Beauty Buzz/Blog Biz | Rebecca L. Holland
About Rebecca
My name is Rebecca L. Holland and I am a pastor and author living in Altoona, PA. I was born with bilateral congenital cataracts and developed glaucoma when I was four years old. My life has been full of challenges, but I have also experienced many blessings. I love to write, and my undergraduate degree is in English Education.
Four years ago, I started taking my writing more seriously. I am a pastor in the United Methodist Tradition (I earned my M.Div. from Wesley Seminary in D.C.) and I was tired of the ableism I constantly encountered in the church and society.
I started a blog entitled Rev. Rebecca Writes (BeckieWrites.com) where I shared book reviews, poetry, and devotional writing. I was surprised and pleased by the positive response my writing received, and before long, my little blog had gained some traction and a regular readership. I self-published a chapbook of poetry, Through My Good Eye: A Memoir in Verse, and a collection of essays, The United Methodist Church and Disability.
Finally, after years of hard work, multiple rejections, and countless revisions, my third book, Hope for the Broken: Using Writing to Find God’s Grace was accepted for publication by TouchPoint Faith, an imprint of TouchPoint Press. I am beyond excited to be working with my very first publisher. I hope that you will consider checking out my book in the future.
If you are a fellow writer who is visually impaired, I would like to encourage you to keep writing. The world needs to hear our voices. Our stories can help change the world.
The following is the synopsis of Hope for the Broken: Using Writing to Find God’s Grace as provided by the publisher. Hope for the Broken is available from TouchPoint Press on February 23, 2021. You can find out more about me and my writing at BeckieWrites.com
Publisher’s Synopsis:
Rebecca was no stranger to adversity. Marked as different from an early age by her visual disability and half-Filipino heritage, she tried her best to bury herself in the pages of a book. For years, she was able to find solace in stories, until an ill-fated battle with her own personal Goliath left her with a shattered heart and broken dreams.
Rebecca found herself at the darkest point in her life. All she knew was that she needed to finish school and find work so that she could continue to afford the expensive medicines that maintained what remained of her precious eyesight.
During the darkest point in her life, a miraculous encounter with God gave her a new hope and a new purpose. Rebecca accepted the call to ministry in the United Methodist Church, and since then, her life has never been the same.
By writing just fifteen minutes a day, you can find God’s comfort and spiritual healing for your own life! Redeemed by the gift of God’s grace, Rebecca found her own “happy ending.” In this book, Rebecca helps the reader to use the art of writing to find that same sense of purpose. It includes:
- Instructions to help you create your own Writer’s Notebook
- Weekly Bible verses and prayers
- Daily writing prompts
- Exercises to help the reader connect to God
- Excerpts from Rebecca’s own spiritual journals and poems
God bound up the pieces of Rebecca’s heart and created something beautiful. Healing doesn’t always look like we expect. Journey with her as you find your own place in the biblical story and hope for your own life.
Connecting With Rebecca:
- Blog: Rev. Rebecca Writes: Read, Write, Pray www.BeckieWrites.com
- Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/BeckieWrites
- Instagram: http://www.Imstagram.com/BeckieWrites
My chapbook, Through My Good Eye: A Memoir in Verse, is now available on Amazon. Profits benefit Christ Community UMC.
Image Descriptions:
- Header: An author opens a package with samples of her new book and checks the hardcover
- Author photo shows Rebecca seated at a blue typewriter. She wears a pink sweater and smiles at the camera.
- The cover of the book depicts a purple flower blooming from the cracked earth. The title Hope for the Broken: Using Writing to Find God’s Grace, is written in purple letters.