The Second Chances in Life

 

                                   Jill Weatherholt

Do you believe in second chances? Can you recall a time in your life when someone gave you a second chance? Perhaps you made a mistake at your job, but your boss let it go. Maybe you wronged a friend, but she offered forgiveness. Life can be full of second chances.

Today, I thought I’d share a funny story about taking that second chance.

Many years ago, after my mother had spent the morning golfing with her friends, she shared a story.

It was a beautiful Tuesday morning—perfect for golf. She and three other women were playing their regularly scheduled weekly game. When they got to a par-3 hole (for you non-golfers, it means you have three shots to get the ball into the hole), and each woman took their turn.

The first woman hit her shot, landing it on the green. My mother and her other playing partner followed suit. Finally, the last woman in the foursome stepped up to the tee box. She took one practice swing and then another. After, she firmly planted her feet and addressed the ball to hit her first shot. She swung the club, striking the ball, resulting in a wild hook straight into the bushes. She proceeded to pull another ball from her bag and announced, “I’m going to hit again.” The rules of golf prohibit a player from hitting again without taking a penalty, but no one in the foursome spoke up.

She teed up her ball and readied herself to hit. Unlike the first shot, this time, the club made good contact. The ball soared toward the green. Everyone watched as the ball bounced onto the green and rolled straight into the hole.

My mother and her friends cheered, each congratulating her on a nice shot. The woman squealed and then proceeded to jump up and down, proclaiming she’d made a hole in one.

The three ladies looked at one another, confused. In golf, unlike life, there are no second chances. After a moment of silence, one lady spoke up. “That was your second shot, so it’s not a legitimate hole in one.”

Apparently, the woman believed she deserved a second chance. So, she took it. She marked her scorecard with a one and proceeded to the next hole.

Whenever the foursome reached that par three, in the numerous rounds of golf that followed that day, the woman would ask her friends, “Remember when I got that hole in one here?” My mother and her friends would smile.

In my current release, Searching for Home, you won’t find any reference to golf, but you will find my favorite trope. Perhaps it’s the romantic optimist in me, but I always enjoy writing a story that offers a second chance.

By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith, and forgiveness for Harlequin Love Inspired.

Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia.

She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke University.

She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard.

Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control.

Visit:  https://jillweatherholt.com/

When God Has a Different Plan

Jill Weatherholt

When I signed my first contract with Harlequin Love Inspired in 2015, a question asked often was, “Are you going to quit your day job?”



In 2015, when I entered the Blurb to Book contest offered by my current publisher, writing was a hobby. It was something I did to relieve stress. My best friend, and mother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. Escaping into my story world was a balm for my heartache.



As I advanced in the contest, I realized my hobby had an opportunity to go in a different direction. Today, I know it was all part of God’s plan, but back then, I was clueless as to what He had in store for me.



At the end of the contest, a contract for my first book was offered. It was a dream come true.

But wait—early on, I’d never dreamed of becoming a published writer. I’m not one of those authors who knew when they were a child that they wanted to write books. I didn’t even know it when I reached adulthood. In my thirties and early forties, there was no desire to see my name in print. Sure, I loved to read since I was a child, but writing a book? It just wasn’t on my radar.



Then something shifted. At the time, I couldn’t explain it. Suddenly I became obsessed with all things related to writing. I found myself journaling about how I wanted to be a writer. I was hooked on reading author websites and learning about their journey to publication. I wasn’t sure where this desire was coming from, but I was unable to escape it. I began to study the craft. I wrote short stories for fun, and even entered a few contests. In fact, one of those contests was with Southern Writer’s Magazine. They were the first to ever publish something that I’d written. Then another story was published, and contests were won.



But it was one month after I turned fifty-years-old, when things took a major turn. On August 17, 2015, I received a phone call from New York. I remember I was at my day job. When I saw the New York area code on my cell, I let it go into voicemail thinking it was a solicitor. A few minutes later, the same number popped up on my screen again. For a second time, I ignored it. Then it dawned on me, and my heart began to race. Harlequin is in New York. Wasn’t today the day the editors were going to offer a contract? I panicked. What if they didn’t call a third time? What if they moved on to the next contestant?



My fears subsided when I saw the same number appear on the screen. From that moment on, my world changed. It became a series of constant deadlines, and a future filled with writing synopses—something that doesn’t come easy for a panster like me.



It wasn’t until after I signed that first contract that I realized God knew what I wanted before I even did. How amazing is that? He instilled that determination. He gave me this wonderful gift. Knowing this is what keeps me pressing forward on those days when I sit down at my computer and wonder, how in the world I’ll ever get this book written. When I find myself overwhelmed by life, extensive edits and not enough time. I relax and remind myself who’s in control of my writing journey.



