Letters to God by Krystal Doolittle - What if God looked like you and me?
Letters to God
by Krystal Doolittle
Genre: Religious/Spiritual
Date of Publication: March 13, 2020
ISBN: 9798612411468
ASIN: B08544CKH9
Number of pages: 120
Word Count: 37,413
Cover Artist: Krystal Doolittle
What if God looked like you and me?
Rowan MacAllister never realized that she had become stuck in a boring cycle in her life until one day everything comes crashing down. Her best friend insists that they go to a new local psychic shop as a way to break out of the rut she’d been stuck in. But Rowan finds herself receiving wise advice that she takes to heart. She should start writing letters to let out everything that had been bottled up for far too long.
Penning a letter to God, she finds strange things happen the next day along with meeting an older woman named Mary. The two become fast friends and Mary seems to unknowingly address the letters that Rowan continues to write to God while they are apart. The coincidences become too much for Rowan who begins to wonder if perhaps Mary IS God.
Rowan searches for answers while putting the pieces of her life back together. Meanwhile learning that her thoughts truly do alter her reality and that sometimes the things you think are a curse can turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
“Here,” she said as she draped it over my face. “Lean back and relax for a moment.”
I did as I was told, resting my head on the back of the couch and closed my eyes. She positioned it so that the bulk of it was on my swollen eyelids. It was cold, but it felt good against my skin.
“Your clothes are fine, so you don’t need to change. But where could we go?” she said as if she were speaking to herself. Plus, I had to admit that it felt nice to have someone taking care of me at the moment. Even if she was trying to force me out into the world.
“We can go nowhere,” I pointed out. “That would be a win in my book.”
“You need to get out of your rut,” Lila said, sounding unperturbed by my stubbornness. “That means we need to do something you’ve never done before,” she mused.
“I’ve never stayed home and eaten a whole pizza by myself,” I said as I lifted the washcloth from one eye so I could look at her.
“You aren’t winning,” she said raising an eyebrow at me. “So get over it.”
“Ugh,” I said as I dropped the washcloth back. “Why am I friends with you again?”
I could hear the smile in her voice when she responded. “Because I’m the only one that can put up with that stubborn streak you have. I know how to get you to open up and see what a wonderful world awaits you. There’s a big, bright world out there waiting for you, Rowan. I’m the one that can convince you to do things that you don’t want to do but are actually good for you.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, not convinced. “You’re doing a bang-up job at that, you know?”
“Oh hush,” she said. Finally, I felt as if my face had cooled and my eyes weren’t as puffy, so I pulled the washcloth off and tossed it on the glass coffee table.
“Look, I don’t really have the money to go out anyway,” I said shaking my head.
“Oh, I got it!” she said loudly as she clapped her hands. “I know the perfect place.” I looked at her, waiting for her to tell me what it was but she kept talking. “It must be luck that I drove by and saw the place. But it’s absolutely perfect. I wanted to go anyway, I just didn’t know who else to take.”
“Earth to Lila. What are you talking about?” I asked as I waved my hands in front of her.
“Sorry,” she said as she turned to me. “I saw this place that must have recently opened. It’s a psychic reading shop. They had a sign out front that said two readings for $100.”
“I definitely don’t have that kind of money right now,” I sighed. “I’m a single woman now with bills to pay.”
“Don’t worry, I do,” she said waving her hand at me. “It’s perfect. You can get a reading to find out what exactly is going on in your life and how you can change things up!”
“I don’t know. That’s a lot of money for someone to tell you a bunch of vague words and silly predictions,” I said shaking my head.
“Oh, come on. Live a little, Row. Let’s go have some fun and see what’s in store for your future.” She wiggled her fingers at me and I laughed.
“If I do this with you, does that mean I’m off the hook for the next nail salon trip?” I asked. Lila was always convincing me to go with her so she had someone to talk to. I, on the other hand, hated having my nails done.
“Yes,” she said with a nod before grinning so wide I thought her face would split.
“Fine, I’ll go then,” I said. “As long as you’re paying.”
“Definitely,” she said with a nod. “Oh my gosh, Rowan! I’m so excited.” She couldn’t seem to hold still which for me, wasn’t comforting.
“Well, that makes one of us,” I said grumpily. “Let me get my shoes.”
