Dreaming about writing a book?

Here’s proof that it’s never too late:

My dream to write a book was shelved until I was an empty-nester. At that point, naggy doubts chewed on me and insisted, “You’re too old.”

I tried not to listen. Even though thoughts of being “too old” continued to squash my confidence, I took small steps. I began to write. Life’s demands often crowded out my writing, so it took four years to complete a first draft.

Initially, my goal was to write one book and have it spiral bound at Office Max for family, but a writers’ critique group encouraged me to enter my manuscript in two national contests. In 2017 it took first place in the American Christian Fiction Writers’ First Impressions competition, and it won first place in the ACFW 2018 Genesis young adult contest.

More than believing in myself, I saw the wisdom in Winston Churchill’s statement, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Notice he doesn’t mention age.

I continued to edit and polish More Than Grit until I published it in 2022. Then I published I Be Brave in 2025. This long journey in writing enriched my life in countless ways and opened new relationships with writers and readers.

If a story (or any goal) is burning inside you, don’t let doubt douse it. Connect with me and let’s figure out your next step. Here’s how we can stay in touch:

I enjoy coaching and encouraging writers of any age. Email: gretchencarlsonwriter@gmail.com

Website Sign up here for my quarterly newsletter which has book reviews and personal news.  Discussion questions and historical links for my books are also on my website.

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Winnie-the-Pooh quipped, “The best stories keep walking with you, even after you’ve closed the pages. Like friends do, when it’s time to go home.” I look forward to walking with you!

Blessings! Gretchen

Check out my books on Amazon, available Kindle Unlimited, Paperback and E-book:

A story of broken lives and deep friendship, inspired by true events from 1939, when the shadows of World War II lengthened.

Scarred by burns from a kerosene lantern, twelve-year-old Sissy knows electricity is more than her farm family’s dream. It’s vital. They can’t afford to have their farmhouse connected to electric lines, so she wrangles a secret deal to help her parents. As she faces danger and sacrifices to support her family, Sissy’s best efforts fail. She’s blind to what she needs most, and when she finally tells her secrets, she fears it’s too late.

Set in Kansas farmland, More than Grit is an unforgettable story of determination to succeed against all odds and will appeal anyone who roots for the underdog.

Award winning author Gretchen Carlson fills her characters with grit and grace as she shares the story her grandmother kept a secret for decades.

I Be Brave

In the summer of 1940, as Hitler’s armies destroy Europe, guilt ravages thirteen-year-old Sissy’s heart after her younger brother dies–on her watch. Nothing she does can mend the rift between her and her mother.

When an abused and abandoned boy follows Sissy to her farm in rural Kansas, she knows he can’t stay permanently with her broken family, and yet she tries to help him.

Her actions stir up fierce controversy in the community and threaten the loss of her family’s farm, driving a deeper wedge between Sissy and her mother. Even though Sissy risks everything to save the boy, her courage can’t heal the hurt and bitterness that blaze hotter than the Kansas summer sun–unless there is forgiveness. But forgiveness is as elusive as victory in Europe.