Six years later, I’m still at the same day job, continuing to publish books and helping to care for my mother. Is it tough to keep all the balls in the air? Of course, it is. Is it okay if I accidentally drop one of those balls? Yes, it is, thanks to God’s grace and this amazing gift He’s given me.

Jill Weatherholt. By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness for Harlequin Love Inspired.

Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia.

She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke University.

She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard.

Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control.

Visit Jill at https://jillweatherholt.com/

Save it All!

By Jill Weatherholt

Each year during the month of November, the buzz word is NaNoWriMo. Even if you’re not a writer, you’ll see postings on blogs, Twitter or Facebook about National Novel Writing Month. Thirty days of writing frantically to reach the goal of fifty thousand words in 30 days. Easy right?

Not really…at least it’s never been for this girl.

So why participate? For me, it’s to get the words on the page. I’m easily distracted, so popping up to clean this or pick up that is often part of my writing routine. Not so during the month of November because when I commit to something, I do it…even when some days, it feels impossible.

You might wonder why I’m talking about this when November is a distant memory and we’re focusing on a new year. It’s because my third book, to be published this year by Harlequin, was my sloppy mess of a draft written during the month of November in 2016. So that makes three participations resulting in three published books. My 2012 entry was rewritten and contracted in 2016.

Were these stories suitable for publication on November 30^th? Heck no! But the characters and the plots were solid, so rewriting was the next order of business once the books were contracted.

When I first heard about NaNoWriMo in 2010 and committed myself, I never imagined in 2015 the first book I’d ever write would be published. Did I work on it for five years? No way! I could never stay with a story for that long. I simply pulled it off my hard drive and decided to revisit my characters after they’d been ignored for years.

So, my advice to writers is to never toss out your written words—even if you think it’s rubbish. All writing can be rewritten, edited, polished and hopefully one day result in a contract, but not if you trash it.

Do you like to clear the clutter?

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By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness. Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia. She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke University. She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard. Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control. Jill loves to blog @ https://jillweatherholt.wordpress.com/  Her website is: JillWeatherholt.com Twitter@JillWeatherholt Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/jillweatherholtauthor

Meant to Be

By Jill Weatherholt

Have you ever tried something over and over, only to get the same result?

In 2013, I was on a mission to sell a sweet romance short story to Woman’s World magazine.

During that first year, I wrote, submitted and received multiple rejections.

When I finally realized my method wasn’t working, I purchased two orange three-ring binders. I labeled one “Woman’s World Stories” and the other “Woman’s World Submissions.”

Every week I bought a copy of the magazine, located near the cash register of every major grocery store chain. I’d tear out the story, three-hole punch it and place it in my notebook. Week after week, I studied and dissected each story. I discovered an obvious formula to writing these stories and I was determined to crack it.

Years passed and I continued to submit my stories. During that time, I wrote a book published this year by Harlequin Love Inspired.

As the rejections from Woman’s World mounted, I couldn’t figure out what my stories were missing.

While writing my first book and those that followed, my sweet mother would periodically ask me, “Am I in your story?” At first, I laughed telling her, “Not this time.” Then it hit me. Why wasn’t she?

On a rainy Saturday, I sat at the kitchen table and wrote my mother’s story, loosely based on when she met my father. Something magical stirred in my heart and the words flew on the page. In two hours, “Test Drive for Love” was written, starring Nell and Charles, my parents. The next day, I submitted the story.

Ten days later, I received an email from the editor, Woman’s World wanted to buy my story. To say I was overwhelmed with emotion would be an understatement, but it wasn’t just because of the sale. Of course, that was great, but the fact that they wanted to share my mother’s story with a circulation of over 1.5 million readers told me those years of waiting had a purpose.

Share a time when you didn’t take “no” for an answer.

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By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness. Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North  Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia. She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke
University. She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard.  Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control.  Jill loves to blog @ https://jillweatherholt.wordpress.com/ Her website is: JillWeatherholt.com
Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/jillian.weatherholt.3
Twitter@JillWeatherholt

The Southern Way

By Jill Weatherholt

While ordering iced tea in a restaurant, when I first moved to Charlotte, North Carolina from the DC area, the server asked me if I wanted “sweet tea” or “regular.” Since I’d always enjoyed a little sugar in my tea, I went with the sweet. Yowza! They weren’t kidding. The stuff was sweet. I could feel the cavities taking root. That day, I decided in the future, I’d stick with the regular.

Something else I learned by living in the South is the true meaning of southern hospitality. While looking for a new home, everyone waved as we drove through various neighborhoods. That was something I’d never experienced.

In 2012, Southern Writer’s Magazine extended their hospitality by inviting me to guest post after I’d been selected as a top ten runner-up in their short story contest. This was big for me. Not only was this the first writing contest I’d ever entered, but it was the first time something I’d written resulted in publication.

