Issue #5

On-Your-Feet Fiction

An update from Columba Booth

The Lord upholds all who fall, and lifts up all who are bowed down (Psalm 145:14).

Personal News

Hi Reader!

Even though my family moved to California from the UK when I was twelve, I’m a fourth-generation immigrant here. Mom’s grandparents came from Italy in the early 1900s and settled in San Francisco.

They lost everything in the Great Earthquake of 1906, then rebuilt from nothing.

Great-Grandad Craviotto opened a grocery store in Berkeley. The LA Dodgers wanted his son, my grandad, for the team. I understand Great-Grandad wasn't impressed:

"You want to play ball games for a living?!"

Grandad was needed in the family business, so that was that.

Both my grandparents, though divorced from each other, enjoyed wealth and a great lifestyle. This was when you could earn an excellent living working an ordinary job. Grandma owned several houses in ritzy Carmel when she passed away in the 1980s. A single mom of four could pull that off.

Not anymore.

California, as you may know, is hemorrhaging citizens. These folks are fleeing astronomical housing costs, crime, and laws that undermine families. Businesses are also leaving, put off by unfriendly regulations, taxes, and soft-on-crime policies that make staying unsustainable.

My great-grandparents must be turning in their graves. This wasn’t what they had in mind for their descendants—my grown kids, who confront these challenges every day.

Yet California is still a beautiful state, with so much to offer. I love the mountains, beaches, and sun-drenched inland valleys. Farmlands in Sonoma County look like a fairytale. Stunning Hearst Castle is a testament to the potential of freedom.

We even have some of the most supportive homeschool laws in the nation. And the state’s entrepreneur spirit has spurred countless contributions to our nation and the world.

This weekend, the pastor reminded us that every Christian has a ministry. Ministry is simply whatever we do, every day. Even planting a garden or cleaning house is ministry. By faith, one small action at a time, we change the world.

Sometimes I wish Paul and I could leave California, despite my deep roots here. Yet my fiction is entwined with this beloved, troubled state—its problems and beauty, its corruptions and sorrows, its dazzling past and uncertain future.

We won’t know all the ways God has used our lives until we meet Him face to face. But I pray He uses the stories I tell. May they lift up the people who have been knocked down by California’s troubles. Truly, that would be an honor.

Has God used your circumstances to minister in surprising ways? Tell me about it!

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Writing News

The Vision Christian Writers Conference at Mount Hermon was fantastic. I met some wonderful people, including renowned novelist Robin Lee Hatcher. She taught the morning track on fiction, and she provided my biggest takeaway:

I’ve been praying daily for my work in progress (WIP), as a result. I pray over the words I write. I ask God to use the story to draw readers close to Him. To grow their faith. If they don’t know Him, I pray the story opens their eyes and points them to salvation.

Other priceless takeaways:

In other news, I’m having so much fun with my WIP. This second novel is coming along much faster than Wonders in the Deep. It must be because I learned the hard way, the first time around!

In my last newsletter, I prematurely announced the title: California 101 (Not the Highway). I was really excited about that title, but guess what? The story took a different turn, and the title no longer applies. Lesson learned.

And, yeah—there’s no title yet!

For now, I can tell you the story features a mom of four who moves, with her husband and kids, from Texas to east San Diego County. There, she must confront her traumas and fears about the border.

The story includes a conflicted head pastor. A feisty teenage daughter. Twins, a five-year-old, and a mysterious lost boy, who doesn’t speak English, found wandering the hills alone.

Also a horse, because how dramatic is that? :D

I’m hoping to recruit some beta readers when the primary drafts are finished. Would you be interested in that? I’ll let you know more as the work progresses.

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Prayer

Please join me in praying for our country, and California in particular.

Dear Lord,

We lift America up to You. Please forgive the sins of our nation. Please put California, which sets cultural trends, back onto a biblical path.

We ask for sane, strong leaders who will restore peace and freedom to our cities and states. We ask for an honest election and for civility and transparency between opposing parties.

May California return to its grateful immigrant roots. May legal immigrants of all colors and creeds unite to rebuild a strong state. Protect this land from anyone who may be here to destroy and bring harm.

Give us heartfelt revival. We know You are, and have always been, the only hope for America.

In Christ’s Name,

Amen

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Life-Changing Fiction

​Like the Wind, by Robin Lee Hatcher, is set in the fictional town of Bethlehem Springs in Idaho.

Olivia Ward reunites with her teenage daughter when her ex-husband passes away. When Emma’s grandpa shows up, wanting to be part of Emma’s life, Olivia wonders if she can trust him.

Meanwhile, the handsome investigator, who is so much help with Emma, seems to have some untold secrets.

This is a clean, fun read that explores the important themes of family and love. Highly recommend!

​Glimmer in the Darkness, by Robin Patchen, is a suspenseful story about a falsely accused woman with a troubled past. Themes of trust, family, and standing up for the weak kept me turning the pages. The scary twists and turns, betrayal, and an unexpected ending were riveting.

Thanks for reading, and God bless you!

In Christ,

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