Award-winning author Naomi Musch writes to change the story, maybe even her own. She is at home in the Wisconsin Northwoods, where her perfect day is spent writing, roaming the farm, and loving on her passel of grandchildren.
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Drinking From the Well (and the Main Reason I Write Christian Fiction)
Published about 2 months ago • 5 min read
In this issue:
*Drinking From the Well (and the Main Reason I Write Christian Fiction)
*Aiming High for This November Release
*A Little Pleading, Actually
*Introducing Elizabeth Daghfel, an Author to Know
*Hitting the Road to Novel Lattes
*YouTube Update: Imposter Gardener?
Drinking From the Well (and the Main Reason I Write Christian Fiction)
They say changing seasons, especially into fall, affect people differently.
Let's get right to it. Meteorological Fall is here. Those of us up north are feeling the shift of the season: comfortable days, much cooler nights (ah...) but they include threats of frost on our flowers and gardens. (I'm so sorry for those of you who are still vying with 100-degree temperatures!) I perk up--usually--because my body just doesn't approve of too much heat and humidity.
But fall's arrival can seat us on the struggle bus in a myriad of ways too, and sometimes it sends us to the the weirdest emotional places.
MY TICKET ON THE STRUGGLE BUS
If you spied my last YouTube video, I was in a state of bemoaning my garden's sad finale this year. While some of you hope the rain will stop one of these days, Northern Wisconsin has suffered drought nearly all summer. It got to the point that I didn't want to water too much, because, with lakes and rivers so low and no runoff to speak of, I was worried about the water table and the possibility of overly-straining my pump and well. So, to be safe, I watered minimally, and the results in my garden showed it. While some plants produced an okay harvest, others just never produced at all.
Of course, the weeds flourished! I began to struggle with gardener's imposter syndrome, and at times I felt like giving up on gardening, something I've enjoyed doing for over four decades.
But I hung in there and muddled through, and things are looking brighter today.
There are a lot of mood changes that tend to strike people heavier in the fall, for which there are probably myriad reasons, depending on our own bodies' makeups, life's circumstances, and so much more. Maybe even the knowledge that winter will come eventually.
THE REALITY
It makes me think of how dry and thirsty I get for real Hope and Peace in this world, and how sometimes I'm nearly overcome by life's weed patch of hardships cropping up. I get a longing that can only be quenched by clinging to the Lord constantly! He alone offers life-giving water found in the well of His Word and in close fellowship with Him. I am absorbing Scripture steadily and praying constantly. It's like I'm carrying one of those giant water bottles around everywhere I go, but I feel parched otherwise.
Day by day, step by step right?
This is why my Christian fiction tagline is: Writing to bring hope that will change the story--maybe even my own.
The "weeds" may flourish, sucking away joy, strength, courage, and even making hope wilt. But when I head straight to God's well, He always gives refreshment. Faith. Hope. Love. It's all found in Him. As long as I drink it up, long and deeply. This is what changes my story every day.
Join me in remembering the testimonies of those who went before us, faithfully clinging to the Heavenly Father, who changed their stories:
I'm still editing Cinder Smudged for its November release. It's a little longer than it was meant to be, but the story must unfold! Am I right? I hope to have the preorder available before my next newsletter. (Cutting it close, I know.)
You've heard of Cinderella, but you haven't really been Cinder Smudged until you've met Eleanor Kassel. Coming in November 2026.
Am I begging, or would you call this mildly pleading? ;)
Because this is how much I need you!
I'm still riding the wave of joy having two new books release this summer. I love seeing the responses I've gotten for The Girl from Tomorrow's Town, and I'm a month into the launch of Sibella's Stand.
PLEASE LEAVE AN ONLINE REVIEW if you've enjoyed either of these books.I can really use your word-of-mouth influence.
The exponential growth of AI is making it nearly impossible to be discovered without READERS speaking up. It's a lot of algorithm mumbo-jumbo to explain, but search engines aren't operating in the ways we were used to, and they certainly aren't curating novels for readers who haven't heard my name or known of my titles. I need actual readers to put up those reviews and tell their friends about my books. This is important, not only for me or other authors whose books you enjoy, but for any online ministry you support that is getting swallowed in the sea of information out there.
Word of Mouth has always been where it's at, and even more so in these strange, techie times. Sorry if it sounds like I'm begging. But . . . does mildlypleading sound better? Haha!
Speaking of Word of Mouth...
Please allow me to introduce you to Elizabeth Daghfal, a delightful author I met at a retreat a few years ago. Whether reading her stories or listening to them on The Short Story Lounge podcast she co-hosts, you'll enjoy them enough to want to get to know her, and follow her writing journey too.
Elizabeth Daghfal loves weaving realistic stories that meet you right where your heart needs hope. Sometimes her stories are lighthearted, sometimes more serious, and sometimes they're a bit of a laugh at ourselves. But the one common thread? They're authentic people trying to figure out how to live life faithfully. Because she knows—sometimes we wear the superhero cape...and sometimes we can't find our shoes.
She's won multiple awards for her stories and novels, including the 2025 ACFW Genesis Award and 2024 FCWC "Writer of the Year," but she's also known for her Diet Coke, her love for singing, and her flip-flops.
Available for free download on Elizabeth's website.
I'm hitting the road and bringing books!
Excitement is building to attend the Novel Lattes Clean Book Festival in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, October 16th-17th. (The event primes up on Friday the 16th with a meet & greet, but I'll just be attending the book fair on Saturday.) It's billed as "the Largest Clean Book Festival in the U.S.", and that sounds fabulous to me.
I'll be joining some writing pals like Pegg Thomas, Candice Sue Patterson, Shannon McNear, and Liisa Eyerly, among many other attending authors. I can't wait to meet new friends and chat about great fiction until we all run out of breath. I've got a new stack of shiny book postcards to pass out, and I'll have plenty of books to sign.
Award-winning author Naomi Musch writes to change the story, maybe even her own. She is at home in the Wisconsin Northwoods, where her perfect day is spent writing, roaming the farm, and loving on her passel of grandchildren.
Read more from Northwoods Faith & Fiction ~ Naomi Musch
In this issue: *Plates Are Spinning! *On the Road * *YouTube Updates Boy, are my plates spinning! What a month ahead. As I mentioned last time, my final 2026 book release is due out in November. I've pushed back the date a couple of weeks, because frankly, my plates are spinning. If I let go of one, they're all gonna crash. So, watch for Cinder Smudged, my Great Depression retelling of Cinderella releasing right before Thanksgiving. AND it'll be a terrific Thanksgiving read, as that holiday...