When the contest opened again in 2013, I wrote another story. That piece also was a top ten runner-up and printed in their magazine. Then in 2014, I thought, what the heck—I’ll write another one. Unlike the other two, this story’s subject matter was close to my heart. It was real, and something our family was coming to terms with. The story won second place and my photo appeared on the cover of the magazine…something I’d never imagined happening.

In the 2012 blog post, I mentioned earlier, I’d written about my first experience with NaNoWriMo. It was a thirty-day, wild roller coaster ride that ended with a messy and horrible rough draft—the first book I’d ever written. When I shared my experience here, I never dreamed when I entered Harlequin’s Blurb2Book contest in 2015, that very book would end up published in March of this year.

The entire experience has been a whirlwind, but during it all, the folks here at Southern Writer’s Magazine have been so supportive and encouraging. They have indeed taught me the true meaning of southern hospitality, which I now know consists of graciousness and kindness. So thank you, Southern Writer’s, for being there from the start of this amazing journey.

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By day, Jill Weatherholt works for the City of Charlotte. At night, and on the weekend, she writes contemporary stories about love, faith and forgiveness. Raised in the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she now resides in Charlotte, North  Carolina, but her heart belongs to Virginia. She holds a degree in Psychology from George Mason University and Paralegal Studies Certification from Duke 

University. She shares her life with her real-life hero and number one supporter. Their relationship grew on the golf course, and now they have one in their backyard.  Jill believes in enjoying every moment of this journey because God has everything under control. Jill loves to blog @ https://jillweatherholt.wordpress.com/  Her website is:  JillWeatherholt.com Facebook  https://www.facebook.com/jillian.weatherholt.3
Twitter@JillWeatherholt

What NaNoWriMo Taught Me

By Jill Weatherholt

My first experience with NaNoWriMo was November 2010.  Now, almost two years later I have learned a lot about honing the craft and I find myself excited as National Novel Writing Month approaches.  Participating in NaNoWriMo taught me things I didn't know about myself and how my thoughts can determine if I succeed or fail.

NaNoWriMo is a writing contest held each November.  The goal is to write 50,000 words in thirty days. Of course, 50,000 words isn't a complete novel, but it's a good start.  In order to accomplish this, you must turn off your inner editor and write.  Get the words on the page and in thirty days, you have a start to a rough first draft.  “Rough" is a nice way to say, it's going to be bad.  However, I discovered bad can sometimes be good.  

Through NaNoWriMo, I learned I have untapped potential and only I can tap into it.  I broke down my daily word count into 1666 words per day and began tapping.  I had no outline, no major events, no plot points and no characters.  Two years later, I can admit, I made up the story as I went along, but that was ok.  There are no rules in NaNoWriMo, only to write 50,000 words in 30 days. It was liberating.  At the end of my first day, the sense of accomplishment I experienced was indescribable.  I knew if I could meet my goal on day one, there was no reason I couldn't continue the momentum for the next 29 days.  Or could I?

I learned I'm stronger than I think I am.  I was reminded of this when I came home exhausted after a hectic day at the office.  There were bills to be paid and a Leaning Tower of Pisa laundry basket.  To add insult to injury, I sometimes had over 2500 words to write because I was lazy the previous day.  One thing I knew for sure was, if I fell too far behind, I would fail.  Despite the obstacles, I wrote, even when my brain didn't contain one ounce of creative juice. Afterward, I felt great and ready to write more words.

The final thing NaNoWriMo taught me was to never say never.  I'll never make it through the first week, but I did.  I'll never stick with this for 30 days, but I did.  I'll never reach the end of my first draft, but I did.  I'll never be published, but I was. My NANO project wasn't published.  I did complete the story, but it's still in the editing process.  However, with each page I edit, comes the realization of how far I've come.

In 2011, I found myself unemployed after my company was closed by our cooperate office.  It was a challenging time in my life that left me with little time to write, so I didn't participate in NaNoWriMo. This year is another story.  I've been blessed with a terrific job and I have every intention of pounding out my second rough draft novel in thirty days, because I learned, even if it's bad, through hours of editing, it can become good.

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My name is Jill Weatherholt and I'm a writer, living in Charlotte, NC. I'm a graduate of George Mason University and have from Duke University a Paralegal Certification. I have a full time job, but write at night and on the weekend, I pursue my passion, writing. I love books, perusing author websites, blogs about writing and most importantly, writing. I'm a 2010 NaNoWriMo winner and a Southern Writers Magazine, contest runner-up. My blog, http://jillweatherholt.wordpress.com/ as a way to share my journey toward publication and to create a community for other new writers.