Heavenly Neon Signs

God is everywhere so it should have been no surprise to find Him encouraging me from a corner of a bookstore.

I spent another morning writing and calling local, and national book store chains. If my book was going to be promoted, it was up to me, or it would die a sad and lonely death on the $1 pile of discarded writers' dreams. Two major chains were willing to have me send them a copy to review, so I sent those off, and followed up on a suggestion to contact a local independent retailer. The owner was very kind, and happy to work with me, and told me to bring my books and come in right away.

This was my first time walking in a bookstore with the intent of selling my book. In all the firsts of this year, this was yet another scary walking forward in an area I knew absolutely nothing about. I took a deep breath as I put my hand on the door knob, said a brief prayer, and was about to enter the store. Then I noticed a little sign affixed to the bookstore door. There was a picture of a little dog on it that looked surprisingly like Honeybun, the dog heroine of my book. This dog, Lula, wandered about the store, and was friendly, the sign informed me, but if anyone was bothered by her presence, the owner would put her in a back room.

I entered the bookstore, which was bustling with people. The owner glanced up, saw my armload of books, and urged me to come to the other side of the counter. I walked around to where he pointed, and saw curled in the corner, Lula, the dog.
"Is that a rescue dog?" I asked.
"Yes," he said.
"Do you know what breed?"
"Well the vet says she is a mix, part corgi maybe and the other part is American Dingo."
I laughed with delight and held up my book, "This is Honeybun! She is an American Dingo, a Carolina Dog!"
The owner picked up my book and looked at the cover photo, as did a few of the busy employees.
"What's your book about?" asked one.
"Well we found our Carolina Dog half dead on a roadside. And when she recovered her health, she became vicious to our other dog and to strangers. The book is about a very hard year trying to save a dog that everyone told me was not worth saving."

Lula came over to me and let me scratch behind her ears. If she had been a Labrador or poodle, it would not have been an omen. But Carolina Dogs are a rare breed, and few people even know about them.( and I can hear my friend, Nicole, chuckling in the background of my mind insisting there is no such thing as a Carolina Dog.) However, for the owner not only to have one in his bookstore, but to have rescued her, and have identified her as a Carolina Dog was in my eyes God putting a big neon arrow over his head saying, "This is where you are to sell your book!"

I signed the contract, and he then set up my first book signing.
"I would like to bring Honeybun to the book signing," I said, "Will that be ok?"
"That would be great," he said.
So here I am, a little nobody, with a little dog nobody wanted, set to sign our published book about the miracles nobodies can be a part of when empowered by Somebody, the biggest Somebody. Whomever might want my autographed book can find me on September 11, 2-4, at Park Road Books in the Park Rd. shopping center. My symbol of overcoming impossible situations will be sitting next to me, wagging her tail.

As I blasted through the door at home, excitement dripping off me like a waterfall, I called out to Asherel.
"I need you to teach Honeybun to shake paws!"
"She doesn't know how to shake.... she never has for me."
"She can do anything!" I said, thinking of Lula and the amazing encouragements of God.

Genesis 18: 14
Is anything too hard for the LORD?