J.M. McFarland

I have always been deeply motivated by truth, even as a child. In fact, my strong sense of right and wrong often got me into trouble. It turns out, older brothers do not take kindly to an obnoxious younger sister telling them they’re wrong, no matter how passionately her views are expressed.

Over the years, I’ve grown as a person (though not in inches, as my brothers would be quick to point out). Thankfully, I no longer feel compelled to correct everything I perceive to be wrong in others. Moreover, instead of looking for the wrong in others, I try to point that finger at myself. I’m sure you’ll agree, it’s far better this way. But though I have matured and softened in many ways, my drive for truth has not abated.

In a culture that tells us truth is relative, we have lost its stabilizing presence. Our children are growing up in a world that is offended by truth. Isaiah put it this way, “Justice is turned back, righteousness stands far away; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity [what is right] cannot enter (Isaiah 59:14).”

I have worked with children and young people for over a decade as a youth leader and Bible teacher and have seen the damage this disregard for truth has done to our families, particularly our children. Without truth to latch onto, they are cast adrift into a turbulent sea, struggling to stay above the water while waves of fear, depression, and anxiety crash around them.

It was while I was pondering these things one day that God revealed to me what kind of books I should write and who I should write them for: novels for children and young teenagers. With this knowledge, I felt excited and inspired. I could write stories for kids centered around what we know to be true: there is a God in heaven who cares about them; there is such a thing as right and wrong; it matters how they live and who they want to be.

That is why I am excited to tell you about the book I am currently working on: The Zaleskys and the Chemical Conundrum (see possible back cover blurb below). In this story for middle grade readers, the main characters are Christian kids who are faced with some difficult challenges. Throughout the novel, the characters are learning important life lessons that will point readers to God and His Word.

I am going to be working on revisions for this book in the upcoming months. The process takes time, but I hope you’ll stay with me for the ride as I work to give young readers fun, adventurous stories written with love and grounded in truth.

Can they solve the riddles before it’s too late?

When the Zaleskys’s next-door neighbor, Mr. James, disappears, he leaves behind a string of riddles for siblings Zania, Zinnia, and ZiZi. Determined to solve the riddles and find their friend, the Zaleskys set out to discover why Mr. James went missing and what his disappearance has to do with them. But the more they uncover, the more questions they have. What is with the new toy store in town? Why are the Zaleskys missing certain memories? Who is Mr. James really? The answers to these questions could change their lives forever.

A missing neighbor. A scheming chemist. A past they can’t remember.

When I was a child, I thought dandelions were beautiful flowers. My admiration remained, even when someone informed me they were not, in fact, flowers, but a pesky weed. I loved the way they lit up a grassy meadow with their brilliant splashes of sunshine yellow. After gathering up bunches of the sun-kissed weed, I would proudly present them to my mother. And if she received them with somewhat less enthusiasm than I had expected, she must be forgiven, for the mother of twelve children receives hundreds of such gifts.

Yet I offered them still. In fact, I braved bees, and mud, and sunburn to gather my bouquet, for what token of love can be given without facing something you fear?

Fear is a funny thing. What one fears, another may deem silly.

I must admit I have a strange and perhaps irrational fear of social media. Okay, maybe it’s not truly a fear—it’s more of an aversion—but it’s real.

Let me explain. The fear isn’t of failure. I’m aware that there is an altogether good chance of that—my books may never become published, let alone popular. No, the fear is that I’ll do it wrong.

“Isn’t that the same thing as failure?” you might ask. Not really. I could write my books, and build my platform, and even draw in a large crowd, yet still miss the mark on what I was called to do. I want to do it for the right reasons—for the glory of God and not for myself. I want to do it with excellence and not just amateurish enthusiasm. I don’t want to get it wrong.

But even beyond the spiritual and professional aspects, I can’t deny that a large part of my reticence is a reluctance to open myself up to other people. I don’t want to be accountable for every little thing I say. I don’t want to be judged by my looks, my words, or my work. I don’t want to see someone’s nose wrinkle with distaste and call my work a common weed.

And yet, I believe that I have been called to write. What’s more, I believe that what I write could bring joy and encouragement to young readers. I think that the world needs more wholesome stories about Christian kids facing real problems and learning truth in the process.

So, what does this mean for me? It’s simple; I need to get over myself—learning to laugh at my foibles while constantly striving to be better; using the tools God has provided to say the things God has given me to say. Sometimes that means listening to other people’s opinions—allowing their criticism to strengthen my work rather than damper my enthusiasm. And I need to acknowledge that at times I will get it wrong. Because no matter how much effort I put into my work, I must accept that, in the end, I will be offering up a bouquet of dirty dandelions to my heavenly Father knowing that He will accept them with joy.

I suppose that’s all any of us are called to do.

When I was a young student, I discovered I had a talent for writing stories. It made sense; after all, reading stories was my favorite past-time. I devoured anything I could get my hands on—fantasy, adventure, historical fiction, mystery, even my mother’s Readers’ Digest books. I loved to read. In school, I found that the leap from reading to writing wasn’t that far. I never journaled or wrote stories for fun—to my mind, writing was a little too close to schoolwork. But I had a knack for it—or so my teachers told me.

I took advanced creative writing classes all through middle and high school, but when it came time to choose a degree for college, I believed that “novelist” was not a realistic goal. To me, it was as likely as one of my brothers being chosen in the NFL draft—not impossible, but highly improbable. I chose Commercial Writing—a much more “practical” medium for the use of my talents.

It was during a literature course in college that I felt the first stirrings of a calling on my life. Literature has the power to effect change. It can inspire and challenge. It can edify and soothe. I felt it would be a wonderful thing indeed to be an author. Still, I was too practical to assume that it was something I could pursue. I had bills to pay and a family to support. So, after I graduated, I got a job as an administrative assistant. Following God’s leading, I worked for the next ten years which allowed me to provide for my family and establish myself as a productive and self-sufficient member of society.

After a decade, I could sense the pages turning on that chapter of my life. It was time for something new, though I didn’t know what that “new” would be. Through a dramatic series of events, I quit my job and moved away from my hometown to follow God’s leading into ministry and writing work. This wasn’t easy. At first, the practical side of me wouldn’t even consider the possibility. But God made His will abundantly clear, and so I agreed to follow Him into the unknown.

I am now a part-time administrative assistant for a beautiful Bible Camp where I can serve God and others in a variety of ways. This also provides me with the time to work on my writing. Last year, I finished my first middle-grade adventure novel, The Dark House, and have just completed the first draft of my second book, The Zaleskys and the Chemical Conundrum.

This new adventure is full of unknowns, but I invite you to come along with me on the journey. In this blog, I’ll give updates on my books and the whole writing process. Join me as I discover what it means to be a writer writing for the glory of God.

I am an aspiring author. Stay tuned for updates on this new venture as I seek to follow God’s calling for my life.