Krystal lives in rural southeast Kansas, on the outskirts of an official ghost town with her husband and children, along with a multitude of animals. She can often be found taking a walk in nature, shuffling one of her many decks of tarot cards or finding something new to watch.
As a writer, she loves to craft stories that may be shorter in length, but are packed with unforgettable characters and situations that her readers can relate to. She understands that every villain can be a hero and every hero a villain.
by Krystal Doolittle
Genre: Religious/Spiritual
Date of Publication: March 13, 2020
ISBN: 9798612411468
ASIN: B08544CKH9
Number of pages: 120
Word Count: 37,413
Cover Artist: Krystal Doolittle
What if God looked like you and me?
Rowan MacAllister never realized that she had become stuck in a boring cycle in her life until one day everything comes crashing down. Her best friend insists that they go to a new local psychic shop as a way to break out of the rut she’d been stuck in. But Rowan finds herself receiving wise advice that she takes to heart. She should start writing letters to let out everything that had been bottled up for far too long.
Penning a letter to God, she finds strange things happen the next day along with meeting an older woman named Mary. The two become fast friends and Mary seems to unknowingly address the letters that Rowan continues to write to God while they are apart. The coincidences become too much for Rowan who begins to wonder if perhaps Mary IS God.
Rowan searches for answers while putting the pieces of her life back together. Meanwhile learning that her thoughts truly do alter her reality and that sometimes the things you think are a curse can turn out to be a blessing in disguise.
Amazon
Tell us about your newest book.
Letters to God is about a woman named Rowan that has been having a rough time. After her friend convinces her to visit a psychic, she is given the advice to write letters to those she’s mad at. When she tries it, she finds that the person she’s most mad at is God. So, she starts writing letters to God, asking questions, not expecting any sort of response, obviously. She ends up becoming friends with an older woman she meets on a park bench, who manages to address the things she brings up in her secret letters. So if she asks God a question, somehow this woman ends up answering it.
For me, it’s a book about finding hope in the darkest of times but understanding that God doesn’t always answer in the way we think.
Writing isn’t easy. What was the most difficult thing you dealt with when writing your newest book?
When I write, I put myself in the shoes of my character. I always infuse a bit of myself in there, so with this one I had to tap into those darker times in my life. Those times when you have no hope and everything seems dark. I found myself trying to avoid writing it, which let me know that I needed to express those feelings. I’m sure I’m not the only one out there that’s felt that way before.
Tell us a little bit about your writing career.
I always was a bit of a storyteller. I got the idea for my first book Ghost Town from the area where I live. I wrote it, but never did much with it. Fear really kept me from putting myself out there. Then, while I was working as a virtual assistant, I ran across an ad online looking for a ghostwriter. I started out writing for others and getting paid for them to put their name on my stories. That’s when I realized that I should be putting my stories out there. If people were willing to pay me to write for them, that had to mean that they were good. It gave me the boost I needed to do this on my own.
They say Hind-sight is 20/20. If you could give advice to the writer you were the first time you sat down to write, what would it be?
Don’t get so caught up in word count, details, whatever it is that holds you back. Just sit down, immerse yourself in the idea you have and get to writing. Fear and comparisonitis are real and you should always take steps to push past it.
What was your most difficult scene to write?
Rowan’s first letter to God when she’s letting him have it. I dug deep for that scene, putting all my own insecurities in there so that it was real and raw. More than one tear was shed while I worked through that one.
Are themes a big part of your stories, or not so much?
I think to a certain extent. There seems to always be these underlying “lessons” if you will. For Letters to God I wanted to show my more spiritual side and reflect what God/Spirit whatever you want to call the Higher Powers at work. So many times I’ve gotten the most meaningful signs in ways that would mean absolutely nothing to anyone else. And I think that’s how it’s supposed to be. It wouldn’t be faith if it was as plain as the nose on my face. Then it would just be knowing.
What are you working on now?
I am working on the next book I am co-authoring with Dianne Harman in our Miranda Riley series. Plus, I am fleshing out the sequel to Ghost Town as well as planning out a Demon Hunter series. My desk is covered in scraps of paper for multiple book ideas!
Is there a release date planned?
The next Miranda Riley book will probably be out sometime in May. It’s too early in the game for my others to really know for sure, but I am thinking somewhere late June/early July for either the Ghost Town sequel or the Demon Hunter. It just depends on which story insists on being told first.
Who is your favorite character from your own stories, and why?
