It was a year ago today.
My gallbladder had just been removed and I was groggy from the anesthesia.
I’d been living in San Antonio, Texas for 14 months, having moved away from Washington State to help my brother care for our 90 year old mom who was on hospice. After she passed I was given the opportunity to host a radio show for women on the local Salem affiliate, KSLR (www.alwaysfaithfulradio.com), and absolutely loved what I was doing.
I’d told God in no uncertain terms that I would never return to Washington. Too many bad memories from the 12 years I was duped by a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Over a decade believing a lie was the truth, losing the 20 year old company I’d poured my life and energy into building and making a valuable resource for Christian authors.
A year ago today I got the call… WinePress Publishing has closed their doors for good.
Since early 2012, I’d been warning people on this blog and all over Facebook that, due to my own misjudgment of character, WinePress had fallen into the hands of leaders who were spiritually, emotionally and financially abusive, arrogant and elitist. Leaders who used scripture out of context to silence and shame anyone who questioned their words or actions… anyone who spoke up and told the truth. Those who, as I found out months later, were sexually abusive as well…and all in the Name of Jesus. How tragic for those whose lives were forever scarred by their sick and twisted actions.
A year ago today… WinePress Publishing, the God idea that was high jacked by the enemy, after being ridden into the ground by excessive spending, exorbitant salaries for the Williams family members, and the height of incompetence, finally admitted defeat… albeit at the expense of many innocent authors.
With the closing of WinePress, nearly 2,000 authors became displaced, unable to get their hands on the books they’d paid to have produced and made available. 195 authors who were in process…who had paid for publishing services and never received what they paid for… left in the lurch without any hope of recovering their investment.
When I was asked to return to help them, I knew it was the right thing to do. And I’m so, so grateful I was given the opportunity. I never could have guessed that I’d have the chance to help so many authors get back what was rightfully theirs, and at the same time, offer new solutions to the publishing dilemma.
It’s really almost surreal.
A year ago today.
I was out of publishing, on the radio, in Texas, 14 years single and waiting and not happy about that, I must admit. It was a struggle to believe God really did have a husband for me… one who loved God and would love me well.
Not Afraid to Tell My Story 