Lena Nelson Dooley

Lena was voted #6 on Top Ten Favorite Authors list in the
Heartsong Reader Poll in 2005

Visit my newsletter every month

You’ll find Book Reviews, Recipe of the Month, Musings, and Coming Events as well as tips for writers.
Click Here

Many people have started doing web logs, a kind of journal, which now has the catchy name of blog. In my early blogs, I told about my journey to publication. Now my blog introduces a different author each week, and offers a chance to win a free copy of that author’s featured book. These are some of the best books in Christian fiction today. Visit my blog at http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com

Sign my guestbook for a chance to win a free book.
One book a month is given away.

Additional entries when you Tell A Friend about my web site.

Welcome to my world.

I have been a professional writer with a free-lance writing and editing business since 1984. In that time, I have written curriculum for public schools, private schools, and three different denominations. For one company, I managed a writing team that produced a two-year American History course for at-risk students. One of my clients was a Christian comedian for whom I wrote several routines. An airline training company had me edit and design International business reports for them.

My first novel was published by Heartsong Presents in 1992, my second in 2002. Four books came out in 2004, and a new novel released in August 2005. I had five releases in 2006, with four already scheduled for 2007. Please check out these books on my Book page.

Click on my About Me page, you can meet my family and find out about my hobbies and interests.

Look on my Speaking page to find out about any previous speaking events.

My B.A. and all my graduate work was in speech and drama. On the Drama page you will be introduced to that part of my ministry.

On the Events page, you will find pictures of mission trips, conferences, and retreats.

Don’t leave without checking out some of my favorite Links .

I am easy to contact:

Lena Nelson Dooley
PO Box 54614
Hurst, Texas 76054

lena@lenanelsondooley.com

Why I Became a Professional Writer
I have always written. I thought everyone did. If we needed a program, I wrote it. If we needed puppet scripts, I wrote them, etc. I often daydreamed of writing the great American novel. Sometimes, while I was in my middle 30s, I thought I would like to write a book based on the Proverbs 31 woman. And I still may write that book.

In January 1984, several publishers came out with inspirational romances--Silhouette, Thomas Nelson, Zondervan, Harvest House, Baker Books, Bethany House. I bought all of them and read them before I would let my daughters, who were still in school, read them. At the time, I was an auxiliary rural mail carrier in Colleyville, Texas. While I was driving the mail route, I created a story in my head. It was like a motion picture, but it would make a good inspirational romance.

The first week of May 1984, I went to spend part of an afternoon with a good friend. This friend had lost her father. She had been very close to him, so she was having a hard time. Now this is a friend who thought romance novels were a waste of time to read. She would sometimes read the condensed one in Good Housekeeping magazine, but not all the time. While we were talking that day, she asked me if I knew a particular woman who attended church with us. When I said, "Yes," she said, "Her mother writes those trashy romance novels."

At that time, I had told no one that I would like to write inspirational romance, but I told Vickie, expecting her to say, "Why bother?" Instead, she looked right at me a minute then said, "You know, Lena, you're supposed to do that." What a shock!

Soon after, I left to pick up my kids from school. When I got in the car, I was thinking, "If I should ever write a novel, which I never will, I wonder should I write the novel first, or should I try to contact a publisher first. Oh, well, it doesn't matter."

That was on Tuesday. On Thursday, I went to a Christian bookstore to get a record they had ordered for me. While I was there, I picked up the new romances. When I went to pay, the manager of the store asked me to go to his office with him. I thought, "What have I done now? I didn't shoplift or anything."

He told me that he wanted to ask me about the romance novels. He had been watching what else I bought, so he was sure he could trust my judgment. I told him how I felt about inspirational romances. We talked about 45 minutes, and we had a good visit. He had been an English teacher, and his brother was a pastor. We even shared about our churches. I was charismatic; he was not. But we had a wonderful time together. Before I left, I told him I had been thinking about writing an inspirational romance.

He looked right at me a minute, then said, "If God has given you this talent, you are to develop it."

Wow! I was stunned. Twice in one week. Before I left, he even told me he would help me get in touch with publishers. He later took me to a CBA (Christian Booksellers Association) conference.

When I left the store, I went to the high school cosmetology department to get my hair done. My daughter was a student there. For the first time, I told a member of my family about my desire. She was really excited about it.

The next day, our church was having a church-wide spiritual life retreat at a camp in Glen Rose, Texas. Our family went. The speaker was the nationally known writer and speaker, Tommy Tyson. I can tell you what he talked about on Saturday.

He started by reading Psalm 37:4. I have used that scripture when I sign books. The scripture is, "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart." I remember wondering which direction Mr. Tyson was going with the message. Early in my walk with the Lord, I understood that scripture to mean that if you delighted in the Lord, He would give you things you had always desired. And that is one meaning of the verse. As I matured, the Lord showed me another meaning. If I delight in Him, He will put into my heart the desires He wants me to have.

Well, that was what Tommy Tyson was talking about. He said, "God will put a desire in your heart. Many times, you will think it is your desire. He will let it stay there often times for years. Then when it is His timing, He will bring it forth. He will confirm it through others." When he said that, the Lord spoke into my heart, "Do you see what I have been doing this week? I put that desire in your heart. Now I am calling it forth, and I have confirmed it through people you didn't expect." By then I was soaring.

Of course, I still had a fear. Every time I had to write anything, be it a program or script or something else, it was hard to start. And the book was like a motion story in my mind, so I said, "But Lord what if the words don't come?"

By this time, the speaker was getting to the real message of his talk, God places His storehouses of provision along the road of obedience. When he first said that, the Lord said to me, "You write, I will cause the words to flow." What a promise! And it has been true. I have never to this day had writer's block. I am not saying I never will, I am just saying that so far, I have not had it.

Later I shared with my husband what had happened. And I often got big ideas. I figured he would just say, "There she goes off on another tangent." But he also recognized that it is a call and a gift from God. He has really supported me through all I have done.

Then later that afternoon I shared with Tommy Tyson the message he had brought to me from the Lord. He was really excited. He said, "Praise God, Sister, my spirit witnesses to that!"

So, yes, I know I have a call to write, and the Lord has been my partner. He has opened doors to me. I have done a lot of writing for him--curriculum for Sunday school, children's church, public school, private schools, and alternative centers; international business reports for companies; comedy for a Christian comedian; and much more. God is fulfilling his promise in my life.