That would have to be Grandma Lizzie from my second book The Midwest Mermaid. That woman is unabashedly herself and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. She’s awesome!
Most writers were readers as children. What was your favorite book in grade school?
That would definitely be Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. My mom always said it was too expensive to buy, so every time it was at the library, I would check it out and read it over and over.
What are your plans for future projects?
I mentioned writing a sequel to Ghost Town. I’m thinking that may wind up being a trilogy, but it could go farther. I will also write a sequel to The Midwest Mermaid and maybe even a prequel. I also have the ideas for a Demon Hunter book, a ghostly love story plus another YA series about a magical teenager. There are more, but they aren’t more than a concept in my mind at this point.
Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
If anyone is looking to keep up with my future books, they can either follow me on Facebook and Instagram or join my newsletter. Right now, if you sign up to be on my mailing list, you’ll get the first three chapters of Letters to God for free.
Good luck with your newest release, and thank you for being with us today
A Interview with the Author
Tell us about your newest book.
Letters to God is about a woman named Rowan that has been having a rough time. After her friend convinces her to visit a psychic, she is given the advice to write letters to those she’s mad at. When she tries it, she finds that the person she’s most mad at is God. So, she starts writing letters to God, asking questions, not expecting any sort of response, obviously. She ends up becoming friends with an older woman she meets on a park bench, who manages to address the things she brings up in her secret letters. So if she asks God a question, somehow this woman ends up answering it.
For me, it’s a book about finding hope in the darkest of times but understanding that God doesn’t always answer in the way we think.
Writing isn’t easy. What was the most difficult thing you dealt with when writing your newest book?
When I write, I put myself in the shoes of my character. I always infuse a bit of myself in there, so with this one I had to tap into those darker times in my life. Those times when you have no hope and everything seems dark. I found myself trying to avoid writing it, which let me know that I needed to express those feelings. I’m sure I’m not the only one out there that’s felt that way before.
Tell us a little bit about your writing career.
I always was a bit of a storyteller. I got the idea for my first book Ghost Town from the area where I live. I wrote it, but never did much with it. Fear really kept me from putting myself out there. Then, while I was working as a virtual assistant, I ran across an ad online looking for a ghostwriter. I started out writing for others and getting paid for them to put their name on my stories. That’s when I realized that I should be putting my stories out there. If people were willing to pay me to write for them, that had to mean that they were good. It gave me the boost I needed to do this on my own.
They say Hind-sight is 20/20. If you could give advice to the writer you were the first time you sat down to write, what would it be?
Don’t get so caught up in word count, details, whatever it is that holds you back. Just sit down, immerse yourself in the idea you have and get to writing. Fear and comparisonitis are real and you should always take steps to push past it.
What was your most difficult scene to write?
Rowan’s first letter to God when she’s letting him have it. I dug deep for that scene, putting all my own insecurities in there so that it was real and raw. More than one tear was shed while I worked through that one.
Are themes a big part of your stories, or not so much?
I think to a certain extent. There seems to always be these underlying “lessons” if you will. For Letters to God I wanted to show my more spiritual side and reflect what God/Spirit whatever you want to call the Higher Powers at work. So many times I’ve gotten the most meaningful signs in ways that would mean absolutely nothing to anyone else. And I think that’s how it’s supposed to be. It wouldn’t be faith if it was as plain as the nose on my face. Then it would just be knowing.
What are you working on now?
I am working on the next book I am co-authoring with Dianne Harman in our Miranda Riley series. Plus, I am fleshing out the sequel to Ghost Town as well as planning out a Demon Hunter series. My desk is covered in scraps of paper for multiple book ideas!
Is there a release date planned?
The next Miranda Riley book will probably be out sometime in May. It’s too early in the game for my others to really know for sure, but I am thinking somewhere late June/early July for either the Ghost Town sequel or the Demon Hunter. It just depends on which story insists on being told first.
Who is your favorite character from your own stories, and why?
That would have to be Grandma Lizzie from my second book The Midwest Mermaid. That woman is unabashedly herself and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. She’s awesome!
Most writers were readers as children. What was your favorite book in grade school?
That would definitely be Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein. My mom always said it was too expensive to buy, so every time it was at the library, I would check it out and read it over and over.
What are your plans for future projects?
