What Community Do You Rely On?

Lots of people don’t read past The End in a book. That’s fine for them, but I like to read it all—the acknowledgements, the author bio, the book club questions. Probably because if I liked the book, I’m just not ready to put it down.
Before The Well went to print, I was asked to answer some questions in A Conversation with Stephanie Landsem, and those answers were printed in the back of the book. I especially liked answering this one about community:
Mara was often outside the community of women, though she longed to be part of them. Do you have a community you rely on, both in life and for your writing?

Absolutely, and I’m blessed that my writing and faith communities intersect so much that sometimes I can’t tell them apart. My family is a huge support and always there to lift me up. Friends who have helped me through pregnancies and child-rearing are now glad to be my first readers and my biggest fans. In the past few years, many of the talented writers I’ve met have become instant friends because of our shared love of words, but even more so because of our shared faith. Of course,  my larger church community is a huge source of strength and inspiration and where I go for spiritual rest and peace.

As the publication date of The Well approaches, I acknowledge more than ever those who have helped me get my story to this point. My family (yes, that’s most of them in the picture below), friends, church community, agent and editors are the support that I rely on. In fact, I never would have been able to finish The Well without them. They have prayed for me, encouraged me, and sometimes given me that kick in the pants I needed to get to the next step.

As with most accomplishments in life, writing a book isn’t done by just one person. So people, you know who you are and you know what you’ve done. Thank you.

Who do you rely on for inspiration, support, and an occasional kick in the pants? Have you thanked them lately?