The Fields are Ripe for Harvest - Dynowski

When I first started writing in my genre (contemporary Inspirational Romance), I joined many writers' organizations, one in particular being a group of Christian romance authors. I remember an author sharing she had tried, to no avail, to sell her manuscripts to Christian publishers. Then one day, a secular publisher approached her, offering to publish her story. Stunned by the offer and not knowing if, as a Christian, she should sell to a secular publisher, she sought the counsel of her pastor. He asked her one question: why preach to the choir?

This question resonated with my heart. Christians don't need to hear the gospel message--they're already saved, but the unbeliever is desperate for the Good News, even if he's unaware of this need. And so I craft my stories of love and romance, staying well within the boundary of God's Word, and endeavor to show the love and grace of our Savior no matter what issues my characters face.

While I know writing is my ministry, I'm always awed and humbled at the reaction from the secular world of publishing. While I couldn't garner a review from Christian reviewers, Romance Junkies gave Full Circle a 5-Ribbon rating and Coffee Time Romance gave Appointment With Destiny a 4 out of 5 rating. The CEO of All Romance Ebooks, knowing I write Inspirational Romance, sought me out, requesting I write a short story for their readers, with a 1-flame rating. (A 1-flame rating is a sweet, clean, no sex, no profanity. All the submissions they were receiving was a 5-flame, which is extremely explicit.)

According to the Romance Writers of America statistics, the Christian romance is one of the fastest growing sub-genre of romance. Secular publishers, if they can't purchase an already-existing Christian publisher, create one of their own. The demand for Christian fiction is that strong.

Is it possible the secular world, dissatisfied, yet not fully comprehending this dissatisfaction, are searching for something more? Are they realizing and appreciating the something more found in Christian fiction, where we have the pull between sin and doing the right thing; we have the struggle in the character's mind, heart, spirit, and body and God eventually winning; we have the desire without being graphic and explicit?

"I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." John 4:35 (NIV)

God Bless!

Anna