The Old Becomes New

A few weeks ago, I shared over on Write Thinking (my personal blog) that I've been proofing/copy editing a number of older books (five in total) that have been out of print for some years. I'm currently proofing the last one. They will soon be available as eBooks from new publishers.

It has been interesting to read these books again after so many years. Since I read through a manuscript numerous times as I revise and edit and proof, I am never tempted to read the book again once it is released in its final form. For one thing, I'm pretty tired of the story by that time. (How many books do you read five or more times in a row before going to another book?) And secondly, if I read my book after it was released, I know I would find something I wanted to tweak, and then I would be frustrated.

Anyway, reading these books that I wrote from 1998 to 2003 was almost like reading books by another author. While the stories were familiar, I was able to see them through different eyes. I was pleasantly surprised to discover how much I liked them.

My first three books for the Christian market—The Forgiving Hour, Whispers From Yesterday, and Shepherd's Voice—were first published by WaterBrook. Zondervan is releasing them in September 2011. And Greenbrier is going to release two more of my former Tyndale novels—Firstborn and Beyond the Shadows—in July.

I'm a big fan of second chances. God has given me so many of them. So I love that these books, including a Christy Award winner and a RITA Award winner plus two that are among the most personal novels I've ever written, are going to get new life, a second chance to be read and enjoyed.

Gotta love the way God makes old things new.

~robin

PS Last week I finished the line edits of Heart of Gold and it is now in my editor's capable hands for the second time. Now I'm dragging my creative thoughts from 1864 to 1899, the time setting for my next novel that should release around August 2012. Off to work.