I mentioned writing a sequel to Ghost Town. I’m thinking that may wind up being a trilogy, but it could go farther. I will also write a sequel to The Midwest Mermaid and maybe even a prequel. I also have the ideas for a Demon Hunter book, a ghostly love story plus another YA series about a magical teenager. There are more, but they aren’t more than a concept in my mind at this point.
Is there anything you would like to add before we finish?
If anyone is looking to keep up with my future books, they can either follow me on Facebook and Instagram or join my newsletter. Right now, if you sign up to be on my mailing list, you’ll get the first three chapters of Letters to God for free.
Good luck with your newest release, and thank you for being with us today
Excerpt:
She stood and hurried toward the hall and I saw her slip into the bathroom. After a moment, I heard the sink turn on with a rush of water. Soon, it was turned back off and she reappeared with a damp rag.“Here,” she said as she draped it over my face. “Lean back and relax for a moment.”
I did as I was told, resting my head on the back of the couch and closed my eyes. She positioned it so that the bulk of it was on my swollen eyelids. It was cold, but it felt good against my skin.
“Your clothes are fine, so you don’t need to change. But where could we go?” she said as if she were speaking to herself. Plus, I had to admit that it felt nice to have someone taking care of me at the moment. Even if she was trying to force me out into the world.
“We can go nowhere,” I pointed out. “That would be a win in my book.”
“You need to get out of your rut,” Lila said, sounding unperturbed by my stubbornness. “That means we need to do something you’ve never done before,” she mused.
“I’ve never stayed home and eaten a whole pizza by myself,” I said as I lifted the washcloth from one eye so I could look at her.
“You aren’t winning,” she said raising an eyebrow at me. “So get over it.”
“Ugh,” I said as I dropped the washcloth back. “Why am I friends with you again?”
I could hear the smile in her voice when she responded. “Because I’m the only one that can put up with that stubborn streak you have. I know how to get you to open up and see what a wonderful world awaits you. There’s a big, bright world out there waiting for you, Rowan. I’m the one that can convince you to do things that you don’t want to do but are actually good for you.”
“Uh-huh,” I said, not convinced. “You’re doing a bang-up job at that, you know?”
“Oh hush,” she said. Finally, I felt as if my face had cooled and my eyes weren’t as puffy, so I pulled the washcloth off and tossed it on the glass coffee table.
“Look, I don’t really have the money to go out anyway,” I said shaking my head.
“Oh, I got it!” she said loudly as she clapped her hands. “I know the perfect place.” I looked at her, waiting for her to tell me what it was but she kept talking. “It must be luck that I drove by and saw the place. But it’s absolutely perfect. I wanted to go anyway, I just didn’t know who else to take.”
“Earth to Lila. What are you talking about?” I asked as I waved my hands in front of her.
“Sorry,” she said as she turned to me. “I saw this place that must have recently opened. It’s a psychic reading shop. They had a sign out front that said two readings for $100.”
“I definitely don’t have that kind of money right now,” I sighed. “I’m a single woman now with bills to pay.”
“Don’t worry, I do,” she said waving her hand at me. “It’s perfect. You can get a reading to find out what exactly is going on in your life and how you can change things up!”
“I don’t know. That’s a lot of money for someone to tell you a bunch of vague words and silly predictions,” I said shaking my head.
“Oh, come on. Live a little, Row. Let’s go have some fun and see what’s in store for your future.” She wiggled her fingers at me and I laughed.
“If I do this with you, does that mean I’m off the hook for the next nail salon trip?” I asked. Lila was always convincing me to go with her so she had someone to talk to. I, on the other hand, hated having my nails done.
“Yes,” she said with a nod before grinning so wide I thought her face would split.
“Fine, I’ll go then,” I said. “As long as you’re paying.”
“Definitely,” she said with a nod. “Oh my gosh, Rowan! I’m so excited.” She couldn’t seem to hold still which for me, wasn’t comforting.
“Well, that makes one of us,” I said grumpily. “Let me get my shoes.”
About the Author:
Krystal lives in rural southeast Kansas, on the outskirts of an official ghost town with her husband and children, along with a multitude of animals. She can often be found taking a walk in nature, shuffling one of her many decks of tarot cards or finding something new to watch.
As a writer, she loves to craft stories that may be shorter in length, but are packed with unforgettable characters and situations that her readers can relate to. She understands that every villain can be a hero and every hero a villain.
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