something you love. Good luck on your NaNo novel! I can't wait to get started!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Gina ConroyTue Oct 24, 07:12:00 PM 2006

    Wow! What a wild ride! But at least you'll never run out of things to write about. And how cool about the 6 month thing!

    ReplyDelete
  18. AnonymousWed Oct 25, 10:36:00 AM 2006

    What a great analysis of your journey...very inspirational. Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Darlene SchachtWed Oct 25, 11:06:00 AM 2006

    What next--president? I saw just about everything else on your list. lol

    ReplyDelete

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