Chasing Light When the Path is Dark
By Darlene L. Turner, New York Times and Publishers Weekly Bestselling Author
No one warns you about the dark stretch of the road when everything goes silent while chasing your God-given dreams. When the doors remain closed, prayers go unanswered, rejections pile up, and we can’t see the hand in front of our face, we wonder if we heard the calling correctly. The waiting is excruciating, and the questions accumulate. Sound familiar? The saying ‘been there, done that, bought the t-shirt’ comes to mind.
God never promised a brightly lit road, only enough light to keep forging ahead—one baby step at a time. That’s where trust comes in. This is what I’ve discovered in my pursuit of becoming a published author. Little did I know I would become a New York Times bestselling author within five years of publishing my first book.
But let me back up. That’s not where the story starts. Not even close.
Once upon a time, in a land far, far away (okay, only New Brunswick) lived a little girl who picked up a Nancy Drew book. From the time she finished the first one, she not only fell in love with reading but also a good mystery.
That’s where my story began.
Even from an early age, the twists and turns in a Nancy Drew book drew me in like bees to honey. I was hooked, and I followed the clues with Nancy, trying to solve the mystery. I wondered if I could write, so I started my own “Mindy Dobson” series. The writing bug hit me, but life stepped in, and I put my aspirations on hold as I grew up. It wasn’t until my late twenties that I picked up my pen again. From there, the words slowly took form, and I wrote a short story that eventually became my first manuscript. My journey began, but only as a hobby.
Fast forward to 2008, when that “hobby” morphed into a pursuit of publication. After joining a writers’ group, taking courses through Jerry B. Jenkins, and under the guidance of my amazing mentor, DiAnn Mills, my writing grew. It was time to pitch that short-story-turned-full-length-book to agents and editors. I was sure my book would be the exception and get signed right away (insert eye roll here). But I failed to anticipate the roller-coaster ride ahead of me. I attended conferences and wrote another manuscript while I waited to hear back from those pitches.
Throughout the years that followed and rejection-upon-rejection, I almost gave up on my dream. More than once. I’d question whether or not I was a good writer, or perhaps I had heard the “calling” incorrectly. But then God would use either encouraging words from someone who read one of my blogs, or I’d final in a contest I entered. A friend told me that each rejection was one step closer to the agent/editor God had planned for me. That person was right. In 2018, I signed with my agent—Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency. However, the roller coaster ride hadn’t come to a stop. Tamela pitched my manuscripts to publishing houses, and everyone rejected them for one reason or another. Tamela suggested I write a story for Love Inspired Suspense (an inspirational division of Harlequin), so I did.
In 2019, I finally received the “call” I had been waiting for. Love Inspired Suspense wanted that story (insert happy dance here), and in 2020, my debut novel, Border Breach, released. Yes, if you do the math, my journey to publication took twelve years. Twelve long years of waiting.
But then, my writing career blossomed. Fast forward to 2025 after fourteen published books, I received the ultimate gift. One I never dreamed possible. My book Trail of Mountain Secrets hit the New York Times Mass Market Bestseller list not once, but twice, AND stayed on the Publishers Weekly Mass Market Bestseller list for four weeks in a row. I’m still pinching myself over this news.
I share all of this not to brag, but to encourage you not to give up. Even when the darkness is overwhelming. The road bleak. The rejections never-ending. We all have dreams and aspirations. Yours may not be publication, but they’re just as important, so I’d like to share what God taught me (and continues to teach) throughout my journey.
Dreams can lead to uncertainty, fear, and even resistance. There were many times when fear incapacitated me, and I couldn’t write. The words wouldn’t come, or I was too tired to even try. I believed lies and failed to trust. The silence was unbearable, but God slowly revealed to me that He doesn’t ask for perfection, and He gave me courage to press on. Psalm 119:105 tells us that God’s word is our lamp that lights our way. Such an amazing promise to carry us through our fears.
God doesn’t show us the full picture for a reason. I finally discovered that His timing is always best. I almost made a few wrong decisions along the way, but I learned to trust and simply wait. Was it hard? Of course. Even after all those dark moments when I felt the light of my writing journey had been extinguished, He was there guiding me and pressing me to persevere. He knew what lay ahead. He only wanted me to trust Him with every step.
The darkness doesn’t mean God isn’t working. John 1:5 tells us that “light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” When we go through the dark patches of our journey, we have to trust that the light—even if it’s a tiny glimmer—will help guide our path. It tells us that God is working, even when we can’t see Him. Cling to that truth and keep going.
Not only did God show me I needed to have faith but also that He wanted me to shine His truth in the words of my stories—HIS stories. Yes, my characters go through tough moments, even gritty and downright evil ones, but in the end they learn to trust in Him, and God’s light wins. It’s the same in our lives, isn’t it?
Faith doesn’t promise a road without ruts and holes—only a faithful Guide to lead us through. We don’t need to see the entire path—just enough light for the next faithful step.
Trust in Him and take a leap of faith.
Darlene L. Turner is a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author known for her high-octane stories and riveting twists. Sparked by Nancy Drew, she’s turned her love of solving mysteries into her writing, believing readers will be captured by her plots, inspired by her strong characters, and moved by her inspirational message. Dubbed “the plaid queen” for her love of everything plaid, Darlene resides with her husband Jeff in Ontario, Canada. You can connect with Darlene at www.darlenelturner.com where there’s suspense beyond borders.
Photo credit: E.A.Hendryx, EAH Creative.
