CONGRATULATIONS TO LYNETA SMITH!

Blog , , , , 13 Comments

Lyneta_headshot

 

Out of more than 200 entries, Lyneta has won the Promising Beginnings contest with her submission of “Curtain Call.”

This prize covers a FULL scholarship to the 2015 Mount Hermon Christian Writers Conference, including registration, meals during the conference, and economy lodging.

Curtain Call is a memoir for women ages 35-65. Here is a summary of the book:

In the theatre, actors spend months developing their characters—memorizing scripts, fleshing out emotions, donning costumes, painting on makeup, and styling wigs. In short, they become someone they’re not. At curtain call, a dazzling performance begets roaring applause and whistles.

I’d done this many times. My love of live theater blossomed in college and then became our family’s hobby. My husband, children, and I filled photo albums of show after show we performed together.

Unfortunately, as a result of childhood trauma, family tragedy, and domestic violence, I’d also put on a show in real life. On the outside, I was a loving Christian wife and mother, but I was convinced that if anyone knew the real me—worthless me—they wouldn’t be giving any sort of applause. It would be more like rotten tomatoes. Only trouble was, I couldn’t keep up the show anymore—my past haunted me until I wanted to slip into the wings and stay in the dark backstage.

Curtain Call is a memoir of God’s nudging back into the light. “Trust Me with your story,” He said. I took off the director’s cap and allowed Him to take over, to begin a healing transformation and show me that my worth is not my performance. My value comes from being a creature made in His image, a character He penned while knitting me together in the womb. This is the story of me learning to depend on the Author of life.

 

Here is what Lyneta says about the contest:

I’m overjoyed about winning Promising Beginnings! I’ve wanted to attend the Mount Hermon Writers Conference for over ten years, and this year I finally get to go. It’s such an honor and a privilege. I’m excited to see what God will do. Thank you, Kathy Ide, and others who’ve made this happen—may you be deeply blessed!

I pray God blesses Lyneta richly on her writing journey!

If the Lord provides, the next Promising Beginnings contest will start in September 2015. Follow my blog for details.