Lighting Candles

William Shakespeare wrote, “How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.” Countless caring people have “lighted candles” in my life and inspired me to do the same for others. 
  
As a high school freshman, I was chosen to be Meg in “Little Women.” We lived three miles out of town. Dad had to get up at four a.m. Coming to get me after night practices would be a real hardship. He would have done it but I loved him too much to ask.

“Toppy” Hollingsworth, a classmate, was cast as Aunt Ida. She invited me to stay with her after evening rehearsals. Friendship ignited. Toppy, her twin sister,"Tippy” and I became inseparable.  We remained lifelong friends. 

I began “lighting candles” in 1978 while teaching Creative Writing at our local community college and senior center. A logger’s daughter from a small town that grew timber, not writers, I had nevertheless become a full-time author. That and the fact I didn’t seriously start writing until past forty encouraged my students. .

 I taught for thirty-four years and now mentor select individuals who realize publication is not a God-given right but must be earned. The rewards are endless. Many former students have delighted families and friends by writing their precious memories. Others wrote, studied the market, and began to sell. Several have become award-winning, best-selling authors. I cluck like a proud Mother Hen when my “chicks” succeed.

Yet nothing tops the friendships springing from my opportunities to light candles. Decades have passed since I taught my first writing class.. Friends from over the years remain high on my list of most-cherished persons.

 Am I responsible for the fire that keeps writers forging ahead in spite of rejections and an ever-tightening market? No. That comes from deep within serious writers.. No teacher should take credit for kindling a spark. We should just be grateful for the privilege.

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Many persons throughout the years have "lighted candles" by serving others.  Florence Nightingale earned the title, "Lady with the Lamp" while caring for injured soldiers during the Crimean War. She walked four miles of corridors every night to check on the wounded and is considered the founder of modern nursing. 

 Inspired by her example, five friends continue to "carry the torch" at Shepherd of Love, the hospital I "built" on a hill overlooking Seattle. Best friends, these dedicated nurses fight sickness and despair, solve mysteries and search for love.  The Shepherd of Love Hospital Mystery Romances are:
 

  Lamp in Darkness:  Danger pursues heartbroken Jonica. 
  Flickering Flames:  Nancy is troubled by the past               
  A Kindled Spark::    Lindsey fights an unseen enemy. 
  Glowing Embers:     Shina is the victim of prejudice. 
  A Kindled Spark:     Patti seeks a safe haven.

When I finished writing Lamp in Darkness, I couldn't bear to say good-bye to the valiant nurses who had won a place in my heart. Or leave the hospital built on faith and standing as a symbol of hope. 

My interest in nursing is deep-seated. My friends Tippy and Toppy were nurses. I planned to follow in their footsteps although I wanted to be a writer. Unfortunately, my small home town was famous for producing timber, not successful writers.

God had a different plan. I spent twenty-six years as a school and government secretary, before He opened doors for me to become a full-time author in 1978. However, my high school years studying everything I could find about the nursing profession served me well.  I still have the complete Cherry Ames, Sue Barton, and Penny Marsh career novel sets.

Nurse heroines star in many of my books. My first, The Heritage of Nurse O'Hara (Avalon Books, 1977) won favor with the editor who said, "It is so nice to get a book where the nurse does more than put on a BAND-AID®." I went on to write ten more inspirational  romances, most with nurse heroines, for Avalon.
  
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When I finished writing Lamp in Darkness, I couldn't bear to say good-bye to the valiant nurses and the hospital built on imagination and faith. They had touched my life and helped make me a better person. Four novels later, I still hated to part with my book friends, but their stories were told. it was time to let them go. 

To me, the best thing about a good book is knowing there is more. Combining books and their sequels into collections offers the opportunity to read straight through as one long story.

In addition to the print titles, these books are available in the Shepherd of Love: Five complete novel collection.

Available at
amazon.com/author/colleenreece_booksyoucantrust