Sometimes life throws a curve ball and sometimes the curve ball is followed a pitch so fast you don’t even swing until the catcher’s already caught the ball. This happened to a writer I know. Lee Scofield who was in the first round of edits for her book, Halfway to Forever, when her husband suddenly and unexpectedly passed away—only days later she suffered a severe stroke.
She could have quit at this point. Thrown in the towel, deemed it too much trouble, an insurmountable task. Not Lee Scofield. She wanted to keep going. Throughout the editing process her computer access was intermittent, and she personally struggled to overcome staggering physical challenges, regardless she persevered.
As I sit here behind my computer and sigh when my mind is blank or daily life is crashing in, when I get discouraged, when I think, this is too tough, I look over to my bookshelf where I keep Lee’s books and remember it’s only as tough as you make it.
I’ll never forget a conversation I had with her. Despite having every reason to complain, she never did. She only saw how fortunate she was compared to others at the assisted living facility. She never looked at her disabilities, only her abilities.
Her book Halfway to Forever comes out this month.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to read her dedication without tearing up—To my own hero, Charles, who always supports me in my writing—nor will I ever be able to read her book without remembering the battle she went through to complete this. Halfway to Forever is truly a labor of love, filled with the heart and soul of the writer.
I’d like to add a dedication of my own, To Lee Scofield, who embodies the spirit and stamina of the true heroine, and exemplifies the love romance writers celebrate.
